Dive Brief:
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Consumers are increasingly reaching for dairy-based and other products containing functional ingredients as a way to ward off illness or help with existing health issues, according to Food Business News.
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These fortified foods and beverages include dairy-based drinks, cheese, yogurt and ice cream, the publication noted. Added to a milk base are micronutrients and ingredients such as fiber, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, plant extracts, probiotics, protein and vitamins.
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Fortification is different than enrichment, Food Business said. Fortification is defined as increasing an essential micronutrient, such as vitamins and minerals, in a food regardless of whether it was originally present prior to processing. Enrichment means adding micronutrients to food after they've been lost due to processing.
Dive Insight:
Fortification in foods and beverages is growing in popularity as a handy delivery mechanism for added nutrients. Food Business News reported that companies are taking advantage of the trend by directly augmenting their products with concentrated compounds. Businesses also are adding them indirectly through grains, nuts, seeds and superfruits, while others are including them more indirectly through management of animal diets.
Slingshot Foods is a California-based manufacturer of breakfast shakes containing low-fat milk, milk protein concentrate, yogurt cultures and fruit and vegetable juice. In a little plastic pouch wrapped around the neck of the bottle — the "shot" — is a crunchy blend of chia seeds, rolled oats and toasted almonds, which adds 3 grams of both fiber and protein and 600 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids, Food Business News noted.
Other companies are getting in on the trend, too. The Oregon-based Springfield Creamery is fortifying its whole-milk probiotic yogurt lineup with omega-3s delivered through milk from organic grass-fed cows. And fairlife adds to its ultra-filtered, high-protein milk 125 mg per serving of docosahexaenoic acid — a type of omega-3 — sourced from algae oil. Fairlife also fortifies its products with vitamins A, C, E and D, Food Business News reported.
Nestlé has gotten into the segment in a big way. The business publication said the company now offers a Nesquik SuperBreakfast protein drink for kids fortified with milk protein concentrate and vitamins A and D, as well as calcium. And for older consumers, Nestlé has Boost High-Protein Complete Nutritional Drink containing one-third more protein per bottle than the original formulation. Each eight-ounce bottle has 20 grams of protein from milk protein concentrate and soy protein isolate, and it contains 26 vitamins and minerals.
One challenge to fortification is that consuming such foods and beverages, plus taking dietary supplements, could far exceed the daily recommended limits for calcium, folic acid and iron. So while some consumers undoubtedly appreciate the convenience of getting a nutritional powerhouse in a bottle, a cup of yogurt or a pint of ice cream, others may prefer to acquire them the old-fashioned way by consuming the nutrients in their natural state. Manufacturers also need to be careful not to significantly alter the taste, texture or cost of the product — a move that could prove damaging if it turns off shoppers and irreparably hurts sales.
Consumers also may not be aware of which foods and beverages are fortified and which aren't, although most brands make it clear on package labels the claims they're making for their products. And consumers don't always know how much protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals they need on a regular basis to stay healthy.
Manufacturers might be able to win fans by making it clear not only what's in their fortified products but also why the add-ons are there and how they can improve human health. With shoppers looking to get more out of the foods and beverages they consume in a bid to live a healthier lifestyle, the responsibility falls on food companies to make their products stand out in an ultra-competitive marketplace. As a result, fortification will continue to be one way companies will try to separate themselves from the competition.