Doehler recently added olive leaf extract to its arsenal of more than 4,000 ingredients available for food and beverage applications. Previously used in skincare products and dietary supplements, the natural olive leaf extract had been relatively undiscovered for food and beverages, the company says. Known for their high oil content and all-natural energy, olives also contain vitamins, minerals and valuable secondary plant substances such as antioxidants, it adds. The olive leaf extract, standardized at 3 percent of the active hydroxytyrosol complex, contains antioxidants in a highly concentrated form, so that it only takes a small quantity of extract to have an effect. Hydroxytyrosol extracted from the olive leaf currently is regarded as the strongest plant-based antioxidant with oxygen radical absorbance capacity values more than 4,000,000 Trolox Equivalent for every 100 grams. The European Food Safety Authority has approved a health claim for the polyphenols in olive oil from 5 milligrams of hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives (e.g., oleuropein complex and tyrosol) for every 20 grams of olive oil, according to the company.  

Doehler North America, 400 High Point Road SE, Suite 100, Cartersville, Ga., 30120;
888/367-8327; doehler.com.