Prime Favorites
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Executive Summary
Protein and Herbal Flavor Enhancement Prime Favorites, Inc., Morris Plains, NJ |
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Prime Favorites, Inc., has discovered unique formulations and proprietary blends which, when combined with soy- whey- and milk-based beverages or foods, as well as herbal-based beverages or foods, remove the characteristic unpleasant taste, flavor and odor inherent in all protein- or herb-based beverages and foods. Current, and traditional, methods of addressing the unpleasant flavor issue focus on “masking” with sugars and gums or compensating through “over-flavoring” the protein-or herb-based beverage or food. While these methods improve the general taste or make the beverage or food more palatable, the underlying unpleasant taste remains, even if only to a lesser extent. The specific characteristic unpleasant tastes can be described as a “beany” taste for soy protein and an “egg-like” taste for both whey protein and casein protein. Herbal-based foods or beverages present a characteristic ‘bitter’ taste. Additional unpleasant taste effects inherent in protein- and herbal-based beverages and foods include an astringent or acidic sensory impact. The health benefits of soy-based products in an individual’s diet have been extensively studied and documented. Among these soy product benefits are: (1) assistive aid in the prevention of breast, prostate, colon and uterus cancer, (2) assistive aid in the prevention of heart disease, (3) assistive aid in the prevention of osteoporosis, and (4) assistive aid in the prevention or alleviation of menopausal symptoms. Consumers are increasingly aware of these health benefits. The United States Food and Drug Administration has issued a model guideline for the soy protein health claim relative to the reduced risk of coronary heart disease: “25 grams of soy protein a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.” Health benefits also accrue to whey- and casein-protein based foods and beverages. Whey proteins and caseins are the major proteins in dairy milk. These milk proteins are commonly used in sports beverages, meal-replacement beverages and formulations using the 40/30/30 caloric distribution of carbohydrates, protein and fat. Whey protein is thought to provide additional energy. Casein is used in the protein fortification of cereals and cheese. Herbal-based teas or natural food supplements have demonstrated beneficial effects toward the immune system and provide condition-specific regenerative benefits. Nutrition notwithstanding, “taste”, comprising flavor, texture and consistency, emerges as the most important factor in determining the acceptance of a food or beverage product. The Technology The Prime Favorites, Inc., proprietary formulations and blends incorporate natural, nutritious, food-grade ingredients and comprise a small percentage by weight per serving size of the protein-or herbal-based beverage or food. Applications The proprietary formulations and blends are combined with natural or artificial flavors in a protein-or herbal-based beverage or food. This combination removes the inherent, unpleasant “beany, eggy or bitter” taste from the beverage or food, while also eliminating the astringent/acidic sensory impact. A significant improvement in taste is readily apparent vis-à-vis the flavored protein- or herbal-based beverage or food not incorporating the proprietary formulations and blends. Among natural flavors amenable to combination with the proprietary formulations and blends are citrus, fruits and berries, browns, herbals and toners. A provisional patent, specifying the formulations and blends, has been registered with the U. S. Patents and Trades Office. Key Contributor Pauline Six, president of Prime Favorites, Inc., received her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Food Science from Michigan State University. She has served in critical marketing, research and technologies & processing positions for finished packaged food products throughout the world. Among her areas of responsibility, Ms. Six served as quality assurance supervisor for Premier Milk (Beatrice Foods) in Jurong, Singapore, providing verification of analytical, bacteriological and statistical quality control processes. She served as president of Premier Foods, Leuven, Belgium, introducing soy-based consumer products. The American Soybean Association sponsored Premier Food products at international conferences in Belgium (1982), France (1983) and The Netherlands (1984). She served as senior food technologist for Estee Corporation, Parsippany, New Jersey, managing the development and test of new packaged food products. She also served as senior technology analyst for Nabisco, Inc., East Hanover, New Jersey, evaluating new and existing technologies for technical, operational and business objectives for spreadables, specialty foods, confectionery, snacks and soy protein functional foods groups. She is the author of “Natural Antioxidants in Foods”, AOC (1994), as well as several internal corporate publications and studies. Prime Favorites, Inc., Morris Plains, New Jersey Prime Favorites, Inc., serves its clients in the development and commercialization of natural, nutritious foods such as soy yogurt, soy beverages, low glycemic-index cookies, nutraceutical cookies, low-fat, preservative-free cookies, herbal teas and natural wheat-free cookies and snacks. |