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Kemin extends natural plant extracts line

24 Jul 2015

“In today’s environment, consumer perceptions and trends are moving toward natural ingredients,” according to Kelly De Vadder, marketing manager of Kemin’s food division in EMEA. Kemin says that it recognised this trend several years ago and established the Specialty Crop Improvement team, a team of scientists focused on developing sustainable, renewable and practical plant sources […]

Kemin extends natural plant extracts line

fresh-green-spearmint-22704509“In today’s environment, consumer perceptions and trends are moving toward natural ingredients,” according to Kelly De Vadder, marketing manager of Kemin’s food division in EMEA.

Kemin says that it recognised this trend several years ago and established the Specialty Crop Improvement team, a team of scientists focused on developing sustainable, renewable and practical plant sources with useful molecules that can be extracted and used to manufacture ingredients with active or functional benefits.

“Recently, Kemin developed FORTRA, a spearmint extract derived from a proprietary variety of Mentha spicata L,” said Stefaan Van Dyck, president of the EMEA food business.

The plant-derived extract is said to haveboth flavouring and antioxidant properties, and contains rosmarinic acid, a molecule which Kemin says has been shown to be especially effective in delaying lipid oxidation, colour loss, and deterioration of other sensitive molecules. Combined with the company’sr patented manufacturing process, the active compounds in the extract are said to be heat-stable and able to survive high temperature and high pressure processing. Kemin says that its scientists have found that spearmint contains more rosmarinic acid than plant sources such as sage, oregano, or rosemary.

Kemin’s natural plant-based extracts platform can conserve the appearance, taste and quality of food products without impacting their flavour, colour and odour profiles, the company claims. With natural plant extracts, it believes customers benefit from proprietary flavour extracts developed with effective antioxidant properties for delaying oxidation and increasing shelf life.

Kemin’s food technologies division develops, manufactures and markets shelf-life and food safety solutions for the food industry.  Delivering what the company describes as scientifically sound, innovative products through local services and supply chain control enables it, it says, to provide ingredients that protect and maintain the nutrient qualities and visual appeal of food products.

Dr. Stefaan Van Dyck will present Kemin’s vertically integrated, sustainable spearmint extract at the Food Ingredients Europe tradeshow in Paris in December.