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food Marketing & Technology 3/2021

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Ingredients New Mood

Ingredients New Mood Support Patent for Saffron Extract Affron earns the exclusive right in the United States to the formulation and use of its saffron extract in connection with low mood support Affron ® , Pharmactive Biotech Products, SL’s flagship saffron extract, has been awarded a US patent for its proven positive role in low mood support. This patent serves as an official recognition of the company’s unique process in the formulation of affron and its ability to assist individuals with low mood related issues. The new patent essentially protects the proprietary composition and dosages of affron that renders it uniquely effective as a natural mood-support agent. “This new accreditation marks a momentous milestone for affron as it positions it as a leading-edge formulation at the forefront of the US cognitive health category,” enthuses Marguerite Gerritsen, Managing Director for Pharmactive. Pharmactive’s saffron ingredient is based on an all-natural and lowenergy consumption extraction process of saffron (Crocus sativus L.). Affron is manufactured using a unique proprietary AFF ® ON Cool-Tech activessaver extraction procedure, which is specifically designed to optimize the preservation and concentration of the key active ingredients with minimal industrial processing, without chemicals, and minimal energy use. Pharmactive has scientifically demonstrated its formulation’s fast-acting capabilities and high bioavailability in a pharmacokinetics study. It has a proven the lowest dose threshold on the market at just 28mg per day. Affron is standardized to a high concentration of crocins and safranals — the carotenoid pigments responsible for saffron’s bioactivity, crimson color, and prized organoleptic qualities. This is verified by means of HPLC (highperformance liquid chromatography). While saffron has a centuries-old reputation for health benefits in traditional medicine, the high efficacy of Pharmactive’s extract is supported by half a dozen clinical studies demonstrating a positive effect on multiple aspects of mental well-being, earning it a solid reputation as an all-encompassing cognitive ingredient. The research has highlighted affron’s manifold potentials for, relieving stress, improving mood, inducing positive feelings, and enhancing sleep quality. It is also the first commercial extract that has clinically demonstrated capacity to raise teens’ spirits. “Affron’s mood-enhancement capabilities are owed largely to its role in the inhibition of the reuptake of mood-related neurotransmitters, according to the broader spectrum of scientific literature,” informs Alberto Espinel, Head of Strategic R&D in Active and Functional Natural Ingredients for Pharmactive. “Affron possesses a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory impact. This capacity not only balances levels of key neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine, but also fights the oxidative stress that stress produces in the brain.” Pharmactive’s patent request specifically delineated the effective dose and appropriate concentrations of safranal and crocin compounds in the final extract as a critical condition for exerting a positive effect on disorders related to mood. To overcome the common hurdles experienced by saffron formulators in extracting the best of the active substances from the stigmas of this highly revered and priceless botanical, Pharmactive introduced an improved step in separating the active substances. Their extraction technique is based solely on water resulting in an ingredient that is clean of any solvents or alcohols. The patent is paralleled with a new “Informed Ingredient” certification mark, and in recognition of the safety profile and high-quality credentials of affron. This is in addition to affron’s previously earned strongbox of quality and safety seals awarded by internationally accredited bodies, including EU Organic, DNA certification (True-ID) confirming the authenticity of its botanicals, Doping-free, Kosher, Halal, etc. Affron is manufactured in a GMPcertified installation, complying also with ISO22000 (for its food safety management), ISO9001 (for its quality management) and ISO 14001 (for its commitment to environmental values). Pharmactive is also the official adopter of saffron by the American Botanical Council’s Adopt-an-Herb botanical research and education program, as industry leaders in saffron extracts. “Pharmactive is able to provide nutraceutical and pharma industry players with a truly effective, wholly trustworthy botanical alternative for use in connection with low mood related issues,” concludes Gerritsen. “It also ensures our position as the ideal partner for the US market for natural, botanical mood help.” fmt 14 food Marketing & Technology • June 2021

Ingredients Fat and Oils: Targeting the Positive Nutrition Trend Consumers are taking a proactive approach to health maintenance and are actively looking to improve their diets. Whilst doing this, they are taking a broader approach to what constitutes healthy eating and drinking. Indeed, focus is no longer associated just on avoidance and moderation but instead, ensuring that they have ingredients in their diets that offer a health boost beyond basic nutrition. This is something that the fats and oils industry needs to respond to, educating consumers about how “good” fats are something that can help address issues such as heart health and immunity Over the last twelve months, consumers have become more conscious about their health. For instance, in 2020 a total of 57% of consumers said that they deemed themselves vulnerable to disease and illness – compared to 38% who said this a year before. At the same time, satisfaction with immune health declined from 54% to 49% over the same period. This is due to the impact of the pandemic. Originally, concerns about the virus was about vulnerability to it, especially when less was known about how deadly it was. However over the last twelve months, consumers have had chance to reevaluate and have taken a broader approach to health, recognizing that even if they were not necessarily vulnerable to problems arising from COVID-19, they were at risk of other long-term health problems. This is due to consumers recognizing that their dietary habits are not as healthy as they could be. As such, they are wanting to take a proactive approach to health maintenance – with 76% saying that they plan to eat and drink more healthily over the last twelve months. As consumers take a proactive approach to health maintenance, they are focusing more on the concept of positive nutrition. This means that consumers are not associating dieting with avoidance and moderation in order to lose weight but instead, believing that if they adopt a well balanced diet, they will be able to improve all aspects of their health. The focus on this means that ingredientled claims are becoming more influential on purchasing behavior, with consumers wanting to see active ingredient and claims on products that offer a health boost beyond basic nutrition. Although it is important to not over-estimate consumer awareness of fats, they do recognize that some in moderation and part of a balanced diet can have a positive impact on health. For instance, 42% of consumers associate monounsaturated fats with having a positive impact on health, whilst 39% say this for polyunsaturated fat. Meanwhile, 47% of consumers say that they are prone to looking for these ingredients on product packaging. Over the last couple of decades, sugar has replaced fat as the number one dietary evil in the eyes of the consumer, and this research shows that consumers believe that fats, in moderation, can have a positive impact on health. “Good” fats such as monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats can have a variety of benefits, such as helping aid with weight loss, improving heart health and boosting overall immunity. These areas of health are important to consumers. For instance, FMCG Gurus research shows that in 2020, a total of 70% of consumers say that they have looked to make changes to their diets and lifestyles to improve their immune health – compared to 53% who said this a year earlier. Meanwhile, 65% in the same year said that they wanted to improve their heart health. Finally, in 2021, a total of 34% of consumers said that they were on a diet to lose weight (around a ten percent increase compared to when the survey was run three years earlier). The focus on health maintenance reflects the extent that COVID-19 has had on consumer attitudes to health, as more focus is placed on disease maintenance than ever before. Given that many consumers believe that there will be future waves of the virus and one in five believe that it is something that will impact on daily lives for several years, increased concern about vulnerability to disease will remain for some time. At the same, it is important to recognize that even before the pandemic, consumers were not conscious about their health, and were focusing on trying to stay fit and active until as late in life as possible. This is something that the fat and oils industry needs to respond to, educating consumers about the benefits of products and highlighting the benefits these ingredients have when consumed in moderation and as part of a balanced diet. At the same time, it is important that brands are not seen to be making exaggerated or misleading claims around these benefits. fmt food Marketing & Technology • June 2021 15

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