PLT Health Solutions Inc., Morristown, N.J., recently announced the appointment of Devin Stagg as president of the company. Previously, Stagg served as PLT’s chief operating officer for six years. He brings deep industry expertise and a strong track record of leadership to his new position. This leadership transition aligns with PLT’s commitment to driving innovation, strengthening global partnerships and expanding its international footprint, it notes. Seth Flowerman will continue in his role as CEO to guide PLT’s long-term vision to support the company’s continued global growth. Flowerman shared that Stagg’s appointment to president is an acknowledgement of his role in the dramatic growth of the company over the past six years, characterized by increased sales, a clear strategic vision and an expanded, highly talented team. As president, Stagg will spearhead the company’s next phase of growth, ensuring that PLT continues to deliver cutting-edge, science-backed solutions that shape the future of consumer health and wellness.

Butter Buds Inc., Racine, Wis., recently highlighted Cocoa Butter Buds. This concentrated powder is made with real cocoa fat that provides formulators with a cost-effective alternative to cocoa powder and closely mimics delicious, real-chocolate flavor, the company says. “Cocoa Butter Buds uses our proprietary enzyme modification and real cocoa fats from the cocoa bean to create a concentrated ingredient solution that helps manufacturers improve chocolate flavor in their formulations at a fraction of the cost of chocolate,” said Michael Ivey, national sales director at Butter Buds Inc., in a statement. “Rich chocolate flavor is based on an ideal ratio of cocoa fat to cocoa solids, and chocolate flavorings with imbalanced ratios make it challenging for formulators to add enough cocoa fat to balance flavors without adversely affecting texture and nutritional profiles while also keeping costs affordable. Using Cocoa Butter Buds, formulators can cost-effectively achieve the elusive real-chocolate flavor consumers are sure to love without breaking the bank.” Cocoa Butter Buds rounds out chocolate flavor and adds rich, longer-lasting cocoa fat notes to any food or beverage where cocoa powder is used, the company says.

BENEO, Parsippany, N.J., shared a new systematic literature review with meta-analyses, conducted by Reimer et al, demonstrating that chicory root fiber intake promotes a significant reduction in body weight, body mass index (BMI), fat mass, waist circumference, and, to a certain extent, body fat percentage. Based on this review, there is now even stronger evidence to show that supplementation with chicory root fiber can lead to clinically meaningful reductions in body weight and other weight management parameters, it notes. Included in the systematic review with meta-analyses, the strongest methodology in the hierarchy of scientific evidence, were 32 randomized controlled trials and almost 1,200 participants. The studies were selected based on an extensive literature search and review process that followed the guidelines of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews and Interventions and the PRISMA standards of quality for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses.  The inclusion criteria for the studies were based on the consumption of chicory root fiber in randomized controlled trials that were designed to gauge its effect on body weight, BMI, total body fat, body fat percentage, or waist circumference in adults of all health conditions.