Tate & Lyle Launches ENRICH for Fortified Beverages

23/01/07 Tate & Lyle has launched two new ingredient systems for fortified beverages as part of its new ENRICH service - Multi-Fruit Drink ENRICH and Flavoured Water ENRICH. Tate & Lyle’s ENRICH beverage solutions help manufacturers create products that are packed with nutrients but taste as good as regular brands. ENRICH beverage solutions can be used to create great-tasting, highly fortified drinks that contain high levels of prebiotic fibres, probiotics, proteins and vitamins. ENRICH is focused on three main areas - Digestive Health and Immunity, Obesity and Weight Management, and Children’s Health.

The prototypes launched demonstrate Tate & Lyle’s technical capabilities and reflect current consumer trends. Tate & Lyle will be working closely with customers across a wide range of beverages. The new ingredient systems can be customised to include specific functional ingredients and to meet the taste preference of the relevant geography.
 
Harvey Chimoff, Director of Marketing, Americas for Tate & Lyle commented, “Tate & Lyle’s global R&D teams created US and EU customised prototypes in response to growing consumer interest in brands that offer additional health benefits. People often struggle to maintain a balanced and nutritious diet due to lifestyle pressures. However, many consumers are now looking beyond supplements to address specific health needs and have a greater recognition of the nutrients that are beneficial, such as fibre. Providing these in a drinkable form is perfect for people ‘on the go’. Consumers want products that will not only help them manage their weight but will also increase their well-being, improve their digestion and may boost their immune system.”
 
Market research forecasts a potential market growth of 13% in Western Europe and 19% in the US for fortified fruit-based drinks between 2006 and 2009. In response to market data and the Company’s own consumer insight studies, Tate & Lyle is expanding its product offering by developing a broad range of branded soluble and insoluble fibres and by adding a selection of vitamins and minerals to the ENRICH systems.
 
Multi-Fruit Drink ENRICH, part of the digestive health and immunity platform, adds high levels of fibre, vitamins and minerals to fruit drinks. Made with soluble fibre, this ingredient system is a great source of fibre (prebiotic) and is also designed to work well with probiotic cultures. This is known in the industry as synbiotics and Tate & Lyle is one of the first to offer this in a beverage system. Synbiotic beverages can aid healthy digestion and overall immunity. Beverages made with Multi-Fruit Drink ENRICH contain SPLENDA Sucralose and have significantly fewer calories than comparable products on the market but deliver all the taste that consumers expect from their regular brand. Multi-Fruit Drink ENRICH prototypes also contain the following nutrients:

·  Calcium, an essential mineral vital to bone health, muscle function, and nerve transmission. It is also reported to be beneficial with regard to colon health.
· Zinc, an essential mineral that is thought to improve immune functioning.
· Vitamins A, C, E, essential nutrients with antioxidant functions. Their intake is associated with optimal health.
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Flavoured Water ENRICH, part of the obesity and weight management platform, provides excellent levels of fibre, protein and calcium. It is suitable for lightly-carbonated or still flavoured waters.  Flavoured Water ENRICH prototypes include B Vitamins (essential nutrients that function as coenzymes in metabolism of protein, carbohydrates and fat), Vitamins A and E, as well as various minerals. The added protein and fibre aids satiety, helping people to feel fuller for longer and reduce snacking between meals. The use of SPLENDA Sucralose in the ingredient system reduces the need for added sugars and lowers the calorie count. With Flavoured Water ENRICH, consumers can enjoy great-tasting beverages that provide high levels of nutrients and aid satiety.
 
Mike Augustine, Global Vice President of Food Ingredients Applications and Technical Services said, “The launch of Tate & Lyle’s ENRICH beverage solutions is ideally timed for customers who are keen to take advantage of the growing interest in fortified or ‘better for you’ brands. Our expertise in research and development and our rapid prototyping process means that we can maximise the speed of delivery to market – making the transition from prototype to proven product as smooth as possible. This speed is vital in a crowded marketplace, where customers are fighting to differentiate their products.”
 
ENRICH is the latest innovative offer from the Tate & Lyle R&D team and follows the launch of Tate & Lyle REBALANCE. Both are part of the company’s CORE service. Tate & Lyle has now begun to take ENRICH beverage prototypes to customers.