The Use of Botanical Extracts in Food and Beverage Ingredients

For two hundred years, Cocoa, Coffee, Tea, and Vanilla have been global commodities. The seeds were sown by the colonialists and the colonists in the new world colonies to provide them with more commodities to offer to the world food and beverage industries. Cocoa and Vanilla were used as secret ingredients by the Aztec people in their sacred drinks; tea was founded incidentally by emperor of China; and coffee was brought by Arabians from its origin Africa. All of them had been cultivated by Dutch rulers in archipelago which later on called as Indonesia. No wonder, Indonesia is among the biggest grower of Cocoa, Coffee, Tea, and Vanilla. Since the late twentieth century, the food and beverage industries have needed sources for creating authentic flavoring ingredients containing natural extracts from botanical origins. Extracts are generally needed to give body to and improve the authentic perception of naturalness in flavoring. One flavoring product example is the creation of a chocolate-flavored drink with less sediment, a flavorist needs to use cocoa extract as the base for the chocolate flavoring agent. Another example, we need tea extracts to standardize the quality and increase efficiency during the brewing process for industrially mass-produced, ready to drink beverages. Special techniques of roasting and extractions of single origin coffee give differentiation in the final food and beverage products.

The other advantages of using natural extracts in commercially-produced beverages are their health and functional benefits. Researchers have found that certain polyphenols render antioxidant properties such as those found in green tea. The botanical compounds of Chlorogenic acid found in green coffee or EGCG (Epigalocathechin gallate) found in green tea can enhance slimming effect.

The article, “Health Management Trend for 2020” states that adult consumers are most concerned about health and wellness, eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercising, and good-quality sleep. Based on Mintel data, the currently most popular claim used by the food and beverage industries are products with the concept of promoting health and wellness, containing natural ingredients, and being convenient to use. In 2018, 27% of global product launches used botanical or herbal functional claims, with these categories of products also experiencing the fastest growth within the past 4 years. One fifth of global product launches claimed in their promotion to being beneficial to functional health, wellness and of having natural botanical derivation. In Asia Pacific, stress-releasing products that capitalize on aiding mood-boosting and relaxation have quickly rise in popularity. It is no surprise that the food and beverage industries focused their campaigns on the categories of being naturally produced, containing natural ingredients, promoting relaxation and brain health, having antioxidant properties and improving digestive function.

As a prominent food and beverage ingredient manufacturer, Indesso captures the ongoing trends and commits to providing high-quality products with sustainable naturally-based ingredients that come with beneficial properties.

Indesso’s expertise includes producing the herbal functional extracts of Ginger, Galanga, Lemongrass, Turmeric, and other natural extracts such as Cocoa, Coffee, Tea, Vanilla, Tamarind, and Purple Sweet Potato.

Our Research and Development team creates innovation using different delivery systems and advanced technologies.

Double Encapsulation Technology

Indesso’s Naturarte® utilizes the double encapsulation technology with a special matrix to protect the delicate material from oxidation and other external factors such as temperature, light, and humidity. Our powders which use double encapsulation have a longer shelf life of up to two years compared to spray-dried powders. One of the product highlights from Naturarte® is Gingerarte based on red or fresh ginger extracts and oils. Ginger has long been known for having myriads of functional benefits. It is used as a herbal medicine as well as a cooking ingredient. Ginger is good for treating digestive problems, nausea, reducing blood sugar, boosting body immunity, and preventing cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke. The application of Gingerarte in food or beverage products also allows the producers to put the “natural” claim in their labelling. Naturarte® encapsulates natural extracts of herbs, spices, flowers, and fruits from products such as orange, guava, apple, yuzu, bergamot, lavender, rose, turmeric, and lemongrass.

“Nature itself is the best physician.”