Ingredient manufacturer AFS gets Non-GMO Project verification for caffeine ingredients

13-Feb-2018 - Last updated on 13-Feb-2018 at 17:58 GMT

Among the Non-GMO Project Verified ingredients is AFS' PurCaf, made out of organic green coffee brans. © Applied Food Sciences, Inc.

Related tags Non-gmo project verification Caffeine

Applied Food Sciences (AFS) announced that its caffeine ingredients have been certified by the Non-GMO Project, allowing finished product brands who want to incorporate organic caffeine into their products “an added layer of trust when they are searching for cleaner labels,” the company said.

The certified ingredients are PurCaf (95% caffeine extract from organic green coffee beans), PurTea (90% caffeine extract from organic tea leaves), JAVA.g (a polyphenolic blend of caffeine and antioxidants from green coffee beans), and GCA (green coffee extract).

There aren’t genetically modified versions of tea or coffee crops commercially available, but Brian Zapp, director of marketing at AFS, told NutraIngredients-USA that the certification process is all about “highlighting the key value in trust.”

“Although there are reports that GMO coffees might be on the horizon, as far as I know there are still no commercially available genetically modified versions of these crops,” he said. “That said, we are aware of several patents being issued over the last 5-6 years, mostly targeting the genetic modification of coffee in how it grows, its caffeine levels, and perhaps even the solubility of the ground beans.”

Products bearing a non-GMO claim is growing. Forecasts peg the category’s compound annual growth rate at 16.23% globally for the period 2017-2021, according to Research and Markets data, a sign that the claim continues to attract consumer dollars.

“Generally speaking, most consumers would presume that ingredients on the market today, derived from coffee and tea, are not genetically modified in any way. However the Non-GMO Project Verification adds a layer of transparency that goes beyond presumptions, and helps build that consumer trust,” Zapp added.

PurCaf was introduced in 2015 and PurTea was launched in 2016. “When it comes to products that use caffeine, it is interesting to see the changing landscape for natural and organic offerings,” Zapp said.

“Beverage manufacturers are early adopters of the NGPV certification, however, a large emerging market is in sports nutrition products. Over the last few years, energy drinks have been seeking to clean up their labels and set themselves apart from the saturated market and become more mature with their consumer base. Organic ingredients help set them apart from mass market energy.”