Danisco rebrands Litesse to capitalise on health boom
better position an ingredient that has been on the market for 25
years.
The company claimed that the new logo and identity underlines the evolution of Litesse from bulking agent to speciality carbohydrate.
The move also emphasises the growing importance of value-added ingredients, with companies such as Danisco looking to diversify away from the commodity end of the market.
In particular the company wants to emphasise the ability of Litesse to address many of the current health and nutrition issues facing by food makers today.
Litesse polydextrose contains 1kcal per gram, and the company claims it offers food makers a wide range of physiological and functional benefits. It is said to replace sugar and fat while maintaining flavour, texture and mouthfeel in a variety of applications.
"It is straightforward to formulate with and can be used to reduce sugar and fat, whilst improving the taste and texture of many formulations," said the company in a statement today.
"For 25 years, food manufacturers have successfully utilised Litesse polydextrose to improve the nutritional profile of their products, and its many applications include nutrition bars, cereals, beverages, juices, water, confectionery, chocolate, salad dressings, sauces, frozen desserts, ice cream and baked goods."
The market for healthier ingredients is booming, and Danisco has developed a number of products in order to capitalise on this growth. "Today's main development challenges relate to health - particularly in relation to effective sugar and fat replacement," said the company in a release this week.
For example, the company recently developed a range of emulsifier blends designed to restore processing and performance functionality to trans-free oils and fats. Trans fats, which are mainly found in (partially) hydrogenated vegetable oil, common ingredients in thousands of food products, have been negatively linked to raising blood cholesterol levels and promoting heart disease.
In addition, Danisco Ice Cream Frozen Desserts launched an ice cream product with brown sugar in place of white sugar this month. Brown sugar has been increasing in popularity over the last year as a sort of old-fashioned alternative to white sugar, which is increasingly seen by consumers as being less healthy.
Replacing sucrose with brown bakery syrup means that flavour and colour are added without additives. Such an innovation could also have applications for the confectionery sector.
Danisco said that the new Litesse logo and identity would soon visible in trade advertising and packaging in order to generate greater brand recognition among food and beverage manufacturers.