Weapons of mass reduction
Leading the weight management pack is Lipid Nutrition, which will showcasing two major ingredients designed to tackle the rising obesity epidemic: Clarinol CLA and PinnoThin.
Clarinol, which is made from safflower oil containing CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid), is claimed to help reduce body fat in specific areas and increase lean muscle mass without extra dieting or exercise. PinnoThin, which contains pine nut oil extracted from the seeds of the native Korean pine, is in turn claimed to stimulate the hunger-suppressing hormones CCK (cholecystokinin) and GLP1 (glucagon-like peptide).
Cognis, meanwhile, will be highlighting the benefits of its Tonalin CLA, which it claims can help the overweight reduce body fat and maintain lean muscle mass by decreasing the amount of fat stored after eating and encouraging the body to draw on existing fat reserves instead.
Other companies offering hope for the hefty include Berkem, which will be promoting Svetol, its water soluble decaffeinated green coffee bean extract. "Svetol works as a fat burner," claims Berkem's scientific director Dr Sophie Lafay. "Svetol's active molecules decrease the glucose intestinal absorption and inhibit the glucose-6-phosphatase. Thanks to the inhibition of glucose-6-phosphatase, the body has to get energy from another source, that is, to burn fat from the adipose tissue."
P&G Food Ingredients will be unveiling its new medium chain triglyceride for the weight management market, and Bio Serae, meanwhile, will be unveiling an arsenal of weapons of mass reduction, including CactiNea, a new prickly pear extract for weight management; NeOpuntia, a lipophilic fibre made from cactus; and Id-ALg, a brown-algae-based ingredient.
According to a new study of more than 60 women diagnosed with metabolic syndrome (syndrome X) and with a body mass index of 25-40, NeOpuntia improved the level of 'good' HDL cholesterol, says the company. "The results highlighted the positive role of NeOpuntia in balancing blood lipid levels, parameters which are linked to syndrome X diagnosis."
Digestive boost
Gut health products can deliver tangible results fast, which gives them a certain advantage over other functional ingredients where sceptical consumers are concerned. However, manufacturers can also tap into other markets including weight management, immune response and general health and wellbeing, making pro and prebiotics extremely versatile ingredients.
Top of the list of exhibitors hoping to cash in on these opportunities is National Enzyme Company, which is launching a new line of digestive enzyme products called BioCore l. The range, which comprises eight products, includes BioCore Lipo-l, a combination of lipolytic enzymes that target digestive problems associated with the consumption of fat; BioCore Dairy-l to alleviate symptoms associated with dairy intolerance, and BioCore Pro-l, the ideal composition of proteases designed to optimise the digestion of proteins.
Next up is Chr Hansen, which will be promoting its probiotic products, and Institut Rosell, which will be showing probiotic solutions targeting gastrointestinal health, the immune system, women's health and children's health.
Last but not least is Taiyo Europe, which will be highlighting Sunfiber, its tasteless, odourless and water soluble dietary fibre designed to deliver high fibre content and excellent stability with respect to pH, heat and freeze/thaw conditions.
