Anthocyanins for improving eye function. The anthocyanins and bioflavinoids present in many blue and purple coloured berries, such as bilberries and blackberries, are known to have beneficial effects in improving night vision by stimulating the production of rhodopsine, which increases blood circulation in capillary vessels.

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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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