Coffee pods with functional ingredients now available after code cracked
Winter Garden, Capsoil FoodTech, by Prodalim, has announced it will be providing new opportunities for coffee lovers who want to add a functional ingredient to their coffee. They have developed an advanced method for incorporating oil-based nutrients into coffee pods. This means coffee can now be fortified with medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), CBD, vitamins A, D, E, and K, and other ingredients.
Itay Shafat PhD, Scientific Director at Capsoil, said: “In recent decades, we have witnessed tremendous changes in our diets affecting the nutrient content in our foods. Oils have been impacted severely – examples include omega-3, an anti-inflammatory. In the past, the ratio of omega 3 to omega 6, which is a pro-inflammatory was 1:2 or 1:3, today it is 1:20 or 1:30 – we simply do not have enough omega 3 in our diets. What we have created are oil-soluble vitamins to help try to change this.”
Dr. Shafat explained that coffee is functional drink by definition and exactly why it is a good vehicle for added functional ingredients.
He said: “One of the first things many people do in the mornings is drink a cup of coffee to perk up and help them focus on their daily routine. Consumers already link coffee with functionality and so adding these ingredients seemed very natural. Coffee is a routine we share with friends and family but also colleagues at work.”
Until now, adding these oils and other oil-soluble compounds to coffee, or any other food or drink, was hindered by many factors including stability and taste, but mainly water solubility.
Dr. Shafat said: “To mix oil and water, you need an emulsion, that is not a secret. Our technology essentially takes any oil and converts it to a self-emulsifying powder via a physical process resulting in a dry, free-flowing powder that dissolves easily in hot and cold water. Most vitamins and antioxidants are not water-soluble, and the active compound cannot be delivered from the pod to the cup.”
He explained that he has found that people can be prone to what he calls ‘pill fatigue’, adding: “People rarely forget their morning coffee, now they don’t have to forget their vitamins or antioxidants either.”
The company says that in addition to vitamins A, D, E, and K, oil-based antioxidants, such as lycopene or astaxanthin are also gaining momentum among consumers, as are cannabis-derived ingredients, such as CBD and terpenes. Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil is especially popular with athletes and paleo diet fans and is a non-dairy ingredient that adds a cream-like effect to coffee, making it ideal for ready-to-drink coffee or coffee pods.
The coffee pods are a single-use application that protect the coffee from moisture and oxygen and are fully water soluble as well as solvent and chemical-free.
