MycoTechnology, a trailblazer in the field of mushroom research and ingredient innovation, has made a landmark discovery of a natural sweet protein derived from honey truffle.
This first-of-its-kind discovery paves the way for the launch of honey truffle sweetener, a potentially game-changing alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners that could reduce global sugar consumption and build towards a healthier future.
The honey truffle has been consumed for centuries. In identifying and isolating the sweet protein, MycoTechnology continues to leverage its advanced technology to harness the versatility of fungi and address new food system challenges.
“Our honey truffle sweetener is derived from a protein, which brings an unprecedented level of excitement as proteins are widely recognised as the future of sweeteners,” said Alan Hahn, CEO of MycoTechnology.
“This breakthrough ushers in a new era of clean label sweeteners, revolutionising the way we create foods and beverages without relying on traditional sugar or artificial sweeteners.”
MycoTechnology is developing a proprietary platform designed to scale production, minimise manufacturing costs and optimise yield. The result is a clean, intense natural sweetness with an expected cost-in-use competitive with sugar, and absence of aftertaste.
The news is already sparking enthusiasm, with several commercial partners expressing their interest in new collaborations.
“The journey to discover this sweetener was fuelled by a blend of tenacity, curiosity, and dedication to a healthier future,” said Hahn.
“Today, we stand on the brink of a sweet revolution that could transform the food industry and consumer health in unprecedented ways.”
Colorado-based MycoTechnology is dedicated to increasing the availability of healthy, sustainable and clean label ingredients through natural mushroom fermentation. Its product portfolio includes ClearIQ, a line of transformative mushroom-derived flavour modulation tools that decrease the perception of bitter and off-notes (also enabling the formulation of products with higher nutrient density, while reducing salt and sugar content); and FermentIQ, a line of plant protein products produced via a proprietary fermentation process that harnesses the power of mushroom mycelia.
Dawn Foods has launched two limited edition bake-stable liquid flavourings for sweet bakes and desserts.
Made in the UK using natural flavour components, the highly concentrated flavourings are inspired by English summertime flavours, namely, Wild Strawberry and Classic Trifle.
According to Dawn, the ontrend flavours will help bakers ‘premiumise’ sweet bakes and attract incremental sales this summer.
The versatile flavourings can be added to ready-to-use ingredients such as creams, frostings and mousses and because they are bake-stable, can be added to the batter for cakes, cookies and muffins.
Fresh wild strawberries have a limited season and a subsequently high price point. Dawn’s Wild Strawberry Flavouring lasts all year long and a single dose (5g to every 1,000g) imparts a subtle strawberry flavour to tarts and gateaux. It’s equally good paired with lemon, lavender, thyme or black pepper for a modern take on traditional summer flavours.
With hints of sherry, berries, custard and cream, Dawn’s Classic Trifle Flavouring contains all the components of one of England’s best loved summer desserts in liquid format.
“Today’s consumer - particularly those in Gen Z aged 16-25 years - want to explore new tastes and sensory experiences,” said Jacqui Passmore, marketing manager for Dawn Foods UK & Ireland.
“They are looking for products that can deliver this sense of adventure with new flavours, colours, textures and aromas. Indeed, according to Kantar Profiles/Mintel report Feb 2022, 29% of consumers state that a ‘new flavour twist’ as a key reason for influencing product choice across cakes, cake bars and sweet baked goods.
“Dawn’s new Liquid Flavours give bakers the opportunity to add some ‘zing’ to their bakes and easily tap into current flavour trends for fresh fruit with provenance and the big trend for bakery/dessert hybrids with a nostalgic or retro feel.
“The only limit really is a baker’s imagination.”
Howtian has unveiled the SoPure Galaxy-Series, a groundbreaking stevia range specifically formulated to meet growing consumer demand for healthier and more natural dairy-based snacks.
According to the UN’s Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), the global dairy market boasts an extensive consumer base, with over 6 billion of the world's population consuming dairy products on a daily basis. To capitalise on the growing health trend, snack producers have focused on reduced-sugar yogurts and other dairy-based snacks, with ‘no added sugar’ and ‘low sugar’ claims accounting for 10-11% of all dairy innovations, according to Innova.
To answer these demand, Howtian’s Innovation and Science Centre embarked on a mission to develop an affordable and adaptable stevia product line specifically tailored for dairy applications.
“The SoPure Galaxy-Series products offer an exceptional sensory profile in dairy, closely resembling the sweetness of full-sugar benchmarks, while also reducing development time and delivering up to 45% cost savings on the sweetener compound,” said Tom Fuzer, VP of Market Strategy at Howtian.
The series has a virtually identical sweetness profile to full sugar in yoghurts, along with enhanced milky notes and prolonged fruity flavours. It has a rich, creamy mouthfeel when combined with bulking agents, and is clean label with zero calories.
Howtian claims it also has superior sensorial performance compared to high purity RebA - at less than half the cost of Reb M - which is attributed to its incredible and consistent solubility.
“With the introduction of the SoPure Galaxy-series, Howtian reaffirms its commitment to providing cutting-edge solutions that meet evolving consumer preferences, elevate taste experiences, and contribute to the development of healthier dairy products,” added Fuzer.
Dairy and non-dairy concentrates specialist Butter Buds Inc. is showcasing its real dairy and dairy alternative ingredients that offer clean label and organic solutions at the Institute of Food Technologists 2023 Annual Event and Expo (IFT FIRST) in Chicago (17-19 July).
The ingredients add rich flavour and full-bodied mouthfeel with better texture, while masking off-flavours, rounding out any harsh notes and improving the nutritional profile of a variety of food applications.
At IFT23, the company will be showcasing the ingredients in a Danish Cookie with a 53% reduced butter content. Butter Buds Butter Flavor AB offers a rich, fresh butter note with a higher fat flavour profile, while Butter Buds High Concentrate Uncolored offers butter notes and fatty richness.
Because Butter Buds products are made with real butterfat, they can provide up to 80 times the flavour strength of real butter, which translates to better flavour and cost optimisation through low usage rates.
Butter Buds also offers a line of innovative flavour concentrates that provide unique flavour characteristics, including Butter Buds-Bacon, CocoaButter Buds and Dried Beer Extract. Its customer-focused R&D department works closely with customers to proactively explore new trends, products and formulation solutions at its production facility in Racine, Wisconsin.
Bascom Maple Farms is inviting attendees to IFT2023 to learn more about maple’s versatility, along with its many nutritional and functional benefits.
Direct from its farm in New England, Bascom Maple Farms claims its products can help manufacturers deliver products that meet a variety of claims, including natural, organic, sustainable, gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan and allergen free.
Available in all grades, with a variety of easy-to-use forms, sizes and packaging - glass bottles, drums and totes - the formulation experts at Bascom can help brands quickly deliver high-quality products that will drive consumer demand.
Divi's Nutraceuticals has developed a free from range called Novel Application, which can be used to fortify or colour a variety of liquids and dry foods.
Colour is often the first element noticed in the appearance of a snack, impacting the way consumers perceive taste and flavour. Carotenoids are good alternatives to artificial dyes and support the transition to clean labels.
As an expert in chemical synthesis and formulation, Divi’s has the technical capabilities to produce silicon dioxide-free spray-dried products with the same performance and characteristics as conventional spray-dried products, resulting in nanoparticle-free ingredients. Moreover, these products contain no synthetic antioxidant, no palm oil and no added sugar, while maintaining excellent stability and texture.
Divi’s offers a range of synthetic and natural carotenoids providing light yellow to dark red coloration. These carotenoids are available in a variety of high-quality product forms to best suit the requirements of each type of application, whether for use in fortification or coloration.
Another of its next gen innovations is AstaBead, a highly concentrated beadlets of sustainable natural astaxanthin.
Divi’s transforms oleoresin, which is naturally sourced from microalgae, into easy-to-handle beadlets that contain 5% astaxanthin - the highest concentration on the market - which show excellent performance in applications such as nutritional bars.
Bakers in search of premium cocoa butter suitable for a wide variety of applications should look no further than deZaan’s Stellar Cocoa Butter Drops.
Available from the UK’s largest independent chocolate supplier Henley Bridge, the pressed organic cocoa butter drops offer outstanding consistency and unparalleled quality.
Sustainably sourced and available in 1kg bags, the 100% cocoa butter drops offer a versatile format for use in recipes or chocolate production processes, with easy melting and product handling.
“deZaan’s Stellar Cocoa Butter Drops are incredibly versatile and can be used to adjust chocolate fluidity and viscosity to creating a glossy finish and enhanced snap, as well as being the perfect base for spray gun applications,” said Samantha Rain, development chef for Henley Bridge.
“Being 100% pure cocoa butter also means they’re suitable for vegans - making them the ideal base for plant-based ice creams and frozen desserts.”
Beneo has developed a clean label wholegrain barley flour with 20% beta-glucans, which offers unique health benefits, including positive impacts on heart health and blood sugar management.
Orafti β-Fit is on-trend with consumers’ focus on sustainability, with plant-based and wholegrain ingredients being preferred when making food choices.
Consumers are increasingly aware of how diet impacts both short and long-term wellbeing and as a result, there is a growing demand for healthier food and beverage options. Even when they are not suffering specific health problems, 69% are interested in products that promote heart health. So, functional ingredients such as barley beta-glucans offer producers an easy way to create appealing products with convincing front-of-pack communication.
“The exciting launch of our new wholegrain and clean label barley flour, Orafti β-Fit, further demonstrates our expertise and position as a leading provider of functional fibres,” said Eric Nevel, commercial MD, Functional Fibres, Beneo.
“With its convincing health benefits and approved health claims while being also an economically attractive solution, Orafti β-Fit supports our company’s ambition of connecting nutrition and health. We help food manufacturers develop great tasting products that deliver added value in times of tighter consumer budgets.”
Beta-glucans are viscous and soluble dietary fibres that make the food thicker, therefore delaying its passage through the large and small intestines. Their health benefits are backed up by several human intervention studies, but only cereal beta-glucans have approved health claims in Europe and in the US.
Beta-glucans from barley contribute to blood sugar management and cardiovascular health. They lower the blood glucose response and blood cholesterol levels, which lowers the risk of coronary heart disease.
Beneo’s Orafti β-Fit also helps to bridge the fibre gap and can be used in a wide range of applications, including baked goods, pasta and cereals. It can also positively impact texture by increasing viscosity in dairy alternatives.
In keeping with Beneo’s commitment to sustainable business practices, Orafti β-Fit is produced with the use of the entire kernel. There is no waste in production and a 100% valorisation of raw material, with no water resources needed.
Geno announced the results of a new clinical trial exploring the effects of its exogenous ketone, consumed in energy bar and beverage form.
Geno launched Avela in the US in November 2022 as an ingredient for the keto, energy and fitness and wellness categories, offering consumers an accessible alternative to fasting or restrictive dieting to achieve sustained ketosis. The ingredient demonstrates the potential to disrupt the functional foods and beverages market, which is expected to reach $529.66bn by 2028 (Fortune Business Insights).
“Over the past ten years, scientists and consumers have realised that ketones are more than an emergency backup fuel,” said Brianna Stubbs, DPhil, lead translational scientist for The Buck Institute for Research on Aging.
“They are discovering the different effects ketones can have within the body. This is an energizing, exciting moment and a step forward for the industry.”
The study - published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Physiology - assessed beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) levels and tolerability in human subjects following the consumption of Avela. Elevated BHB levels in the human body have been scientifically reported as providing benefits of increased energy, mental clarity and support for improved athletic endurance.
The study results provide further support that Avela is effective at raising BHB levels and generating on-demand ketosis within 30 minutes of ingestion. The ingredient induced and maintained ketosis for up to five hours when administered orally in a three-dose process. The study group of 26 people achieved peak BHB blood levels of 2.1 +/- 0.97 mmol/L one hour after consuming Avela and reported no significant side effects or adverse events.
After the final dose of Avela was administered, the cohort remained in ketosis for four hours, demonstrating a sustained elevation of BHB as an energy source.
The clinical trial demonstrates the value of Avela as an effective method for raising BHB levels in humans to achieve nutritional ketosis.
“In this study, Avela demonstrated good tolerability when taken in accordance with GRAS guidelines,” said Dr James Lowder, hematologist oncologist and study principal investigator.
“The results tell us we can consider (R)-1,3-Butanediol effective at producing blood ketone levels comparable to those achieved through the diet alone.”
Study:
Authors: James Lowder, Carolina Venditti, Kathy Musa-Veloso and Vassili Kotlov
Front. Physiol., 28 June 2023, Sec. Metabolic Physiology, Volume 14 - 2023
doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2023.1195702
Melodea - an Israeli producer of sustainable barrier coatings - has introduced a high-performance barrier product specifically engineered to allow for the recyclability of plastic food packaging.
In addition to its excellent eco-profile, the new barrier has proven superior in its key role of maintaining food freshness and substantially reducing plastic waste.
MelOx NGen is a water-based, plant-sourced coating designed to line the inside surface of numerous forms of plastic food packaging such as films, pouches, bags, lidding and blister packs used to house CPG products and is currently being rolled out to the global plastic industry.
Approved by FDA and BfR as compatible for food contact, the coating helps protect and extend the shelf-life of foods such as snacks, confectionary, nutrition bars, meats and dairy products.
Melox NGen is a new iteration of Melodea’s award-winning bio-based and renewable material MelOx for paper packaging but designed specifically for use on plastic. MelOx NGen can empower food packagers to fulfil their sustainability goals and align themselves with government regulations aimed at reducing the utilisation of single-use plastics.
The EU, for example, has implemented the Plastic Waste Directive, which establishes a minimum recycling target of 50% for plastic packaging by 2025, increasing to 55% by 2030. Moreover, in 2021, the EU approved a tax of €800 per tonne of non-recycled plastic containers and packaging produced in member states’ markets. The tax aims to incentivise the adoption of recycling practices and discourage the use of non-recyclable materials.
“The global collective effort to drastically curb plastic use is a long and complex process,” said Shaul Lapidot, CEO and co-founder of Melodea.
“Our holistic solution can help ease the pressure by boosting the integration of plastic packaging into the circular economy, immediately.”
Added Cee Azerraf, VP of Sales and Marketing, “The majority of plastic packaging available today cannot be recycled due to its multi-structure composition.
“MelOx NGen presents an eco-friendly and cost-effective solution by being applicable to various forms of plastics, including monostructure plastics that possess exceptional performance properties and are recyclable. Our solution will also relieve the current bottleneck in the supply of EVOH.”
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, there has been a global surge in demand for EVOH, resulting in a significant spike in prices. These prices climbed from $5.5 per kg in 2019 to $11-$14 per kilo at the end of 2022 and are expected to rise further.
“Melox NGen can be effortlessly applied as a thin layer directly to the plastic without the need for primers,” said Azerraf.
Parkside has partnered with UK cereal producer Yockenthwaite Farm to develop a pack that promises to shake up sustainable packaging.
Yockenthwaite’s new pack for its range of granola replaces the original polypropylene bag and paper label packaging with a new bag-in-a-box format, using a home compostable laminate bag made from Parkside’s patented Park2Nature material.
The project highlights the potential of Park2Nature in applications with high barrier requirements, as the granola must be protected against moisture and oxygen ingress throughout the supply chain. Despite this remarkable barrier performance, the laminate is TÜV certified as home compostable and breaks down in domestic compost heaps within 26 weeks at ambient temperatures.
“Sustainable packaging doesn’t have to mean a compromise in performance,” said Paul Lenihan, sales account manager for Parkside.
“You can meet your sustainability goals and have a pack that meets every functional and aesthetic need when you work with the right packaging partner and the best, most innovative materials on the market.”
Park2Nature is one of Parkside’s most well-known innovations, the result of over a decade of intense R&D to develop a fully accredited home compostable, high-performance flexible packaging material.
The West Yorkshire-based packaging solutions provider specialising in compostable, recyclable, paper-based and innovative plastic flexible packaging solutions, with manufacturing sites in the UK and Asia.
“Parkside has supported us throughout our journey to help us achieve a new level of packaging sustainability,” added Liz Hird, owner of Yockenthwaite Farm.
“The knowledge and expertise of each member of the team have helped us achieve a pack which not only looks great but has also increased our shelf life.”
