Wine, cheese and good bread are regarded as being some of the finer things in life. With its new ingredient, CK Foods aims to help food manufacturers to benefit both from the gourmet appeal and the health associations of wine (red wine is rich in the antioxidant resveratrol).
The company sources its grape skins from the Niagara region, after the fruits have been pressed for wine-making and oil extracted from their seeds for use by the nutraceuticals industry.
The skins are milled to a powder, which general manager Michael Chernyak told NutraIngredients-USA.com has a rich, but not standardised, resveratrol content. Three different varieties are available: Cabernet, Chardonnay and Icewine.
Although the grape seed powders have a healthy aspect, Chernyak explained that the main appeal for food manufacturers is gourmet cache. A product labeled as 'Cabernet Baguette', for instance, sounds classy and also draws on consumer awareness that red wine (in moderation) may have healthful properties.
Moreover the powder can be added to ordinary foods at five to ten percent, and can contribute to the end product's sensory properties.
Grape skin and seed extracts are presently available on the market, but these tend to be highly concentrated, and are void of flavor and color. They carry a higher price tag, and may be more suitable for use in dietary supplements than in everyday food products.
The company said that a major North American retailer has already committed to a bread product launch by the end of the year, and discussions are also underway with beverage and cheese companies.
As for the health properties, although the company has conducted some assays the resveratrol content; there are trace quantities of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (although Chernyak said that there are better sources, such as flax); and 52 percent of the powder by weight is dietary fiber.
Chernyak said that the fiber is not recognised as a 'claimable' fiber by Health Canada, but it can be included in the overall fiber content on a product's nutritional facts panel.