While consumer preferences are evolving, growth of the soft drink market continues to outpace the overall food industry. In 2008, sales of soft drinks are expected to reach $97.2 billion dollars, an increase of 5.3% over 2007. In the US alone, it is estimated that consumption is about 57 billion liters per year (15 billion gallons). Opportunities abound for manufacturers to invest in and profit from dynamic trends like convenience, health-enhancing products and “new age beverages”. Combine these factors – overall growth and emerging trends – and there is a large playing field for formulators to exercise their skills in developing new beverages with uniquely marketable benefits.
Growing demand for functional and nutritional beverages is shaping the course of the soft drinks industry. The result: a multitude of new product offerings on supermarket shelves, including:
- Products for enhanced well being, with approved health claims, such as low sugar or reduced fat
- Natural drinks that contain good-for-you ingredients
- Energy boosting soft drinks for our time-starved, stressed-out society
National Starch Food Innovation can assist beverage makers in differentiating their products by improving the flavor, appearance, mouthfeel, and shelf life of a wide variety of applications. Whether your product is a soft drink, juice drink, smoothie, coffee or energy drink, we have the right ingredients, and technical expertise to take your idea from concept to production!
For over 60 years National Starch Food Innovation has been the global leader in the use of specialty starches in beverages to enhance performance, taste, shelf life and texture.
National Starch's line of specialty starches for beverage emulsions, which include flavor concentrates and clouds, are used to prepare a variety of soft drinks, such as carbonated, juice and juice drinks, functional beverages and much more.
We play a big role in texture enhancement and improvement with products like our TEXTRA® starch that improves mouthfeel, especially in reduced-sugar beverages. NUTRIOSE® soluble fiber is an excellent product for fiber fortification and also contributes to flavor improvement in artificially-sweetened drinks. N-CREAMER® 46 is particularly useful as a direct replacement for sodium caseinate in non-dairy coffee creamers and general purpose creamers.
Our team of experts is here to support you with research, development, analysis and support services to help you generate the next big product in beverage.
- Product Development
- Technical Assistance
- Culinary support
- Applications formulation
- Material functionality
- Sensory testing
- Consumer insights
As leaders in starch technology, National Starch was the first to develop several modified food starches to effectively match and enhance the performance of Gum Arabic in many types of food applications.
Unlike Gum Arabic, National Starch's beverage emulsion stabilizers are not affected by climatic and political conditions that plague Gum Arabic sources. Specialty starches are also more economical to use than Gum Arabic because:
- Prices are typically considerably less on pound-for-pound basis
- Lower cost in use
Challenges
- Economics: Need to replace High Cost Ingredients (Gum Arabic, sodium caseinate)
- Global supply uncertainties (Gum Arabic)
- Emulsion stability (cold temperature, pH, etc.)
- Non weighted emulsions
- Fat and Sugar reduction (obesity concerns)
- Beverage Performance ( No sediment, No “ringing”)
- Consistent opacity
- Improved flavor in non caloric drinks
- Flavor and color consistency
- Neutral Clouds
- Processing - our starches offer ease of processing.