57
NOV2017 FOOD FOCUS THAILAND
STRATEGIC
R & D
StephenQuinn, JD
Business andRegulatoryDirector –Asia, Europe
Ganeden
TranslatedBy:
ไวยวิ
ทย์
เชื้
อธนะภิ
ญโญ
Wiyawit Chuetanapinyo
BusinessDevelopment Manager –Asia
Ganeden
“Freefrom”foods
donothavetobefree-fromfunction
Themovement has its roots in formulating products for people
with food allergies ranging from uncomfortable to truly dangerous.
The early stages of this trend gave us foods “free from” dairy or
peanuts, and more recently wheat (gluten), all in response to
individuals’ sensitivities, allergies or dietary preferences.
The trend has continued to pick up momentum, and many
consumers now prefer simpler, more natural product formulations.
Foods with “free from” language on the labels are perceived to be
more healthful and less processed. In addition to foods formulated
“free from”certain ingredients in theendproduct, there isalsopressure
to have food options “free from” hormones, antibiotics, certain
pesticides, andother indirect ingredients or processes.
Howdoes this “free from”movementmeshwith thesimultaneous
trendof functional foodsandbeverages? It isachallenge toprovide
customerswithahealthbenefitor functionwhilekeeping formulations
andproductsas cleanand simpleaspossible.Onegood solution to
this is to formulatecertainprobioticstrains into foodsandbeverages.
According to theWorldHealthOrganization’s definition, a probiotic
isa livemicroorganism that,whenadministered inadequateamounts,
provides a health benefit to the host organism. Most people simply
know them as “good bacteria”. New research is continuously being
releasedshowing that ahealthygut flora is linked to improvedhealth
inalmost every systemof thebody, includingdigestionand immune
health, and in some instances evenmental health.
Aprobiotic isagreatway togiveconsumers thehealthbenefitsand
function theydemandwhileaddinganatural ingredient.Consumersare
already familiar with the term probiotic, but previously, most probiotics
found in fermented dairy foods like yogurt and kefir, due to their fragile
nature thatmade themunable tosurvivemanymanufacturingprocesses.
These limitedprobioticofferingsmade it difficult toprovideoptions that
were “dairy free”or “allergen free”.Since then,spore-forming,shelf-stable
strains
1
havecome tomarket,and theycansurvivemanufacturing,shelf
life and gastric transit. These strains open up new formulation
opportunities inalmostevery foodandbeveragecategory,andcaneven
satisfy thedemands for fortification in “free from”products.Forexample,
it
1
is natural, allergen-free, lactose-free, gluten-free, Non-GMOProject
verified and organic compliant—providing fortification and function
withoutspoilingany free-from labeling.And,because it isastablespore-
former, it is appropriate for many applications beyond the dairy case,
including pasteurized beverages, shelf-stable powder blends, baked
snacks, and just about anything else.
The demand for cleaner, simpler, less processed, and “free from”
foods is only gaining momentum, and manufactures can meet that
demandwithout sacrificing functional healthbenefits. In themidstof this
movement, there isstillademand forcuttingedge functional ingredients,
andastableprobiotic isaviableway tosatisfybothdemands.Naturally
occurring bacteria adds nothing artificial, and a high-quality probiotic
strain will be available in vegan-compliant, allergen-free, non-GMO
versions, making formulation easy and keeping labels “free from”
unwanted extra ingredients or additives.
A close cousin of the “clean label” trend, “free from”
foods are on the rise. Increasingly, consumers are
demanding foodproducts “free from”ofa litanyof food
ingredients, including various allergens, artificial
inclusions, salts, additional sugars, andmuchmore.
Whether driven bymedical necessity or as part of a
health trend, in many cases, when it comes to
ingredients, less ismore.
Additional Information
1
GanedenBC30
®
(Bacillus coagulansGBI-30, 6086)
