In recent years, there has been a wave of "return to nature" all over the world. After feeling the negative effects of chemically synthesized ingredients, people have a sense of trust in pure natural herbs, which makes the development of plant extracts unstoppable. Although different countries have insufficient knowledge of plant extracts due to differences in cultural background, the known and quantifiable content of some of its active ingredients has been generally accepted by Western society. Now that new coronaviruses are ravaging Europe and the United States, foreign consumers are even more madly buying plant medicines to fight off the flu. According to data from the Prospective Industry Research Institute, global plant extract sales reached US $ 38.95 billion in 2017, a year-on-year increase of 16.97%, and the average annual market development rate was about 12.5%.
And plant extracts are not only used as dietary supplements, but also used more and more in food and beverage. According to the latest statistics from Innova, in 2019, the leading categories that tracked the release of new products containing plant extracts in the world were soft drinks (13%), ready meals and side dishes (10%), and baking (9%). The top five raw materials used are: rosemary extract, hops extract, onion extract, GUARANA extract, Fructus monordicae extract.
01 Rosemary extract
Main functions: flavor, antioxidant
The most widely used plant extract in 2019 new products is rosemary extract. Rosemary itself is a spice with a special fragrance that can refresh your mind, enhance brain function, and improve headaches. Rosemary extract contains carnosic acid, rosmarinic acid, carnosol, etc This kind of active ingredient not only has the antioxidant effect of traditional plant extracts, prevents the oxidative deterioration of oils and fats, but also has antiseptic and antibacterial activities. In addition, the rosemary extract is still very stable in a high temperature environment of 240 degrees, so it can be well used in fried and baked foods.
Many plant-derived antioxidants are either unstable to light or unstable to heat, and rosemary extract does not have these headaches for formulators, so it is in the fields of food supplements, food and beverage, fresh meat, noodles and even condiments. It can exert its natural antiseptic and antioxidant effects and is known as the world's recognized third-generation green food antioxidant. This also makes many foreign foods and beverages for the mid-to-high-end market add rosemary extract as flavor and antioxidant.
02 Hops extract
Main role: flavor
As the name implies, hop extract is a substance that imparts flavor to beer. It is an indispensable raw material for brewing beer. In beer brewing, hops give the beer a refreshing aroma, a slightly bitter taste and antiseptic properties, and form a white, delicate and rich foam, which also plays a role in clarifying the wort.
In addition, hops also have excellent pharmacological effects. Studies have shown that the polyphenols in hops have obvious antioxidant effects; hops, humulone and other chemical components contained in hops have an inhibitory effect on Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis Prevent cancer, lower blood sugar, promote digestion, calm the nerves, etc.
In addition to being used to brew beer, some juices, sodas, kombucha, and even snacks have begun to add hops to form the flavor of beer.
03 Onion extract
Main role: flavor, preservative
Onion is an important flavor raw material, not only can provide a unique taste and smell, but also has the effect of stimulating appetite and helping digestion. At the same time, onion extract also has antioxidant and antibacterial properties, and can be used as a food preservative. Experiments have found that phenolic compounds in onions can inhibit the growth of a variety of bacteria, such as Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Listeria, etc., especially microorganisms related to food spoilage. Onion contains prostaglandin A and mesobutamide, which has certain antihypertensive and hypoglycemic effects, can inhibit the rise of blood lipids caused by high-fat diet, and is used as a functional food raw material.
04 Guarana extract
Main functions: plant caffeine, anti-fatigue, supplement energy
The nutritional value of guarana is very high. It is rich in Amino Acids, Alkaloids, various minerals tannic acid, various vitamins and carbohydrates, which is very conducive to the absorption of tissues of the human body. People who are declining and have chronic diseases have good efficacy.
Guarana extract is a substance extracted from the seeds of Guarana. The caffeine in the plant can gradually and slowly stimulate the nerves. The stimulation is maintained for a long period of time and is relatively mild, which is not harmful to the human body. Products from other sources are usually The effect is fast, but the duration is short. Therefore, in recent years, in the energy drink industry, gradually began to replace chemically synthesized caffeine.
05 Fructus monordicae extract
Main role: sweetener
Fructus monordicae extract is light yellow powder to tan extract. The taste is extremely sweet, its sweetness is 300 times that of sucrose, and the sweetness is close to that of granulated sugar. momordica grosvenori, as the first batch of medicinal and medicinal Chinese herbal medicines released by the Ministry of Health, has many health functions. For example, it has a hypoglycemic effect and can be used to assist in the treatment of diabetes; it is also rich in vitamin C, which has anti-aging, anti-cancer and skin-facilitating effects; it also has blood lipid-lowering and weight-loss effects, which can assist in the treatment of hyperlipidemia Improve obesity.
As a sugar substitute, momordica grosvenori has many advantages unmatched by other sweeteners: First, the fruit-derived Fructus monordicae extract can be prepared in the form of momordica grosvenori glycosides, momordica grosvenori powder, momordica grosvenori concentrated juice, etc. and added to foods and beverages, on the label. It is directly labeled as Luohang fruit juice / powder, so it meets the clean label; secondly, Fructus monordicae extract is safe and healthy, and the specific addition amount is currently not restricted by domestic and foreign regulations; again Luo Luo Guo extract has a good taste, with a unique sweet aftertaste, no after-bitter , Can be used alone, or can be mixed with other sweeteners to improve the taste; In addition, Fructus monordicae extract has good water solubility, PH value and thermal stability, so it can be added to almost all food and beverages; Finally , It does not cause changes in blood sugar and dental caries, is a very ideal natural sugar substitute, can be widely used in nutrition and health products, infant food, puffed food, seasonings, middle-aged and elderly food, solid drinks, pastries, cold food, convenient Food, instant food, etc.
