Aqueous Rooibos extract: development of a new functional food ingredient based on a botanical extract

Functional food can be defined as food consumed as part of the normal diet that provides additional health benefits beyond the traditional nutrients it contains; that has demonstrated physiological benefits; and/or that reduces the risk of nutrition-related diseases [1]. This idea that food can be health-promoting beyond its traditional nutritional value is gaining acceptance among consumers and health professionals who see functional foods as an attractive, convenient and tasty way of receiving health benefits via whole food. Within this new trend, botanical extracts are attracting increasing interest as ingredients which can confer functionality to traditional foods and beverages. This new use of botanical extracts has created the need for product development so that products are able to satisfy the various requirements of the food industry.

This poster outlines the procedure followed in developing a functional food ingredient based on an extract of the plant Aspalathus linearis (Bum.f.) R. Dahlgren (Rooibos). Rooibos is a South African plant traditionally associated with health benefits and appreciated for its mild, sweet taste and lack of caffeine [2, 3]. The different issues involved in the development of this functional ingredient are described – from the initial study defining market requirements to delivery of the final product to the food manufacturer. The development stages include: studying the traditional use of the plant, selecting the right raw material, designing a production process that meets food industry requirements, developing analytical methods to determine quality, stability and specifications, establishing food regulatory status, providing scientific evidence that supports the product's activity, defining the product application in food and beverage matrices, developing analytical methods to detect the ingredient in the food product and initiating marketing tools and claims that respond to food market trends.

References: 1. Position of the American Dietetic Association: functional foods (1999), J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 99(10): 1278–1285. 2. Erickson, L. (2003), Herbalgram 59: 34–45. 3. Joubert, E. et al. (1995), Proceedings of Recent Development of Technologies on Fundamental Foods for Health. Korean Society of Food, Science and Technology. Seoul, Korea.