Vitafoods 2015

Perfect ingredients for a show

By Nicholas Robinson

- Last updated on GMT

14,000 visitors are expected at Vitafoods
14,000 visitors are expected at Vitafoods

Related tags Nutrition

Explosive growth in the food and drink ingredients sector will boost its overall value to €59bn by 2018. Nicholas Robinson finds out how companies at Vitafoods are responding to the predicted uptick

Key points

Leaders looking to respond to the trends that have shaped the nutraceutical sector in the past 12 months should count themselves as one of the 14,000 visitors expected at Vitafoods this year, organisers say.

Taking place at the Palexpo, Geneva from May 5-7 2015, the show will play host to 750 exhibitors from across the world.

Each exhibitor is expected to generate an average of 274,038 in revenue from visitors coming from more than 90 countries.

However, visitors to Vitafoods will not only get to see the sector’s response to the previous year’s trends, but which trends to pursue in the 12 months ahead, says Chris Lee, Vitafoods’ portfolio director.

“The range of attractions on offer at Vitafoods Europe will help provide visitors with a comprehensive knowledge of the topics needed to create innovative products,”​ Lee adds.

Despite his confidence in the show’s continued success, he’s not resting on his laurels and has made sure to build on Vitafoods’ strengths from last year.

“Vitafoods Europe Conference returns in a brand new and expanded format,” ​he explains. “There’s an added focus on business practice and more panel discussions than ever before.”

Last year’s conference played host to more than 70 expert speakers, who provided insights on brain health, tough European novel foods approval regulations and why firms should target the over-65s market with functional foods.

There will be more speakers at the conference this year and it will “bring together key stakeholders from all over the industry, which are necessary for business excellence”,​ Lee adds.

Speakers at this year’s conference will cover topics including legislative and regulatory training; European funding opportunities; and best practice within packaging, marketing, brand development, innovation and partnership working.

Meanwhile, technological advances to help ingredients manufacturers produce and manage products easily will also be on show at Vitafoods.

Here’s a selection of what you can expect to see this year.

Companies developing protein-enriched products are on to a winner, as far as leading industry analysts are concerned. Last month, at a Food and Drink Innovation Network conference on nutrition and wellness in London, New Nutrition Business director Allene Bruce told delegates it was an area to watch closely.

Protein (Return to top)

One firm with its eye on the ball is ADM, which will exhibit several protein-boosting products, including a range of soya-based ingredients.

ADM's Clarisoy isolated soya protein range enables the fortification of beverages and is claimed to be the world’s first vegetable-based protein offering clarity to products, as well as high-quality nutrition. The line has been designed for use in neutral-pH beverage applications, such as meal replacements and the fortification of beverages, ADM says.

Alongside Clarisoy, the firm will exhibit Textura, which is a range of protein crisps that can be customised to individual formulation needs. The crisps are a source of high-quality protein, fibre and whole grains, the firm adds.

The protein crisps can be used to enhance the nutrient content, texture and flavour of products in a cost-effective way, it claims. They can be added to products such as cereal bars, cereals and other healthy snacks.

A third protein product on offer by ADM is its Navasoy ingredient, which is made from soya isoflavones that are commonly used in products for women going through the menopause. Soya isoflavones can also be used in dietary supplements, functional foods and beverages, says ADM.

Kaneka Pharma Europe will exhibit various health and performance ingredients, including Ubiquinol, which is the active form of coenzyme Q10 and crucial for energy production in the body.

Its high bioavailability means Ubiquinol can be taken up by the body more quickly and efficiently, says Kaneka. A recent study showed that the nutrient also prevents a decrease in red blood cell volume and haemoglobin levels.

Health and wellbeing (Return to top)

Another firm targeting health and wellbeing with its Oatwell beta-glucan product is DSM, which says the right type of ingredients in a breakfast product have the potential to deliver a number of health benefits. The benefits include: the slow release of energy; blood glucose control; and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

“A healthy breakfast continues to be recommended by dieticians and medical professionals,”​ Anna-Maria Stiefel, head of marketing at DSM Nutritional Products Human Nutritional & Health, says. However, only a quarter of Europeans consume breakfast on a daily basis, she adds.

ADM will also be exhibiting its Novatol health and wellbeing targeted product. Novatol is a natural source of vitamin E, which is needed by the body to protect cells and support natural defences. Its Decanox range of natural antioxidants for use as additives in food, feed and cosmetic applications will also be on show.

Stress relief (Return to top)

Bionov, the world’s largest producer of the natural and bioactive cantaloupe-derived superoxide dismutase orgotein (SOD), will highlight the applications its newly patented melon SOD B can be used in, it says.

SOD, which is made from dried cantaloupe melon juice, has been clinically proven to reduce physical fatigue and stress, according to the French ingredients firm.

A recently published study in the journal Nutrition proved that Bionov’s SOD products delivered a significant reduction in stress and fatigue during trials last year.

In July 2010, the European Food Safety Authority authorised health claims pertaining to SOD’s antioxidant activity and properties, as well as its affect on mental state, wellbeing and performance.

Following recent claim approvals in Switzerland, DuPont Nutrition & Health will showcase its “robust probiotic ingredient research”.

As well as sports health and immune health, DuPont will focus its probiotic ingredients at heart health and will display solutions that promote the maintenance of healthy cholesterol levels and show how they can help lower consumers’ salt intake and improve blood circulation, it says.

Bone health (Return to top)

DuPont will also participate in the Vitafoods Europe Conference executive advisory board, which helps to set the standards of Vitafoods’ scientific advisory board on the manufacture and use of dietary supplements in Europe, it adds.

Gelatine and collagen peptide manufacturer Rousselot, which is a newly announced supporter of World Osteoporosis Day, will show visitors how they can develop products with a positive impact on bone health.

Along with giving guidance on improving bone health through food and drink supplementation, Rousselot will show its ProTake-P pure protein ingredient, which can be used in a wide variety of products for protein enrichment.

The ‘clean-label’ ingredient is an ideal solution for food and drink formulators looking to boost the protein content of their products, the company claims.

Rousellot will show the ingredient in use in products such as sports nutrition bars and a novel hot chocolate drink developed for the burgeoning elderly market.

Technology (Return to top)

Companies seeking ingredient manufacturing and management solutions will be interested in contract manufacturer SternMaid’s stand.

The firm will focus on processing powdered foods, food ingredients and food supplements by means of fluid bed technology. It will also present solutions for a range of services including the purchase of raw materials, product development, warehousing and co-packing.

Fluid bed technology can be used to achieve optimal adjustment and standardisation of product attributes, says Stern Maid.

Through drying, coating, agglomeration or granulation, the method permits the manufacture of products with the best distribution of active ingredients, claims the company.

Products from the process are dust-free, have excellent tabletting properties, do not separate or may have precisely defined solubility, Stern Maid says.

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) will present its Prospector food and ingredients database, which is claimed to help speed up research and development.

The database covers ingredients for 11,000 kinds of health food products and dietary supplements, UL says. It is aimed at speeding up the search for ingredients and is kept up-to-date by UL’s team of researchers to ensure the information is current.

“Our database covers a huge variety of functional ingredients for versatile applications and positionings,”​ Jill Frank, a food scientist and expert at UL says.

“The ingredients that we list are largely backed up by comprehensive additional details, which makes it easier to find the right ingredients when aiming for specific positioning and claims.”

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