Herbal aromas for beverage makers

Plant extract makers, keen to offer their solutions for the booming beverages sector, are promoting a number of concepts at Food Ingredients Europe this week.

Several are designed for 'near-waters' or enriched beverages, the fastest-growing segment of Europe's functional beverage sector, according to consultants Zenith International.

Germany's Plantextrakt has followed up last year's energising Oxxbloxx range with Xlim, an umbrella brand for concepts containing green tea and other extracts to help weight loss. Four different concepts are on display at FiE this week, including a herbal tea to purify the system, an energy drink containing guarana, green tea and mate extracts to boost metabolism, and Xlim Pure line, a mix of extracts packaged in 'sticks'.

Green tea extract is present in almost all of the formulations and the company says it has seen significant growth in this extract over recent months, fuelled by the rapidly growing consumer awareness of the tea and its associations with health.

Swiss firm Flachsmann, now owned by Frutarom, also produces green tea extracts. This week it is displaying under its EFLA brand, extracts for near-water formulation, called EFLA New Water. They are said to be heat and acid resistant, standardised and ideal for clear beverages, such as flavoured mineral waters or sports drinks, as they show clear solubility even at low pH values.