Chicory ingredients company Orafti has created a new business unit called Innergy Foods to market food supplements to the consumer market.
The unit will launch three Innergy branded products - optimal inside, take2 and active fibre - on the domestic market, following successful test runs.
All of the new Innergy products are part of Orafti's Beneo programme, an initiative launched in 2000 with food manufacturers to communicate the health benefits of inulin and oligofructose, the company's key products, to consumers.The Innergy foods are designed to be taken with other Beneo products as part of a regime to increase intestinal balance and health.
'Optimal inside' comes in a pack of 21 individually wrapped portions, each containing a 2.5g daily dose of Beneo. The supplement can be incorporated into the daily diet, mixed with hot or cold drinks, stirred into yoghurts or sprinkled over breakfast cereals. Regular consumption can increase the number of beneficial bifidobacteria in the intestine tenfold while decreasing the number of pathogens, claims Orafti.
'Take2' is a chewable tablet containing calcium, vitamin D and Beneo. Taking 2 to 4 tablets each day means that the consumer is taking extra calcium and vitamin D from this source and the Beneo significantly increases calcium absorption.
The third Innergy product, 'active fibre', is taken to relieve intestinal discomfort and is a combination of Beneo and fruit fibres. The fibre in the supplement helps to restore the balance of the digestive system and the Beneo is included to prevent any further discomfort. In powder form, it can be mixed into drinks and taken twice a day.
Orafti claims its consumer research shows that people are increasingly aware of the importance of maintaining a healthy digestive system. People are enthusiastic about the benefits of inulin and oligofructose and are interested to learn where they can find these ingredients. Some consumers, particularly people who take vitamins and other supplements regularly, are keen to be able to buy these ingredients in supplement form, reported the company.
Launched by Orafti in 2000 in Belgium, the Beneo programme was based on a large body of scientific research which showed that the natural ingredients Raftiline (inulin) and Raftilose (oligofructose) have significant health benefits. The programme was extended to Switzerland a year later with further launches planned. Products in the programme carry the Beneo symbol on the packaging which shows that the product contains enough inulin and oligofructose to have a beneficial effect.
Orafti is a subsidiary of the Belgian agro-food group Raffinerie Tirlemontoise/Tiense Suikerraffinaderij, part of the Südzucker Group. Headquartered in Tienen, Belgium, the company operates in more than 70 countries, with production units in Oreye, Belgium, Wijchen, the Netherlands and Wijgmaal, Belgium. The group has a turnover of €200 million.