Formulating Bioavailable Nutritional Premixes (Getting a Premix Fix)

Man cannot live on bread alone, nor can he live on one solitary nutrient; an array of different vitamins and minerals are necessary for optimal health. Premixes, blends of many different natural ingredients, are often used in the health food industry as a way to fortify and ensure vast nutritional benefits from supplements, beverages, energy bars, meal replacements and other enriched foods.

What’s Fresh

There are several trends consumers are targeting via intake of specific health ingredients. “The top three health conditions are obesity and weight management, fatigue and cardiovascular disease,” said Ram Chaudhari, Ph.D., senior executive vice president and chief scientific officer, Fortitech.

While premixes containing tried and true ingredients are still popular, manufacturers have been noticing increasing interest from consumers in products that go beyond fortification with conventional vitamin and mineral premixes, according to Shaheen Majeed, director of marketing, Sabinsa. “Natural antioxidants, amino acids, probiotics and phytonutrients with added health benefits, such as weight management or joint health support, are favorable additions to vitamin/mineral premixes,” he explained. “[Popular] end applications include dietary supplements, functional foods—bars, beverages, other delivery systems or cosmetics.” Chaudhari agreed, adding, “We are seeing a rise in interest for premixes with amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids and calcium, but the in-demand nutrients are the traditional antioxidant blends and vitamins A, C and E.”

Emilio Gutierrez, R.Ph., vice president of technical services, BI Nutraceuticals, said there are several popular markets for premixes for food and beverage fortification.

Energy: According to Gutierrez, caffeine and caffeine-containing herbs, like guarana and kola nut, are very popular ways to add caffeine to premixes. Green tea contains some caffeine and is more widely used for its benefits in circulation and antioxidant effects. “Panax ginseng and eleutherococcus extract are both still very popular in the energy category,” he said. “And amino acids, such as L-taurine and L-arginine, go well in beverages and go hand-in-hand with many popular extreme sports practiced by many consumers today.”

Vitamin and mineral blend premixes: “More and more vitamins are being used in foods today,” Gutierrez explained. “These are ingredients that the majority of consumers know and trust.” He added that a major endorsement for the fortification beverages with vitamins is Coca-Cola’s launch of Diet Coke Plus, a soda line extension enriched with niacin, zinc, magnesium and vitamins B6 and B12.

Antioxidants: Aside from green tea, there are several other ingredients with antioxidant properties that are in high demand, including superfoods goji berry, açaí, pomegranate, grape seed extract and multi-berry blends for premixes.

Bars: “Fortitech has noticed within the bars category that there is a proactive trend in the development of the bars concept as an excellent carrier for health, nutrition, energy and meal replacement options,” said Chaudhari. “The availability of healthy and nutritional bars in various distributor channels (supermarkets, food service, health and sports clubs) has widened, and the market is ready for bars with new benefits and improved taste and texture.” Advances in nanotechnology are now allowing manufacturers to deliver functional food ingredients as premixes with minimum interactions. Chaudhari also noted there is an increase in the use of soy and whey proteins in high protein and sports nutrition bars.

Water: With the recent popularity of enhanced waters, it’s not a surprise that these are among the most in-demand enriched products on the market. “Enhanced water plays right into the demands of consumers seeking convenience and a one-stop nutritional shop. Beverages have the convenience of portability and have the ability to be easily fortified,” explained Chaudhari. He added that within the premixes category, there has been a wider appeal for superfruit flavors, antioxidant blends and calcium.

Gut health: “We are currently witnessing a strong trend surrounding consumer interest in gut health for both the food and beverage industries,” Chaudhari said. Prebiotics and probiotics, as well as resistant starches and fiber are quickly gaining popularity as premixes. However, Chaudhari admitted it can be difficult when working with probiotics, as they pose particular formulation challenges. “They are live bacteria and their stability is susceptible to heat and moisture, which directly impacts how they are integrated into an application.”

Customized premixes: “Made to order blends, manufactured to unique customer specifications, are still the largest segment of the premixes we manufacture,” Gutierrez said. “Many of BI Nutraceuticals’ blends are composed of organic/steam sterilized herbal powders, herbal extracts, amino acids and specialty supplements, including chondroitin-glucosamine.”

Uniquely You

In order to set themselves apart, many manufacturers of premixes have one or several house blends, with a combination of unique ingredients, targeted for a unique health condition. For example, DSM Nutritional Products enables dietary supplement manufacturers to meet consumers’ increased need and demand for vitamin D3 with their own vitamin D3 products, in both liquid and dry forms, explained Todd Sitkowski, senior marketing manager, DSM. In addition, DSM also provides premixes that include lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, beta carotene, minerals and amino acids.

Two of Sabinsa’s popular premixes are ArthriBlend-SR® and HotSip®. “ArthriBlend-SR is a comprehensive, sustained release composition containing herbal extracts and nutrients to support healthy joints and connective tissues in the body,” Majeed said. The blend contains glucosamine sulfate, Boswellia serrata extract and curcuminoids from Curcuma longa. “These ingredients work synergistically to help support the management of inflammatory conditions, including arthritis,” explained Majeed. An added ingredient to the premixes, black pepper extract, is a bioavailability enhancer. The company reports that the premix is purported to improve pain, stiffness and inflammation that is associated with osteoarthritis, and beneficially impacts joint function.