Bioriginal powders make fish oil more palatable
acid ingredients in flavored powder form, that will help
formulators incorporate omega-3, -6 and -9 into a wider range of
food products, reports Jess Halliday.
The 50 percent payload powders launch officially at Vitafoods in Geneva this week. They were developed in response to demand for ingredients that can bring the nutritional benefits of fatty acids to consumers who may have an aversion to the taste or smell of fish, the dietary source of DHA (docosahexanoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).
Bioriginal's DHA and EPA oils are molecularly distilled, a process the company says can help reduce the fishy smell and flavor. The new powder forms means represents a new tool in masking their marine origins as flavor can be added to match that of the finished product.
But Bioriginal's range does not stop at DHA and EPA: its complete range of oils, including flax, borage and omega-3-6-9, is also now available in powder format.
Free flowing and highly compressible, they can be used in a broader range of products, such as two-piece capsules, sports nutrition drinks, tablets, nutritional bars, functional foods and pastries, says the company.
The sensory difficulties posed by fish oils have meant that food formulators have been inclined to use plant-derived ALA (alpha linoic acid) in place of marine DHA or EPA.
But as Jodie Bregenser, marketing project co-ordinator at Bioriginal told NutraIngredients-USA, ALA is "one step up on the metabolic pathway from DHA or EPA", so the body has to convert it into the form of fatty acids it can use.
Not only does it take longer for the body to receive the benefits of the omega-3, but it also derives less than it would have done if DHA was used in the first place.
Bioriginal does also supply ALA which Bregenser said has its uses, especially in products aimed at the vegetarian market.
The FDA has approved a qualified health claim stating that foods containing DHA and EPA may help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
But omega-3s have been shown to have benefits beyond the scope of the approved health claim. Delivering them into children's diets in an appropriate and acceptable form is a particular priority given the growing body of evidence linking them to brain development and function.
Not only have trials suggested that children's overall concentration is improved when they consume adequate quantities of DHA, but studies have also shown that it can help alleviate attention deficit disorder.
Bioriginal's oil powder offering has already been picked up by Country Life for use in its Kids Omega DHA powdered drink mix, which is added to milk or water to make an enriched wild berry flavored drink.
