Speaking to FoodNavigator-USA after launching Salty-R at the SupplySide West trade show in LasVegas the firm said: “There has been a phenomenal interest to the extent that we exhausted all sample stock.
“We are currently working with major global players where the feedback has been exceptional. It's difficult to say exactly when the first consumer products will hit the market but we expect significant sales by mid 2012.”
More new products to launch in 2012
Headed up by former Firmenich executives Markus Beba and David Johnston, Switzerland-based HRN is on a mission to turn Pycnogenol - a potent antioxidant from the bark of the maritime pine tree – into the next big thing in functional foods, but also has a remit to develop other nutritional ingredients.
Salty-R is the first new product to hit the market, and would be followed by “several new products that have undergone safety testing and clinical trials”, revealed Beba and Johnston.
“Up-scaling of the production is on its way and we expect to launch the first products in 2012.”
The new ingredients would all be ”from a natural source, safe and based on sound scientific understanding”, they added.
Works synergistically with potassium chloride
Used alone, Salty-R could help food manufacturers slash salt by 25- 35%, but in combination with potassium chloride (KCl), could facilitate reductions of 50% and reduce metallic off notes from the KCl, they claimed.
“The best results were in soups, sauces, meat and snacks. We achieved a 50% sodium reduction in soups, sauces and snacks when combined with KCl and are confident that with a little development effort this can be replicated across categories.”
They would not reveal the origin of Salty-R, which is described as from a “vegetable source”, but added: “While it is proprietary information, we spent the better part of four years identifying the best sources of micro-organisms, proteins and fermentation conditions.”
Salty-R, which has no aroma of its own, can enhance flavor intensity as well as saltiness, they claimed. “It acts at the receptor level on the tongue, enhancing specific existing tastes.
“We have a very sound understanding of the competitive offering and from all our tests, we are confident that we offer not only a cleaner label but an improved performance without any undesired aroma. From our comparative cost/performance studies, we are confident that we are more cost competitive.”
Natural flavor
Developed through an exclusive partnership with an undisclosed US biotech company, Salty-R can be “globally labeled as a natural flavor”, is non-allergenic and contains no yeast extract or HVPs, they added
“We are confident it can comply with most regulatory requirements because it’s from a natural source and we have complied with the European and US constraints on ‘natural’ to ensure that all processing steps are within this scope.”
Click here to see Stephen Daniells' video interview with Markus Beba at SupplySide West for our sister title NutraIngredients-USA.