Ingredients
Ingredients
Aflatoxin is the generic name for several mycotoxins produced by the mould Aspergillus flavus that can grow on a wide range of nuts (peanuts, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, etc.) as well as on grains and dried fruit such as figs, raisins, etc. Aflatoxin has been shown to be one of the most carcinogenic substances known to man so strict regulations are applied to the commerce in products that could be contaminated with the mycotoxin. Up until now detection of aflatoxin has been extremely difficult and involved using complicated sampling systems with each sample being examined with a short wavelength UV light under which the fungus fluoresced. The fluorescence response was however very weak and correlated only poorly to the actual amount of fungal contamination. A new sorter, using multiple laser optics, has now been developed by the Belgian-based company Best; the new system enables detection and sorting of aflatoxins at a normal processing flow. The new sorter is based on a set of free-fall laser sorters, which combine structural measurements with full spectrum RGB colour sorting. The system can be configured with up to twelve laser sensors so providing the highest detection resolution on the market. Extensive tests of the new systems have been carried out under real production conditions (several tons of nuts per hour) and the results compared with the standard laborious sampling/testing system. It was found that the new system accurately rejected contaminated products and reduced final aflatoxin levels far below the accepted 5ppb level, without erroneously rejecting uncontaminated product.
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Blow-moulder/filler for the low output range
Equally suitable for soft drinks, still water and beer, the Synchroblock A module is a cost-efficient system comprising a blow-moulder and filler unit. Suitable for low to mid production ranges, the system can blow-mould and fill up to 8,000 containers an hour, without having to use any air conveyors. This provides users with many advantages such as a significant reduction in operating costs and lower water consumption. The blow-moulding unit is versatile enough to produce container sizes ranging from 0.1 to 3.0 litres. For this reason, access to the machine has been specially simplified, so that the moulds can be changed swiftly and easily. The containers are passed via a transfer table to the isobaric filler, whose pneumatically controlled VKP filling valves assure accurate, foam-free filling. The machine is optimised in terms of hygiene and microbiological safety.
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A new range of baby food rice starch is now available worldwide and ideal for use in fruit and vegetable based jars. Following in-depth assessment of production processes, including extensive testing, BENEO’s baby food rice starch meets and exceeds industry and regulatory requirements. The new product range also offers a wide range of nutritional and technical benefits to manufacturers. The naturally sourced texturizer qualifies for hypoallergenic, clean label, organic, as well as non-GMO products. Test trials have shown that vegetable and fruit jars with BENEO’s baby food rice starch have improved product stability in terms of viscosity, syneresis control and shelf-life. In addition, the ingredient’s small particle size creates a creamy texture without any effect on the end product’s taste or colour. Rice is furthermore highly digestible and consequently interesting for baby food applications.

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Liteez
Liteez is a new, 3D stevia sweetener for hot drinks. This “free-from” meringue sweet addresses the growing demand for sugar reduction in beverages. The patent-pending vegan meringue sweet is a completely plant-based treat. It is free from any allergens, such as eggs, gluten, lactose, or nuts, and contains just a few simple ingredients, including prebiotic fibres that build sweetness, act as a bulking agent, and function as a nutraceutical. Liteez is an easy-to-use sugar replacer that doubles as a sweet treat. It can be eaten as a treat when drinking tea or coffee or, if sweetness is needed in the drink, it can be stirred right in, completely dissolving in about half a minute. While the Liteez sweetener delivery system can be formulated with different types of sweeteners, using stevia posed a challenge since the acidity and isoelectric point of the mixture changes completely relative to using other high-intensity sweeteners, such as sucralose. The delicate balance between a foam that sets firm yet is soluble enough to dissolve in a hot drink was, however, attained. Because Liteez contains mostly fibre, the aftertaste of stevia also was able to be effectively masked.

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Beverages
A clinically proven health benefit is one
of the strongest value elements in the functional beverage market. One of the most pressing global health concerns today is high cholesterol, withn its associations with cardivascular diseases. In the past a cholesterol-lowering benefit was difficult or impossible to deliver in non-dairy beverages.
For many people, elevated cholesterol can be lowered by changes in diet and lifestyle, reducing the risk of heart disease. The most important common-sense dietary measure to lower cholesterol is reducing the amount of dietary saturated fat we consume, but we can also reduce cholesterol by increasing our intake of certain foods.

Beta-glucan: a plant-sourced cholesterol reducer
One proven cholesterol-reducing agent in food is beta-glucan. It is classified as water-soluble dietary fibre, and occurs in cereal grains such as barley and oats. The exact mechanism by which beta-glucan soluble fibre reduces cholesterol has not been identified, but the following are some of the possible mechanisms of action which have been put forward.

• Inhibition of  intrinsic cholesterol production
As a result of fermentation in the large intestine, short-chain fatty acids are produced. Via some sort of feed-back mechanism, these may, decrease intrinsic cholesterol production in the liver.
• Decrease in intestinal absorption
Beta-glucan may lead to an increase in viscosity in the intestine, This in turn could  decreases the absorption of dietary fat and cholesterol from the gut
• Increase excretion
Beta-glucans may bind bile acids in the small intestine, thus increasing excretion of cholesterol.

Barley betafibre: delivering the benefits
The concentration of beta-glucan in cereal grains is low, and is generally around 4-10 percent. This means that it is difficult to consume sufficient quantities of cereal grains to ensure that the intake of beta-glucan is sufficient to deliver a cholesterol-lowering benefit. Ideally what’s needed instead is a form of beta-glucan which enables a sufficient amount to be consumed more easily. This is the rationale behind the development of the Barliv barley betafiber product from Cargill.The product is made using a proprietary technology and displays a lower viscosity in food applications as compared to oat beta-glucan and to other barley beta-glucan products in the marketplace. Its bland flavour, neutral mouthfeel and zero colour impact, make it easy to incorporate into new and existing food formulations.

Beverages are the ideal way to deliver a cholesterol-lowering benefit. However, until now, outside of the dairy beverages sector, it has not been possible to develop acceptable products that can be effective in lowering cholesterol. The main reason for this has been the high viscosity or other significant organoleptic characteristics of traditional cholesterol lowering ingredients (e.g. oat beta-glucan) at effective dosage levels. But with the arrival of Barlív barley betafiber, new options open up for the development of acceptable cholesterol-reducing non-dairy beverages. The beta-glucan blends easily and doesn’t clump; it is completely soluble; it is stable in low pH beverages; and it is thermally stable in UHT and extrusion processes.

The proven health benefits
The most important attribute of Barlív barley betafiber is the fact that its health benefits are clinically proven. A recent clinical study showed that three grams per day significantly decreased LDL cholesterol among subjects with moderately elevated blood cholesterol levels, when consumed as part of a diet that was low in saturated fat [1]. Food products containing barley betafiber are therefore an effective option for maintaining healthy blood cholesterol levels. Emerging research indicates that the fibre may also have the potential for other health benefits in the areas of blood sugar and satiety. Increasing amounts of epidemiological evidence suggest that diets rich in cereal fibre and foods with low glycaemic index may help maintain healthy blood sugar levels [2]. Finally, research also suggests that diets rich in fibre may aid in weight management by promoting satiety at lower levels of calorie and fat intake [3].

Under current EC health claim regulations, food manufacturers can claim that products containing the barley fibre may help to maintain a healthy cholesterol level, thus contributing to heart health. However claims over and above this, implying a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, would require special submission and approval.

The fact that the product is derived from barley also gives a high degree of reassurance for label-conscious consumers, and offers a genuine benefit to consumers by helping them improve their everyday diets as part of a healthy lifestyle.

References
1. Keenan JM et al. British Journal of Nutrition 2007;97(6):1162-1168.
2. Barclay AW et al. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2008;87(3):627-637.
3. NIH, 1994: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/heart/hbp/hbpdiab.txt

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