A&B Ingredients offers tropical fruit flavor extracts from South America for use in spirits. These “from the named fruit” (FTNF) flavors are extracted from fruit that’s grown near the processing site using a flavor-friendly process that uses the ripe fruit itself rather than peels, concentrates or synthetic blends. The company offers 100-percent fruit extracts made from banana, guava, passion fruit, coffee, tangerine, mango and cocoa that can be used with spirits such as vodka, rum and gin. — A&B Ingredients, 24 Spielman Road, Fairfield, N.J. 07004; 973-227-1390; abingredients.com.

Since engaging in a consumer education campaign and launching the Flax Lignan Information Bureau, Acatris has enjoyed a 300 percent sales increase between March 1, 2005, and Oct. 1, 2005, for its LinumLife Extra product over its entire 2004 sales figures. LinumLife Extra is the first flax extract with a standardized 20 percent lignan concentration. The company also secured a major licensing agreement with Archer Daniels Midland Company regarding the sales of soy isoflavone extracts.

Acatris designed the Flax Lignan Information Bureau at flaxlignaninfo.com as a Web portal to educate retailers and consumers about the powerful health benefits of flax lignans. The campaign played an essential part in a recent announcement between Acatris and ADM to form the first flax lignan industry association. — Acatris Inc. 3300 Edinborough Way, Minneapolis, Minn. 55435, 952/920-7700; acatris.com.

D.D. Williamson has launched the first certified organic caramel colors manufactured in North America. The line includes sucrose-based Caramel Color and Caramelized Rice Syrup, and is designed for use in foods and beverages labeled “organic.” D.D. Williamson will include the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Organic seal in conjunction with the Quality Assurance International (QAI) mark on its own labels. According to the company, the new colors offer stability in low pH formulations to enhance visual appeal in many types of beverages. For more information, see D.D. Williamson’s Web site at caramel.com.

Cargill recently introduced its new SweetDesign family of sweetener systems, designed to help food and beverage manufacturers deliver great taste with little or no sugar. Making its debut at Worldwide Food Expo in October, the company said SweetDesign systems can be easily customized and feature taste and texture profiles that are similar to standard full-fat/full-sugar products. The technology incorporates a number of sweetening, stabilizing and texturizing ingredients — including erythritol, Cargill’s all-natural/no-cal bulk sweetener — to provide sweetness, creaminess, body and stability. — Cargill, Box 5662, Minneapolis, Minn. 55440; 800/742-8790; cargillfoods.com.

Dairy Management Inc., Rosemont, Ill., has sponsored research into a new process for extracting nutrients and proteins from acid whey for use in food and beverages with protein and other functional attributes. The process is based on existing ion-exchange-chromatography technologies and removes the extra minerals, lipids and lactic acid that both distinguish acid whey from sweet whey and potentially affect the flavor and functionality of protein fractions. Other advantages are that the process uses inexpensive food-grade buffers, is scalable and operates at high flow rates and high recovery levels. For more information on this process, DMI has set up a Dairy Technical Support Hotline at 800/248-8829, or visit innovatewithdairy.com.

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. recently announced Visionaire 47 TASTE, a groundbreaking collaboration combining the scientific and creative talents of flavorists, contemporary artists, chefs and photographers.  

Visionaire 47 TASTE uses taste-film technology (developed by Biotec Films), much like the popular breath films on the market, to deliver unique and sometimes racy flavors. Each taste, such as Orgasm, Guilty and Mother, is accompanied by an image interpreting the concept. The company says this may be the first time that flavor has ever been used as a pure art medium, without concern for convention or application and detached from its connection to food.

Contributors include master chefs Heston Blumenthal and Ferran Adrìa; photographers Bruce Weber, David Sims, Nobuyoshi Araki, Sølve Sundbø; artists Yoko Ono, Thomas Demand, Vik Muniz, Jenny Holzer, Karen Kilimnik, Gary Hume, Richard Phillips; surfing star Laird Hamilton; flavorists Kevin Miller, Cathianne Caiazzo, Guinevere de la Margarite, Marion Sudol, Mauricio Poulsen, John Wright, Julie Atkinson, Michael Zampino, Martin Ongteco, Helen Burnett, and perfumer Christophe Laudamiel.