Polyphenol promise

'Vascular age' will be the next buzzword in functional foods, according to a firm developing bioactive ingredients from ancient apple varieties boasting "higher concentrations of polyphenols than green tea and cocoa"

Coressence, which has received a £243,000 grant for work with the Institute of Food Research, has struck a deal with organic juice firm RDA Organic to incorporate its polyphenol-rich ingredients into juices and smoothies.

A further "four or five" similar partnerships would be announced with brand owners before Christmas, said chief executive Richard Wood. "Vascular age is something we will all be talking about far more in future. Arteries become damaged, stiff, and fur up, increasing the risk of heart disease or stroke. When Evesse [Coressence's branded ingredient] is blended with other juices, it can improve vascular age by nearly 20 years.

"The stiffness of arteries is directly related to age and after consuming drinks containing Evesse, people's arteries become significantly more supple. As a result, a number of blue-chip manufacturers have expressed an interest in blending it into new and existing products." Evesse was suitable for use in fruit drinks, smoothies, yoghurts, cereal bars, low and zero-fat yoghurts, probiotic drinks and dietary supplements, Wood claimed. "We are working on the marketing and communication package at the moment and we are also confident of gaining approval for a health claim under the new Nutrition and Health Claims Regulations."

The firm has already been granted one patent and has filed three more to cover its selection methods and extraction processes, said Wood. "We are focusing on identifying new fruit varieties containing high levels of flavan-3-ol polyphenols, which are known to deliver a strong cardiovascular benefit."

Coressence has also provided materials for use in the EU FLAVO project that measures arterial stiffness, platelet activity and other biomarkers of vascular inflammation.