functionaldrinks zenithinternational newsletter This issue at a glance...
Page four Japanese demands satisfied
Issue 202
ingredients
Spain
New peptide naturally helps lower blood pressure Spanish biotechnology specialist Innaves recently unveiled a proprietary ingredient that helps control hypertension. Lowpept, as the ingredient has been named, is scheduled to appear in an own-brand yogurt produced by local dairy company Senoble.
Page three Yogurt and tea mix in South Africa
Page five Americans get a drink for love
Page six British men get cold comfort
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26 January 2011
Lowpept is made with two peptides derived from cow's milk protein.The development of the ingredient lasted four years, with the initial product being in the form of a powder with a very strong bitter taste. Innaves had to overcome this problem to ensure that the addition of Lowpept to dairy products did not affect taste or stability. Although there are already other similar ingredients in the market, the company claims that they are less effective.To determine the ingredient's effectiveness, the researchers at Innaves recruited 34 participants who suffer from hypertension, who were asked to eat either a plain yogurt or one enriched with Lowpept on a daily basis. After
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six weeks, those who consumed Lowpept daily reported a drop in blood pressure to below the level at which people start to be considered as having hypertension. Meanwhile, those taking the placebo yogurt did not experience any drop in blood pressure, nor did it effect blood pressure in healthy people who were also asked to consume the enriched yogurt for six weeks. The announcement of the imminent launch of a Lowpept-enriched yogurt has brought about questions with regards to the price differential between branded functional ingredients, notably Danone's functional portfolio.The argument for the price premium paid for functional products is that companies invest large sums of money to develop products with demonstrated efficacy. However, Lowpept will be included in a private label product that received financial help from the Spanish government for its development. So it remains to be seen whether the only way in which functional products can make it to private label is with financial help from governments or other institutions, or whether it can be economically viable for companies like Innaves to develop ingredients for private label offerings. The launch of the Lowpeptenriched yogurt is scheduled for March.
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