Marking its 15th anniversary, SupplySide West, which took place Oct. 10-14 in Las Vegas, hosted 1,340 booths showcasing beverage, food, dietary supplement and cosmeceutical ingredient solutions. This year’s show counted more than 9,700 executives from 64 countries as attendees. The following are some highlights from research and development companies with beverage applications:

AIDP, City of Industry, Calif., highlighted its EnVantec microencapsulation process and Magtein cognitive health compound. Starch-based EnVantec microencapsulation technology provides a heat, light and moisture-stable environment for bio-actives and forms uniform microbeadlets that are instantaneously soluble, the company says. Discovered by a group of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Magtein is a unique compound of magnesium that has been shown in animal studies to improve memory, recognition and learning, according to AIDP.

Ajinomoto North America Inc., Fort Lee, N.J., focused on its aspartame for use in beverages, including carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks, nectars, syrups, iced teas and coffees. The company also provided scientific information on capsinoids, which are thermogenic but non-stimulant compounds derived from certain varieties of chili peppers. Capsinoids have been shown to increase basal metabolism and fat oxidation, according to literature provided by Ajinomoto. 

Allen Flavors Inc., Edison, N.J., exhibited at SupplySide West in association with Nestlé as the distributor of Nestlé’s industrial products, which include coffee and tea extracts. Allen Flavors also presented beverage concepts at the show.

Aloecorp, Austin, Texas, shared information on its Qmatrix aloe that has been generally recognized as safe (GRAS)-affirmed as a beverage and food ingredient by an independent panel of scientific experts, the company says. Qmatrix is a proprietary high-purity aloe vera inner leaf fillet preparation that is high in soluble fiber and minerals, according to the company.

BASF, Florham Park, N.J., organized its SupplySide West plans around its “Think Newtrition” global market initiative that was designed to identify new ideas, concepts and solutions for successful products, the company says. The company sampled Fruity Drinkable “Shots” featuring Tonalin CLA to help reduce body fat and maintain lean muscle, according to the company. It also showcased its carotenoids in a beverage fortified with lycopene, lutein and beta-carotene to contribute to heart, lung and prostate health, the company says.

BI Nutraceuticals, Long Beach, Calif., featured its chia seeds, which deliver high levels of total omega-3 fatty acids, are a vegan source of protein, contain more fiber than common grains and have a comprehensive range of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and essential amino acids. It also highlighted its baobab fruit powder ingredient that has GRAS approval in the United States.

Bioenergy Life Science Inc., Minneapolis, highlighted the applications and advantages of its GRAS-affirmed Bioenergy Ribose, which has been featured in energy, recovery and sports drinks.

Cargill Inc., Minneapolis, sampled a Vanilla Energy Gel prototype that is made with the company’s Xtend sucromalt, a full-calorie, low-glycemic sweetener that is suitable for use in products where a source of steady energy or reduced glucose response is desired, the company says.

Contract manufacturer Century Foods International, Sparta, Wis., was on hand at SupplySide West to highlight its services. A division of Hormel Foods International, the company can manufacture and package dairy drinks, nutritional products and powder blends for clients and has the capabilities for research and development; agglomeration and blending; ready-to-drink beverage production; filling; packaging; and tableting, it says.

Corn Products, Westchester, Ill., and National Starch, Bridgewater, N.J., showcased their combined portfolio of nutritional ingredients and natural sweeteners at SupplySide West. Prototypes included a Vitality Pomegranate Acai Smoothie containing Hi-maize resistant starch to help support a healthy weight and healthy blood sugar levels, the company says. The companies also sampled a low-calorie raspberry twist powdered beverage sweetened with Enliten Reb A Stevia and fortified with NutraFlora prebiotic fiber and Purimune high-purity GOS for digestive health and immune support. Enliten and NutraFlora also were featured in a Southern-style sweet tea powdered beverage designed to support digestive health that also contained Aquamin mineral source ingredient.

DDW & Co. Inc., Louisville, Ky., focused on its natural color portfolio, which includes a new naturally derived blue colorant made from anthocyanins extracted from red cabbage juice, and the formulation expertise it can offer to companies looking to switch from synthetic to natural colors. DDW is the exclusive representative of natural color blends from Anaheim, Calif.-based ColorMaker Inc., which uses a range of natural sources to create its color blends, including beta-carotene, grape juice, lycopene and red cabbage.

DSM, Parsippany, N.J., showcased Fruitflow, an ingredient derived from tomatoes that supports heart health, the company says. Fruitflow can be used in fruit juices and fruit-flavored drinks and is able to make the following claims: “helps maintain healthy blood flow,” “naturally supports healthy blood circulation” and “helps maintain normal platelet function which contributes to healthy blood flow.”

Flavor & Fragrance Specialties, Mahwah, N.J., showcased its sweetness-enhancing technology, flavor and fragrance ingredients in the following beverages: Lychee Rose Green Tea, a 50-calorie per 8-ounce serving beverage made with natural lychee and rose flavors; Strawberry Fields Soda, a strawberry-basil flavored beverage; and Camu Camu Berry Beauty Water, which featured natural camu camu and berry flavors and is fortified with aloe and Sensara, a patented beauty ingredient.

The maker of Trü Brüz and Peelz ingredients, Valencia, Calif.-based Flavor Producers featured its ingredients in several sampled products. Trü Brüz black tea essence was featured in a Pear Hibiscus Iced Tea that also contained an organic flavor blend and organic pear flavor with other natural flavors. Flavor Producers also offered a Black Cherry Hangover Remedy formulated with natural Black Cherry flavor and other natural flavors, and a hangover premix containing a proprietary blend of B vitamins, vitamin C, caffeine, taurine and glucoronolactone. It also featured baked goods with Peelz and additional fortifications, such as grape skin extract, resveratrol, fiber and antioxidants.

Fonterra USA, Rosemont, Ill., highlighted its new platform that promotes consuming 30 grams of protein each day. Promoting the morning use occasion, Fonterra offered protein-fortified breakfast options including a High-Protein Raspberry Yogurt Smoothie that featured 18 grams of dairy protein from ElevateProtein 515 Whey Protein Concentrate and Creamy Café Au Lait chilled coffee beverage with 16 grams of protein in each 8-ounce serving from Whey Protein Concentrate 515 and Milk Protein Concentrate 4762 options.

Glanbia Nutritionals, Fitchburg, Wis., highlighted its ability to create successful turnkey beverage solutions with a Coconut Pineapple Smoothie and a Fatigue-Busting Energy Beverage. The concepts showcased Glanbia’s ability to formulate with protein, broad range of benefit-specific vitamin and mineral premixes, and ability to tailor ingredients to a particular application, according to the company.

Gum Technology, Tucson, Ariz., featured its Coyote Brand Tara Gum and other hydrocolloid ingredients. Tara gum is a natural hydrocolloid derived from a Peruvian plant that can be used to add viscosity, suspension and mouthfeel to a beverage, the company says. The company’s Stabilizer PT-1110, a blend of pectin and tara gum, also can be used in acidified protein beverages to provide a creamy mouthfeel and suspension.

Hilmar Ingredients, Hilmar, Calif., offered its whey protein ingredients in two beverage concepts: French Vanilla Whey + Soy Shake and Tropical Blend Fruit n’ Veggie Smoothie. The French Vanilla Whey + Soy Shake is low in fat, has no added sugar, contains 3 grams of fiber and is made with Hilmar’s 8200 Whey Protein Concentrate. The company’s smoothie contained two servings of fruit, half a serving of vegetables, is a good source of fiber and boasts 8 grams of protein from a blend of Hilmar’s 8500 Whey Protein Concentrate and 9400 Whey Protein Isolate.

Pharmchem Laboratories Inc., Kearny, N.J., is an international manufacturer and supplier of ingredients for beverages, food and nutritionals. Its divisions include the following: Alix Technologies, which specializes in processing and packaging beverages; MPT Delivery Systems Inc., a developer and manufacturer of specialty granulated bulk ingredients; Proprietary Nutritionals Inc., a global marketer and distributor of nutraceutical ingredients; American Ingredients Inc., a supplier of minerals, amino acids, herbal powders and extracts; and Avoca Inc., a botanical extraction company.

P.L. Thomas, Morristown, N.J., focused on its functional ingredients — Menaquin Gold, Satieral and UTIRose — at SupplySide West. MenaquinGold is a natural vitamin K2 ingredient that is made from the most bioavailable form of vitamin K, which has been linked to bone and cardiovascular health, the company says. Satiereal is the company’s patent-pending satiety ingredient derived from saffron. The company also featured UTIRose, a patented extract from the hibiscus flower that has recognized benefits for healthy urinary tract functions, according to the company.

Tate & Lyle, Decatur, Ill., placed the spotlight on its sweetener portfolio that includes Splenda Sucralose, Krystar Crystalline Fructose and Purefruit Monk Fruit Extract. Splenda Sucralose is available in granular, powder and liquid forms and can be used in a range of beverages. Krystar Crystalline Fructose can be blended with other nutritive and non-nutritive high-intensity sweeteners and carbohydrates, including Splenda Sucralose, the company says. The company’s newest sweetener, Purefruit Monk Fruit Extract, is made from fruit and can be used in a variety of beverages.

Virginia Dare, Brooklyn, N.Y., highlighted its flavor extracts with two beverage prototypes: a Raspberry Vanilla Black Tea with natural raspberry flavor and vanilla and tea extracts, as well as a Pear Honey Vanilla Beverage with all-natural pear and honey flavors and vanilla extract.

Wild Flavors, Erlanger, Ky., showcased its portfolio of ingredient options, including Sunwin Stevia, Health Ingredient Technology & Solutions (H.I.T.S.), Colors From Nature and Resolver technology. Noted solutions from the H.I.T.S. portfolio include lutein, conjugated linoleic acid, phytosterol ester emulsion, Immunel and Phosphatidylserine. The company also featured its Vegeceuticals, which is a line of specialized vegetable extract blends that deliver a healthy halo of vegetables that are applicable in a range of beverages and are available in red and orange blends in liquid and dry forms. BI