Energizing Ingredients

The beverage market has expanded in recent years to include an increasing number of products that deliver not only refreshment and flavor, but also a range of nutritional attributes. In fact, according to the 2006 report “Functional Foods and Drinks: A Global Strategic Business Report” from Global Industry Analysts, Inc., San Jose, CA, the global functional food and beverage market is poised to expand into a $109 billion market by 2010, and the beverage segment of that market is one of the fastest growing segments in the industry today.

To help meet this ever-mounting demand, BI Nutraceuticals —which has been sourcing and supplying botanical ingredients and extracts to manufacturers in the natural-products industry for decades—has developed a line of healthy and functional ingredients, including açaí, acerola (also called Barbados cherry, the fruit of Malpighia glabra), blueberry, eleuthero (sometimes known as Siberian ginseng, the root of Eleutherococcus senticosus), ginkgo, ginseng, goji berry, grape seed, guarana seed and yerba maté, all of which are suited for a range of beverages. These ingredients are all-natural extracts from the fruit, leaves, roots and other parts of the plant. They contribute energy, antioxidant activity and other healthful properties to finished beverages.

The ingredients are suitable for all types of finished beverages, including energy dr inks, teas, tonics and herbal teas, notes Bill Meer, director of extract operations, pointing out that supplying individual ingredients and blends isn’t the end of the story when it comes to the company’s capabilities.

BI Nutraceuticals can also provide turnkey custom-blended ingredient solutions for existing or future products. “We do work with the firm creating the product, whether a large beverage house or a flavor house,” he says. “We can provide a blend of ingredients which can be shipped to a co-packer or bottler—the firm that compounds and makes the finished product based on a customer’s formula.” He also notes that the company can work with a flavor firm to put together a finished formula that a bottler can use to make the finished beverage.

These extracts and blends are water-soluble and easy to integrate into any formulation. “We have manufacturing capability for both liquid and dry ingredients —extraction, distillation, spray-drying and blending,” says Meer. “We have a pilot lab as well as a quality-control lab.”

BI Nutraceuticals also manufactures a wide range of other healthy ingredients to help beverage manufacturers round-out the desired nutritional profile of any given product.

BI Nutraceuticals 
2550 El Presidio Street 
Long Beach, CA 90810-1193 
Tel: 310/669-2100 
Fax: 310/637-3644 
Website: www.botanicals.com