'Oxygen quenching' system delivers omega-3 benefits
The company has developed an ‘Oxidation Management System’ derived from blending anti-oxidation stalwart, rosemary extract, with other botanicals and vitamins.
The system has demonstrated improved oxygen quenching rates of up to 4-8 times depending on the type of omega-3 oil in question and the food matrix.
Kalsec product management director, Gary Augustine, said while the omega-3 industry had made great progress toward the holy grail of taste and odor neutrality and extended shelf-life, it had not been achieved and there was room for improvement.
New apps, new demands
“There are new applications, new processing concerns, new demands and our system can deal with these factors,” Augustine told NutraIngredients-USA.com. “The search for greater stability is ongoing.”
Testing employing an oil stability index indicated improvements of up to eight times in varying matrices at between 2000-4000 parts per million and up to 240ºC.
Testing included extruded products and baked goods and Augustine said the system could be used with other inputs such as oils, meat, poultry and seasonings.
“What we found from experimenting with different blends is that a combination had synergistic effect that delivered anti-oxidation benefits that exceeded the benefits of rosemary extracts alone,” he said.
“But the end result is very much dependent on the food in question, the processing and the processing of the omega-3. But we are very excited by the results we have seen.”
Oxygen quenchers
He said the system employed a mix of ingredients including ascorbic and citric acid and could be tweaked to meet different customer requirements.
The company was working with major omega-3 suppliers as well as end-product manufacturers that sought to boost the usability of their products.
“This system is the next generation of oxygen quenchers and free radicals scavenging,” Augustine said. “We are working with omega-3 suppliers as well as processors and food makers. The secret is to catch the problem early in the process to minimize oxidation occurring in the first place. So we try to go in as early in the process as we can.”
The US, Europe and Asia are Kalsec’s main markets.
