Visitors to this year's Health Ingredients Europe (HiE) and Natural Ingredients Europe (NiE) show would do well to stock up on some of the sports nutrition products that will no doubt be showcased, because this event is going to require plenty of stamina.
Taking place between November 13 and 15 in Frankfurt, organisers are promising it will be the leading global event for supplements, nutraceuticals, functional food and beverage solutions.
The expected 8,500 visitors will be getting more bang for their buck at this year's show with the introduction of four new elements: nutritional solutions, packaging and processing innovation, formulation solutions (flavour, taste, texture and shelf-life), and contract services.
Together with HiE and NiE, these elements are being packaged under the Nutrition and Wellness Solutions (NuW) brand for the first time.
The three-day, 17,000m2 showcase of product developments and innovations, presented by the leading ingredients manufacturers and solution providers, will be attended by 6,500 buyers and 2,000 suppliers.
Attendees will also be able to hear words of wisdom from more than 70 speakers including Barry Callebaut, Heinz, Nestlé and Unilever.
But what are likely to be the key issues and areas of intense interest at the event?
Courtney Roi, from HiE, said she expected a lot of attention to be focused on products that promoted healthy ageing.
"These are really trending at the moment," she said, even though many health claims have been rejected in the wake of health claim regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
"Nevertheless, food ingredient companies have developed several strategies in order to offer healthy innovation opportunities to food manufacturers," she added.
Growth in nutrition
She also believes the long-term global growth in nutritional solutions will be reflected at the event.
"The market is now seeking functional foods that provide benefit-adding solutions to whatever nutritional challenge people currently face or will face later in life."
One area that traditionally gets a high level of attention from visitors is the New Product Zone. Roi added: "It is the perfect opportunity to give new products a proper introduction to the market for all to see. This is a popular area for visitors, so this feature has become a trendsetting spot for the nutrition industry."
Turn over for a sneak preview ...
Sports drinks and nutrition are guaranteed to achieve plenty of attention at this year's event as companies try to tap into increasing consumer demand.
SternVitamin will be displaying its latest products for the beverage industry, including combinations of active ingredients for use in energy drinks. The company is targeting athletes with its range that claims to maintain healthy bones and support the immune system.
Get a 'love boost'
Perhaps somewhat more intriguing, though, will be its so-called 'love-boost' drinks, which feature stimulating plant extracts such as damiana powder. The firm says it uses a modern fluid bed processor to convert powders which do not readily dissolve into water into agglomerates that have a porous structure with better water solubility.
On more traditional territory, Lonza will showcase Carnipure, a high quality L-carnitine that is essential for energy metabolism. The firm says extensive research shows that Carnipure can play a beneficial role in many areas of health, but especially around sports nutrition.
Roquette, meanwhile, will display its prototype that strengthens the sustainable-innovation possibilities of Nutralys pea protein. The concept called AminoSustain is a powder mix drink that combines whey protein with Nutralys pea protein. It offers digestion rates tailored to optimise amino acid supply and develop muscle mass for recovery after training periods.
As Nutralys shows, the spheres of sports nutrition and protein supplements are closely entwined. Irish firm Carberry will reinforce this with its 'Whole of Life' dairy ingredient solutions, derived from whey proteins. With an eye on new opportunities in performance nutrition, infant formula, active ageing and clinical nutrition, it is argued that this range of advanced proteins offers exceptional consumer experiences and nutritional performances.
Arla will also be unveiling a whey protein Lacprodan DI-7017 that enables the production of a 100% whey-based, ready-to-drink beverage that is stable when subjected to UHT processing, something the company argues is notoriously difficult to do.
In the field of protein enrichment, Gelita's Petiplus comprises pure collagen peptides that are tasteless and odourless. This is excellently suited, says the company, for the enrichment of numerous foodstuffs. Its property profile enables very high contents of protein to be obtained without negative effects on taste, texture and appearance.
All about a soy
In the field of soy-based proteins, DuPont says it will be focusing its display on bakery, beverages, dairy, ready meals and dietary supplements after buying up the remaining shares in US ingredient company Solae.
Elsewhere, Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) will showcase its Clarisoy 150 to European manufacturers for the first time. The company says it is the world's first vegetable-based protein that offers clarity and complete protein nutrition for beverages and is ideal for use in meal-replacement and weight-management products.
The high solubility of Clarisoy 150 in higher pH ranges enables greater use of soya protein in mildly flavoured pH-neutral beverages, enabling manufacturers to formulate with up to 10g of protein per 500ml serving.
Weight management
With plenty of people looking to shed a pound or two, Gelita will be exhibiting its Pargel product, which apparently enables excellent calorie management concepts to be designed for meat and sausage products.
French firm Roquette will be offering visitors the chance to sample a quick-dissolving powder mix. Roquette's food experts define this concept as "the twice-a-day boost to feel full for longer". The mix, which contains Nutriose soluble fibre, makes a fruity drink that Roquette says has the clinically-proven ability to induce the feeling of satiety.
Kaneka is also bringing something new to the event with its liquorice root extract Glavonoid, which recently gained novel food status from the EU. The company states that the polyphenols derived from liquorice root have been discovered to tackle abdominal obesity, and to target visceral fat.
Moreover, a patented manufacturing process ensures Glavonoid is completely free from glycyrrhizinic acid: a component of liquorice root that is regarded as having cortisone-like effects.
In the sweeteners field, Cargill's Truvia stevia leaf extract is a zero-calorie sweetener that is more than 200 times sweeter than sucrose, while Tate & Lyle's Tasteva stevia sweetener claims to reduce sugar levels by 50% or more, without any bitter aftertaste.
For the weight-conscious chocoholics, Barry Callebaut's alternative sweetener solution, Sweet by Fruitschocolate is made from selected cocoa and sweetened by 100% natural sugars derived entirely from fruits, including apples and grapes. The firm will also display its chocolates sweetened with stevia extract (steviol glycosides).
Healthy ageing
In what organisers are predicting to be a hot-topic area, Rousselot will be exhibiting its collagen peptide, Peptan. The firm says the product has the ability to significantly stimulate the endogenous synthesis of collagen cells and fight skin ageing when taken daily. Its excellent organoleptic qualities mean it easily integrates into drinks, bars and tablets.
Gelita is also involved in this area, and will present its Verisol brand, which supports both collagen and elastin metabolism in deeper layers of the skin. Because this occurs from within, the skin becomes more elastic, more moist and wrinkles are reduced, it is claimed.
Gelita is also showcasing products for visitors interested in enabling greater activity for people with mobility issues, either through age or injury. The firm claims its collagen peptides Fortigel and Fortibone bring about significant improvement in mobility in cases of age-related and stress-related symptoms. Fortigel is said to stimulate cartilage cells to increase production of cartilage tissue (collagen and proteoglynes), bringing about visible regeneration of the cartilage and relief to symptoms brought about by joint wear and tear.
Meanwhile. Fortibone is claimed to support the collagen matrix in the bones the elastic structure that keeps bones flexible and facilitate the binding of minerals such as calcium, which strengthens the bones.
In the baked goods and ingredients sector, Kampffmeyer Foods will present its grain specialities for clean-label products. Its Purafarin range of functional flours has been extended to include two new gluten-free binding agents for prepared foods, soups and sauces.
The firm will also showcase its Purafarin Hydrosoft wheat flour, which it believes improves the freshness and texture of baked goods, especially clean-label pizza.
Another Kampffmeyer Foods innovation is Vein of Gold: a wheat aleurone that naturally enriches baked goods and foods with dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals.
In the same field, Rousselot will be exhibiting its Gelatine, which enables formulators to lighten their recipes in terms of sugars, fats and calories while retaining taste and texture. Gelatine has no E-number and can therefore meet consumer demands in terms of clean label, the firm says.
Snacks
With more than 40% of European consumers said to be looking for more healthy snacks, Beneo will be showcasing a range of solutions to enable manufacturers to tap in to this demand, with products derived from chicory roots, beet sugar, rice and wheat. The firm says it will demonstrate how its fibre, sweetening and texturising ingredients can be used to improve the nutritional value of a wide range of snacks including cereal bars, yogurts and dairy drinks through to specialised beverages, confectionery and even meat products. Beneo promises visitors to its stand will be able to see how products can be developed and reformulated, without altering taste, texture or appearance.
Vegetarian and vegan
With more people being attracted to the perceived health benefits of a vegetarian diet, DSM will be launching DHA plus EPA, a unique vegetarian blend of two key omega-3s docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The product has the nutritional profile of fish oil formula and is said to deliver numerous benefits for eye, heart and brain health.
To date, DSM is the only supplier to be able to provide this blend in the European market after receiving novel food authorisation in the EU in July this year.
In the same field, Roquette will showcase its100% plant-based, cholesterol and genetically modified-free desserts called "VegDelight" featuring Nutralys vegetable proteins. Vegans will be catered for with Barry Callebaut's milk chocolate alternative based on rice powder, and produced without any milk-based ingredients.
Cognitive health
Lonza will be showcasing its Memree brand, which covers a range of products containing soy-based phosphatidylserine. This is an important structural component of cell membranes and is found in concentrated amounts in brain cells. Products in the range include MemreePS for cognitive health and MemreePlus for cognitive health, stress reduction and exercise recovery applications.