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J. ZEIHER, Food Applications, GTC Nutrition, 600 Corporate Circle, Suite H, Golden, CO 80401 Technology has allowed a group of Finnish manufacturers to develop products high in beta-glucan that deliver a variety of nutritional benefits, especially for weight control and heart health. This line of products is manufactured without chemical solvents, preserving whole-grain oat characteristics. Furthermore, the viscosity of the beta-glucan fraction, the soluble portion of the oat fiber, is associated with the most important health-promoting effects of oats, including blood cholesterol reduction, enhanced weight maintenance, controlling blood sugar and insulin response, and improving digestive function. This innovative group has made further improvements to the oat beta-glucan functionality with a patented process that improves the solubility of the fiber and achieves protection of the oat lipid fraction through complexation with the starch fraction. These improvements are accomplished while maintaining natural processing methods. The starch-lipid complex is critical to the enhanced shelf life of the product and other functional benefits, including minimizing starch retrogradation, enhancing product stability, and moisture retention in a variety of applications. The health benefits of this novel ingredient focus on glycemic index control. The proposed mechanism for glycemic control relies on the viscosity-building effect of the beta-glucan in the upper gastrointestinal tract. This results in a slower absorption of energy from a meal, and balances blood sugar levels by reducing the after-meal elevation in blood glucose and blunts the insulin response. Research has shown a positive effect on weight control from the inclusion of four to six grams of beta-glucan, making these oat bran concentrate products ideal for introducing enhanced functional and nutritional benefits to many products.
Session 3, NEW PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGIES: Innovations in nutritional ingredients and food processing
2005 IFT Annual Meeting, July 15-20 - New Orleans, Louisiana |