DolCas Biotech to Showcase Curcugen in Chocolate Prototype at Vitafoods
04.29.24
The company will continue expanding partnerships and open satellite offices to distribute the turmeric ingredient in Europe and beyond.
Booth N217
DolCas Biotech will introduce a new prototype of chocolate featuring its turmeric ingredient, Curcugen, to demonstrate its versatility in functional foods and beverages at Vitafoods Europe.
“We bring functional chocolate to Switzerland, a country famous for its chocolate, to reinvent the chocolate segment with added better-for-you value,” said Shavon Jackson-Michel, ND, director of medical and scientific affairs for DolCas Biotech. “Increased consumer focus on health and wellness continues to drive demand for functional treats. Consumers are seeking convenient ways to incorporate bioactive ingredients into their daily routines, and functional platforms offer a flavorful and accessible option.”
Blending two antioxidant-rich, astringent ingredients, such as cocoa and turmeric, is a challenge in smooth, tasty formats, the company reported. DolCas partnered with a boutique chocolate maker to deliver the sensory experience consumers crave.
“The chocolate company successfully addressed the challenges of color and texture and was quite pleased by the mild taste of Curcugen and its ability to be readily applied to the chocolate base,” said K. G. Rao, president of DolCas. “Similarly, we expect customers looking for researched anti-inflammatory and antioxidative actives for other food,beverage, and crossover applications to have an equally great experience with Curcugen.”
The 2-by-2 inch chocolate square is individually wrapped for visitors at Vitafoods Europe to sample. Each square will carry the Curcugen logo and deliver a clinically-supported dose of 500 mg, to benefit gut mobility, mood, and post-exercise recovery time.
Previous experimetns with other curcumin sources showed that overcoming bitter flavors and solubility issues were major challenges.
“Using ongoing in-house tasting with our employees, business colleagues, and clients, we were able to choose the ideal concentration of Curcugen with a 65% dark chocolate matrix, without the use of bitter blockers or loads of unnecessary ingredients nad without adding additional sugar,” Jackson-Michel said.
Curcugen contains concentrated, bioavailable curcuminoids of natural turmeric composition, combined with other beneficial components of the spice that have previously been overlooked in favor of maximizing or purifying curcuminoids alone. Curcugen retains essential oils and turmeric polysaccharides, which offer independent inflammatory-modulating and antioxidant benefits, as well as turmeric’s dispersible resins, which help to improve surface area of the lipophilic curcuminoids.
Recent Achievements
“We achieved several important milestones this year,” said Rao. “We’ve strengthened our distribution arrangements with IFF which will deepen our foothold in the European market. We have recently opened new offices in Delhi, India and Shanghai, China, strategically positioning ourselves for further expansion and greater efficiency as we pursue our goals for global growth. The India and China locations also will serve as sourcing and export houses for DolCas and Orcas ingredient portfolios. The Delhi office will work closely with our raw material production and extraction facilities in Bikanir, where Curcugen is manufactured, to coordinate shipments and distribution globally.”
Curcugen, according to DolCas, is the only oleoresin-sourced turmeric active on the market which generates its absorption benefit from the dispersion offered by turmeric’s native polar resins. The ingredient’s full-spectrum profile benefits from a patent-protected application of safe, food-grade solvents and precipitants, while delivering the same ratio of curcuminoid analogues found in turmeric rhizome in its food state, or as its primary derivative, the oleoresin.
Curcugen is standardized to 50% curcuminoids, but isn’t hyper-purified like other curcumin formulations. It’s water soluble, and doesn’t rely on synthetic bioenhancers to optimize the plasma absorption of its curcuminoids and metabolites.
“Curcugen chocolate is a true proof of concept,” said Jackson-Michel. “Already widely available in traditional dietary supplement formats, like capsules, tablets, and liquid shots in original study-substantiated doses deliverable in only one-to-two capsules or tablets per day. Its application in flavorful foods and beverages will only serve to make it more consumer friendly and allow its significant advantages to benefit a wider audience.”
DolCas Biotech will introduce a new prototype of chocolate featuring its turmeric ingredient, Curcugen, to demonstrate its versatility in functional foods and beverages at Vitafoods Europe.
“We bring functional chocolate to Switzerland, a country famous for its chocolate, to reinvent the chocolate segment with added better-for-you value,” said Shavon Jackson-Michel, ND, director of medical and scientific affairs for DolCas Biotech. “Increased consumer focus on health and wellness continues to drive demand for functional treats. Consumers are seeking convenient ways to incorporate bioactive ingredients into their daily routines, and functional platforms offer a flavorful and accessible option.”
Blending two antioxidant-rich, astringent ingredients, such as cocoa and turmeric, is a challenge in smooth, tasty formats, the company reported. DolCas partnered with a boutique chocolate maker to deliver the sensory experience consumers crave.
“The chocolate company successfully addressed the challenges of color and texture and was quite pleased by the mild taste of Curcugen and its ability to be readily applied to the chocolate base,” said K. G. Rao, president of DolCas. “Similarly, we expect customers looking for researched anti-inflammatory and antioxidative actives for other food,beverage, and crossover applications to have an equally great experience with Curcugen.”
The 2-by-2 inch chocolate square is individually wrapped for visitors at Vitafoods Europe to sample. Each square will carry the Curcugen logo and deliver a clinically-supported dose of 500 mg, to benefit gut mobility, mood, and post-exercise recovery time.
Previous experimetns with other curcumin sources showed that overcoming bitter flavors and solubility issues were major challenges.
“Using ongoing in-house tasting with our employees, business colleagues, and clients, we were able to choose the ideal concentration of Curcugen with a 65% dark chocolate matrix, without the use of bitter blockers or loads of unnecessary ingredients nad without adding additional sugar,” Jackson-Michel said.
Curcugen contains concentrated, bioavailable curcuminoids of natural turmeric composition, combined with other beneficial components of the spice that have previously been overlooked in favor of maximizing or purifying curcuminoids alone. Curcugen retains essential oils and turmeric polysaccharides, which offer independent inflammatory-modulating and antioxidant benefits, as well as turmeric’s dispersible resins, which help to improve surface area of the lipophilic curcuminoids.
Recent Achievements
“We achieved several important milestones this year,” said Rao. “We’ve strengthened our distribution arrangements with IFF which will deepen our foothold in the European market. We have recently opened new offices in Delhi, India and Shanghai, China, strategically positioning ourselves for further expansion and greater efficiency as we pursue our goals for global growth. The India and China locations also will serve as sourcing and export houses for DolCas and Orcas ingredient portfolios. The Delhi office will work closely with our raw material production and extraction facilities in Bikanir, where Curcugen is manufactured, to coordinate shipments and distribution globally.”
Curcugen, according to DolCas, is the only oleoresin-sourced turmeric active on the market which generates its absorption benefit from the dispersion offered by turmeric’s native polar resins. The ingredient’s full-spectrum profile benefits from a patent-protected application of safe, food-grade solvents and precipitants, while delivering the same ratio of curcuminoid analogues found in turmeric rhizome in its food state, or as its primary derivative, the oleoresin.
Curcugen is standardized to 50% curcuminoids, but isn’t hyper-purified like other curcumin formulations. It’s water soluble, and doesn’t rely on synthetic bioenhancers to optimize the plasma absorption of its curcuminoids and metabolites.
“Curcugen chocolate is a true proof of concept,” said Jackson-Michel. “Already widely available in traditional dietary supplement formats, like capsules, tablets, and liquid shots in original study-substantiated doses deliverable in only one-to-two capsules or tablets per day. Its application in flavorful foods and beverages will only serve to make it more consumer friendly and allow its significant advantages to benefit a wider audience.”
