The ingredient, caffeine microencapsulated to decrease its natural bitter taste, is marketed for sports nutrition products such as energy power blends, bars, gels, chewables, milkshakes, and confectionery.
Because of its microencapsulation, the ingredient may help formulators ditch the need for flavoring and other ingredients, cutting costs in designing a finished product. The slow-release effect refers to how fast the caffeine enters the blood stream.
The launch comes at a time of increased product development in the sports nutrition category. There was a 19% rise in sports/recovery claims, and 14% for energy/alertness claims, according to Netherlands-based market research firm Innova Market Insights.
“Athletes seek natural solutions to increase their energy and maintain it for a longer time,” said Isabel Gomez, marketing manager for Lipofoods. “Formulating sports and nutrition products with caffeine poses big challenges in both flavor and sustained action—Newcaff microcapsules enables a clean taste of sustained- caffeine release.”
Its North American distributor, Stauber, will also be distributing Lipophytol (a palm-free, water-dispersible phytosterol) and other Lipofoods ingredients. The company will be at booth #J149.