FDBusiness.com

Natural ingredients and colours manufacturer, Naturex has launched Xtrablend OA, a natural solution for enhancing colour stability in chilled products.

Thanks to the synergistic blend of two natural compounds – acerola standardised in ascorbic acid and onion standardised in polyphenols – the new solution provides colour protection that targets colour degradation in chilled foods, without impacting the product’s overall taste.

In addition to improving colour stability, Xtrablend OA is also a powerful antioxidant, Naturex claimed, which helps the sausage to keep an appealing colour and a very low oxidation rate until the end of their shelf life.

The innovation has been prompted by increasing demand for natural ingredients: research cited by Naturex showed that the number of products claiming to be all-natural, additive-free or preservative-free has “increased tenfold over the last ten years”, while the “redness” of a product continues to motivate purchase in the meat category as an indicator of freshness and wholesomeness.

Naturex category manager Catherine Bayard said: “As calls for transparency are growing louder, this friendly labelling and natural positioning is a critical point of differentiation from the competition. Xtrablend OA is a very effective tool to help food manufacturers meet consumer expectations for convenient and healthy products.”