Food Business News - August 14, 2012 - 32

New Product Innovations

Omega-3s
enter the beverage aisle
Overcoming stability and shelf-life issues broadens the ingredient’s appeal

onsumers perceive omega-3 fatty acids as a healthy nutrient, and many food companies have introduced products aimed at helping consumers get the recommended amount of omega-3 fatty acids in their diet. Now some manufacturers are using beverages as a delivery vehicle to increase consumer options. “From a consumer standpoint, in a world where very few foods contain omega-3s, particularly DHA and EPA, beverages are a convenient way to obtain these important fats,” said Megan Gorczyca, spokesperson for DSM Nutritional Products, Inc., Columbia, Md. “We see now more than ever a trend to consume beverages with functional components geared toward healthy lifestyles. This opens the door for addition of omega-3s such as DHA and EPA given that the obstacles of addition can be overcome.” Eighty-four per cent of consumers perceive omega-3 as a healthy fatty acid, according to the Consumer Attitudes about Nutrition survey from the United Soybean Board. That’s up from 79% in 2011. DSM supplies omega-3 fatty acids for various juice, milk,

smoothie and powdered drink mix products, including Horizon Milk and Minute Maid Pomegranate Blueberry Enhanced Juice. Ms. Gorczyca said innovation is still needed to help develop new product forms to incorporate the nutrient into a wider variety of beverages. Packaging improvements to help extened shelf life are necessary as well. Benjamin Mamola, chief executive ofﬁcer of Oceans Omega, Paramus, N.J., said there has been signiﬁcant demand for

beverages with omega-3s because it is a simple form of delivery and all people, from children to the elderly, may beneﬁt from the nutrient. “The average consumer doesn’t necessarily understand completely the health beneﬁts of omega-3, but they understand it’s good for them,” he said. “So what has been demonstrated is when a product shows omega3s in the product, it tends to get greater sell-through.” Yet incorporating this healthful nutrient into beverages does

not come without challenges. Mr. Mamola and Ms. Gorczyca both said the ﬁrst challenge is omega-3 fatty acids are oil-based, and getting oil and water to mix doesn’t come easily. But Mr. Mamola said even more difﬁcult is trying to stabilize omega-3 fatty acids so they taste good in the ﬁnished product and the shelf life of the end product isn’t compromised. Omega-3 fatty acids are unstable in their natural form, and when they are exposed to oxygen in air or water they oxidize. Ms. Gorczyca said incorporating the oil into water may be done through the use of an emulsion and hydrocolloids or through homogenization. She also said providing a cold storage temperature reduces oxidation of omega-3 fatty acids. “To prevent the oxidation is the most challenging part of the omega-3 incorporation,” Mr. Mamola said. “What we’ve done at Oceans Omega is we’ve developed patented and proprietary processes that stabilize the omega-3s in the beverage application so that not only does it taste incredibly good, but the shelf life is as good or better, and it’s at room temperature and doesn’t require refrigeration.” He said the supply chain

FOODBUSINESS NEWS

August 14, 2012

Food Business News - August 14, 2012

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