FACTFILE 1 Industrial Food Technology

Blue Pacific Flavors has recently opened its state-of-the-art finished beverage R&D application facility for the development of Functional Beverages. The center was designed to focus on creating a variety of innovative functional beverages including hot-filled Sports, Energy and Wellness Drinks. In addition, it will feature customized development work for HTST/UHT and Retort high protein Milk or Soy based meal replacement beverages. The center currently has the only Armfield lab pilot HTST/UHT beverage-processing unit in the western US. The laboratory facility also features a complete accelerated shelf testing incubation area. A separate sensory area for evaluating finished drinks was due for completion by the fourth quarter of 2002.

Aseptic Processing Line

The Armfield FT74-30 HTST/UHT unit
in the new laboratory

Given the complex interaction of various functional ingredients, flavor development for these beverages requires significant flavor and color engineering to maintain acceptable taste and appearance in RTD applications. Blue Pacific's beverage flavorists and natural color specialist work in conjunction with the company's beverage application engineers to optimize the finished beverages with its customers. The products are evaluated not only on taste, but efficacy as well. This is including, but not limited to analytical evaluation and outside ORAC testing for functional actives in the ingredients used before and after processing in the finished beverages.

Blue Pacific works with the latest GRAS approved ingredients in the development of their concept Functional Beverages. These include proprietary water soluble and shelf stable Omega 3 antioxidant blend, Lutein, Grape Seed Extract as well as patented, non-bitter and colorless Green Tea Polyphenols and a variety of soluble and insoluble fibers including heat stable Inulin, Fibersol!", Brown Rice Fiber, Bamboo Fiber and Nutripec (a proprietary citrus fiber and pectin functional ingredient developed to enhance mouthfeel in beverages and fruit based frozen desserts).