The Dose that Does what the Consumer Wants
04 June 2007
People everywhere take the convenience of high-quality, long-lasting foods for granted. At the same time, they want greater choice and convenience, and healthier food and beverage products to fit in with their busy lifestyles.
Food manufacturers will adapt to this new awareness and produce innovative products that meet these consumer demands. However, the development of functional foods is placing new demands on the food manufacturers. Omega-3, probiotics, lactase and natural colours are just a few of the functional ingredients that require gentle handling to prevent their destruction or alteration during processing.
DOSING AT THE RIGHT TIME
The FlexDos™ solution from Tetra Pak is based on an innovative technique which enables food manufacturers to develop their product range and increase the speed of innovation. The FlexDos system provides flexible in-line aseptic dosing of additives such as enzymes, aromas, colours, lipids, probiotic bacteria and other nutrients.
Functional ingredients, colours or aromas are injected into the base product with high precision after the final heat treatment, just before filling into retail containers. The system secures the survival and stability of heat sensitive functional ingredients through aseptic dosing so that they maintain their health benefits, and avoids the need to overdose expensive additives and ingredients.
The positioning of the FlexDos means quick and accurate delivery of additives and ingredients which allows products to be changed over rapidly with minimal product loss, facilitating short runs and full traceability.
Milch-Union Hocheifel, one of Germany's largest dairies, benefits from having a FlexDos; unit in today's production.
"For us at MUH, Tetra Pak's FlexDos solution means that we can respond more rapidly to changes in consumer demands", says Rudolf Boos, Head of Development.
"As increasing numbers of consumers become more aware of the benefits of functional foods, they demand more and more products containing Omega 3, lactase and probiotics , for example. FlexDos gives us the flexibility to develop new high-quality products, quickly and safely. At the same time we are well prepared to meet new demands to keep up with, or even lead, developments and supplying the market with new types of functional foods.
"Tetra Pak can supply all the elements needed to produce enriched dairy and beverage products through the combination of unequalled processing knowledge, dosing expertise and packaging know-how. The FlexDos solution will add value from a strategic good position on the border line between processing and packaging, enhancing the approach of Tetra Pak as a complete solution provider."
QUICK PRODUCT CHANGEOVER AND INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENTS
"What we are bringing to our customers is innovation, to help them make new products that they couldn't have made before," says Tomas Berg, Director of FlexDos System at Tetra Pak Dairy & Beverage Systems AB. "For instance, you can dose probiotic bacteria or Omega 3 into any product - milk, juice, iced tea, soy, even water."
Probiotics are live microbial food ingredients that have a beneficial effect on human health and have traditionally only been available in yoghurt and fermented milk. The FlexDos system has changed this. Commercially available additives were behind the launch of the first probiotic juice in 2006. The FlexDos system enables safe addition of probiotics to pasteurised, ESL and UHT treated products and it opens doors to new product areas.
Omega-3 fatty acids are the raw materials for crucial structures in the body which regulate inflammations, blood pressure and coagulation of the blood. Thanks to the FlexDos system, Dawn Omega Milk has given Irish consumers an easy and enjoyable way to include Omega 3 and vitamins in their daily diet.
Low lactose milk has become increasingly popular, and with FlexDos lactase can be added after heat treatment and the lactose hydrolisation is done in the package. This means lower consumption of lactase, lower investment cost and better equipment utilisation.
The new FlexDos ingredient-dosing unit from Tetra Pak enables the food and beverage industry to develop modern and innovative consumer products both safely and cost-effectively, with healthy margins and excellent growth potential.
