Natraceutical offers high polyphenol extracts

The CocoanOX range, to be launched at Food Ingredients Europe in November, includes a cocoa powder with 12 per cent polyphenols and two extracts of the powder offering 45 per cent or 85 per cent concentrations.

The family of polyphenol compounds found in apples, red wine and green tea have been studied in laboratories for their ability to fight cancer and are also thought to help prevent heart disease.

The research has created a growing market for polyphenol-rich ingredients, estimated to be worth around $99 million in Europe in 2003.

But Pedro Arenas, marketing manager at Natraceutical, says that the health benefits are dependent on the bioavailability of the extracts.

"We maintain the same number of monomeric and dimeric polyphenols in the standardized product.

These molecules are better absorbed by the body," added Zachary Sniderman, a member of the firm's R&D team.

The monomeric molecules include catechin and epicatichin while the dimeric compounds are procyanidins B1 and B2.

Sniderman told NutraIngredients.com that the high bioavailability of the products will be reflected in the results of upcoming clinical trials.

Preliminary results from a clinical trial being done in a Spanish research institute suggests that the 12 per cent polyphenol powder could cut cholesterol levels by 20 per cent.

It will also assess impact on triglycerides and bioavailability.

The high antioxidant levels are ensured by a modification to the processing of the cocoa powder, and selecting certain cocoa beans at the beginning of the process.

The raw material can have vastly different levels of polyphenols.

Although there is currently no standard method to measure polyphenol content, Sniderman and his colleagues are developing their own based on the available literature.

He added that the ORAC value (a measure of antioxidant capacity)of the 12 per cent powder was seven times that of an average cocoa powder.

Natraceutical could benefit from increased interest in cocoa polyphenols generated by Mars in recent weeks.

The confectionery giant has launched a new range of products said to be rich in flavanols under a new nutrition business unit.

Arenas adds that most polyphenols on the marketplace are derived from green tea, red fruits and olives.

"People are always looking for new raw materials.

We think we'll be the first to launch a product like this from cocoa and want to become the leading supplier of cocoa antioxidants," he said.

Some customers are already testing the ingredients in new products.

The main application areas will be confectionery, dietary supplements and functional or dietetic foods.

"Fifty per cent of consumers say they would buy chocolate more often if a healthy antioxidant product was available," added Arenas, noting that the increasing number of ageing Europeans will be thinking about their health in future years.

External links to companies or organisations mentioned in thisstory: Natraceutical