Nektium is introducing its botanical portfolio to food and beverage manufacturers in a move that, it said, will mean clinically researched, branded plant extracts will be available for a ‘wide range’ of applications beyond supplements.

“There is an exciting opportunity to take them beyond the dietary supplement and nutraceutical categories and into the more mainstream food and beverage sector,”​ Thomas Adler, Chief Business Officer at Nektium, explained.

Spain-based Nektium’s portfolio includes Zynamite, a proprietary mango leaf extract (Mangifera indica) that is clinically proven to help boost the mental and physical aspects of sports performance. It also supplies the adaptogen Rhodiolife, a rhodiola plant extract (Rhodiola rosea) that has been shown to help improve cognitive health and enhance endurance.

Through a ‘significant investment’ in research and manufacturing, the company has been able to adapt its botanical ingredients so that they are suitable for a range of applications including sports and energy drinks, dairy products, gummies, and cereal bars.

This might not be as simple as it first sounds and the company’s R&D team had to overcome a number of functional challenges in order to add botanicas to food and beverage applications.

“Our expertise in plant phytochemistry helps us identify challenges (such as potential interactions between ingredients, and safety issues) prior to running application trials. We also need to ensure that the active ingredients can be seamlessly integrated into the final product without negatively affecting stability, colour or organoleptic properties,”​ Tanausú Vega, PhD, Head of Technology Processes & Applications – Research, Development & Innovation, told FoodNavigator.

https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2022/04/07/nektium-eyes-demand-for-botanicals-in-food-an-exciting-opportunity-beyond-supplements-and-nutraceuticals