By Mariana Trikusuma Product Manager PT Indesso
Utilizing natural antioxidants in food preservation not only helps maintain flavor, color, and nutritional quality but also aligns with the consumer demand for clean-label and health- promoting ingredients onsumers are increasingly aware of what is printed on the food label. Chemically-sound ingredients are getting more and more undesirable, and consumers are looking for products that contain natural ingredients. Natural ingredients are perceived as safer, healthier, and more effective. This provides a challenge and opportunities for food manufactures, to provide customers with food with natural ingredients that still possess the best performance in terms of sensory and functionality.
One of the biggest challenges in foodstuff is in how to best preserve its quality for distribution and convenience purposes. To build a whole food, we need many components such as carbohydrates, protein, and fat, and each comes with challenges when comes to preservation. Especially with fat or lipids, it is naturally prone to oxidation, which leads to the formation of free radicals and peroxides, which can cause lipid degradation, resulting in undesirable rancidity and off-flavors. Lipid oxidation is influenced by various factors including the presence of light, heat, and metal catalysts, as well as the degree of unsaturation in the fatty acids. Polyunsaturated fats are particularly susceptible to oxidation due to their multiple double bonds. This type of fat is typically found in plant oils that are liquid at room temperature such as palm, canola, soybean, sunflower, and many more. Lipid oxidation not only affects the sensory qualities of food, such as taste and smell, but also reduces nutritional value and can potentially produce harmful compounds.
Antioxidants are used to inhibit lipid oxidation by neutralizing free radicals and inhibiting oxidative chain reactions, thereby preserving the quality and extending the shelf life of lipidcontaining foods. Both synthetic and natural antioxidants are used in the market. Synthetic antioxidants such as TBHQ are very commonly used in the market, but nowadays it is often perceived as less healthy compared to natural alternatives. Furthermore, there have been concerns about the potential health effects of TBHQ. While it is generally recognized as safe by regulatory agencies when used within approved limits, some studies have suggested that high doses of TBHQ could cause adverse health effects. Natural food antioxidants are particularly more desirable because of their safety and health benefits compared to synthetic alternatives.
The answer within natural ingredient, ViaXtend: Oil Soluble Natural Antioxidant from Green Tea
One of the plants that is naturally rich in antioxidants is green tea. Green tea is renowned for many health benefits due to its high antioxidant content, particularly catechins, that are also effective in preventing lipid oxidation in food. However, catechins are naturally water-soluble, so advanced technology is needed to help turn this lipophobic substance into lipophilic. Combining Indonesia green tea source and Indesso’s expertise in food and extraction technology, we proudly introduce ViaXtend, oil soluble natural antioxidant from green tea.
Using solvent exchange evaporation method, we transform the green tea that is rich in water-soluble polyphenols into oil-soluble green tea extract with standardized polyphenol level. This method uses food grade solvents with no chemical alteration within the process, ensuring a safe, effective, and efficient process.
With palm oil as base, the performance of ViaXtend is measured to be more superior compared to the effect of mixed tocopherol at comparable dosage. This effect is measured by observing the oxidative degradation of the palm oil after heating using several qualitative parameters: oxidative stability index (OSI), Thiobarbituric reactive (TBARs) value, and Peroxide value (POV). In each qualitative analysis, ViaXtend is proven to be superior compared to mixed tocopherol. From our observation, not only that it protects the oil successfully, it also does not have impact on color, taste, and odor of the oil, giving it freedom of use in many types of application.
Additionally, ViaXtend is versatile, as it is suitable for not only food application, but also cosmetic and personal care products. Many personal care applications are oil-based, and need the same oxidative protection. The uniqueness and superiority of this product is recognized by Indonesian Cosmetic Industry Association (Persatuan Perusahaan Kosmetika Indonesia - PERKOSMI), by awarding ViaXtend as the first place winner of Innovation Zone in Indonesian Cosmetic Ingredients 2024 last May.
ViaXtend is an all-natural, safe and effective solution for the needs of all-natural ingredient products. It is versatile for many types of oilbased applications, for cooking oil, butter, margarine, and many other foodstuff, even for personal care and pet food use. ViaXtend is a definitive answer for the consumer demand for a clean label product with preserving the best performance of sensory and functionality.
Do not hesitate to contact us at food.ingredients@indesso.com if you want to know more about ViaXtend, natural antioxidant from green tea, or if you need any other Indonesian natural extract products.