On-the-go meal replacement drinks

GLOBALLY, the food industry is searching for product innovations that have the potential for success and offer added value for consumers, producers and for product retailers.

Worldwide, the natural and healthy trend is the main driver for new product developments in the food industry.  Naturalness and purity are the key aspects that consumers look for when selecting value-added products.  The consumer perception that 'natural'often means healthier provides a thrust to innovation in 'natural'ingredients.
 
With this in mind, an international consumer study reveals that, for consumers, claims of added value in a beverage are given much greater credibility if the product contains pieces of real fruit or vegetables.  This can be an effective way to launch a product in a new category, or a unique benefit that can be used as a way to carve out a new space in an existing market category.

The study also revealed that even adults prefer to drink products with perceptible added value qualities through a straw. Drinking through a straw allows the consumer to fully experience the unique texture of products containing bits of fruits or cereal grains, creating a completely new drinking experience.
 
'Drinksplus'concept

This is where the new product concept of"drinksplus" comes to the fore, creating a completely new product category: real fruit or vegetable, or even cereal grains added to ambient milk mix and NCSD products filled in carton packs.

When considering new product concepts it is not just a matter of coming up with innovative ideas but it is also necessary to think about technical feasibility in bringing the liquid and solid product components together on a continuous basis as part of the routine filling process.

This new drinksplus product concept has led to the development of a selection of innovative drinks containing particulates such as smoothies with bits of pineapple and orange refined with pepper, and yoghurt drinks with pieces of mango and pineapple.  The recipes tested leave plenty of scope for further creative drinks concept development, which would enhance the product portfolio of any food manufacturer.

There are basic solutions for technical implementation that can be tailored to existing manufacturing facilities and adapted to the desired product concept, objectives, investment volume and manufacturing capacity.  Only product-related adjustments need to be made to the filling machine.

Heat treatment

With the first basic solution for processing and filling the innovative products, the liquid component and the particulates are mixed and then heat-treated in one tubular heat exchanger.  This method is especially suitable for viscous drinks such as smoothies in which the bits are evenly distributed.

When heat-treating the liquid component and the solid particulates separately, less viscous products such as milk mix drinks or fruit juice drinks with pieces of fruits, vegetables or cereals can also be aseptically filled into carton packs. 

Filling particulates

The flexible filling technology opens the way for new product concepts that combine a drink with natural bits by adding nutritious pieces to liquid dairy products and non-carbonated soft drinks as well – opening the way for developing innovative new products.

The unique aseptic sleeve system makes it possible:  The packaging sleeves are individually shaped and sterilised. Following the UHT filling process the carton pack is ultrasonically sealed above the filling level and not through the product, thus preventing fibres or particulates from becoming trapped in the sealed seam.

One aseptic carton system supplier, SIG Combibloc, comments that these new ideas are exactly what the consumer demands. "Conventional meal times are becoming a thing of the past, with 'pAir Jordan