Winter 2000 Issue — Caromax®
The Mediterranean Fibre

Bernard Haber and Martin Jager

Nutrinova Nutrition Specialities and Food ingredients

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A balanced diet is essential for human health and well-being. The Mediterranean cuisine is a symbol for such a balanced diet not only with a lot of vegetables, fruit, herbs, garlic and olive oil but also cereal products, pasta, rice, potatoes and pulses. Above all, Mediterranean food has a lower fat content and is richer in dietary fibres than traditional Western foods. Furthermore, it delivers important secondary plant ingredients. These components play a decisive role in supporting and maintaining health and wellness (Watzl B. & Leitzmann C, 1999). Caromax® — a unique multifunctional dietary fibre — offers the positive characteristics of a Mediterranean diet in an ideal form.

Carob bean — an old food rediscovered

Carob bean or St. John's bread, the brown pod of the carob tree, is a fruit rich in carbohydrates which, for centuries, has been used by man as a source of nutrition. Historically seen, the name "St. John's bread" comes from the biblical anecdote, in which John the Baptist is said to have nourished himself from these fruits in the desert. The carob tree is mainly found in the Mediterranean area but also grows in certain regions of the USA, South and Central America and Australia. The main producers of carob bean is Spain, followed by Italy, Portugal, Morocco and Greece. For a long time, carob bean has been used industrially to produce locust bean gum (LBG), which has a wide application in foods as a thickening agent and stabiliser. Whereas the seeds, which are used to isolate LBG, mainly delivery water-soluble polysaccharides, the husk of the pod, which makes up about 90% of the fruit, stands out due to its high content of carbohydrates, minerals, protein, insoluble dietary fibres and tannic acid. Beyond the traditional consumption of raw carob pods as sweet fruit by Mediterranean people, the use of processed carob husk in confectioneries is well-established. Fine ground carob powder from the carob pulp is used in various industries in the production of confectionery, beverages, bread or pasta (Marakis S., 1996).

Caromax® — the dietary fibre from carob

Caromax® is isolated by a mild process which preserves the high quality of the nutritionally important components. By means of water extraction and physical processing steps, the water-insoluble components are separated from the water-soluble ones, the result of which is an insoluble dietary fibre preparation with a dietary fibre content of more than 80% (determined according to the AOAC method). Caromax® holds an excellent position amongst the common dietary fibres due its high content of lignin and polyphenols. Because of its specific composition, this innovative and worldwide unique product shows the potential for diverse additional health benefits that no other common dietary fibre offers.

These are:

• Digestion-promoting effect due to its high content of insoluble dietary fibres
• Positive effect on the cholesterol metabolism due to its high content of lignin
• Very high antioxidative potential

Caromax® — the first insoluble dietary fibre with cholesterol-reduction effect

Whereas water-insoluble dietary fibres have a digestion promoting effect, water­soluble fibres are responsible for effects on the cholesterol level. Typical examples of cholesterol-reducing dietary fibres are, for example, psyllium und fi-glucan. Only recently Caromax® was tested in an animal study for its cholesterol-reduction potential in a direct comparison to psyllium (Pdrez­Olleros et al., 1999). In rats that received a diet rich in cholesterol, Caromax® led to a significant reduction of the cholesterol level in the blood serum compared to control animals that received cellulose. It was astonishing that in comparison with the extensively tested dietary fibre psyllium (the FDA has approved a corresponding health claim for soluble dietary fibres from psyllium husks) Caromax® developed an effect that was four times as strong. Further studies on rats indicated a cholesterol reduction by Caromax® and other carob products (Perez-Olleros, 1996; Garcia-Cuevas, 1996; Wiirsch, 1979). The remarkable effect appears, justifiably, to lie in the good absorption capacity of lignin­rich carob products to bile acid and/or to cholesterol (Perez-Olleros, 1999; Wiirsch, 1979). This theory is also supported by the fact that isolated lignin can also actually bind bile acid via absorption mechanisms (Schneeman & Gallaher 1985; Story & Kritchevsky, 1976; Judd et al. 1976). Caromax®, a product rich in lignin, could, therefore, be the first insoluble cholesterol-reducing dietary fibre.

To also verify this effect Nutrinova is at present carrying out the first human clinical study with Caromax®. The study is being conducted with healthy people who have a slightly raised cholesterol level. In addition to the normal diet, Caromax® is given three times daily in the form of foods such as breakfast cereals, fruit and dietary fibre bars and blended drinks. The first results are expected in the 4th quarter 2000.

Caromax® — an all-rounder amongst dietary fibres

As a so-called functional ingredient with an additional health benefit, this Mediterranean innovation reveals totally new possibilities for the manufacturers of foods. Caromax® can also be used for dietary fibre enrichment in a broad variety of products. Classical application possibilities are:

• Bakery products (bread/bread rolls, fine bakery products and biscuits)
• Extrusion products (breakfast cereals, muesli bars, pasta, snack products)
• Bars (dietary fibre bars, pressed fruit bars, energy bars)
• Dairy products (yoghurt, quark)
• Products containing cocoa (chocolate milk, chocolate desserts)

In addition to the extraordinarily high nutritional potential, the technological possibilities offered by Caromax® could be an interesting additional benefit for fibre-enriched products. This unique dietary fibre is distinguished by its good water-holding capacity. Products enriched by Caromax® show prolonged storage quality and freshness. Because of its chocolate-brown colour, Caromax® can be used in cocoa-containing products for substituting the cocoa content up to 50%. Fat substitutions of up to 25% or the application in sugar-free bakery products are also easily possible.

Caromax® — a unique dietary fibre with a bright future

Mediterranean foods are in fashion — and with good reason. Increasingly more food scientists are attributing an important nutritional role to the secondary plant ingredients from fruits and vegetables (DGE German Society of Nutrition, 1996; Watzl B & Leitzmann C., 1999). In particular, antioxidative characteristics are said to provide the body with an especially protective effect. Caromax® is the first dietary fibre that possesses these positive characteristics of Mediterranean antioxidants. In comparison to common dietary fibres such as cereal bran, cellulose or dietary fibres containing pectin, Caromax® shows a much greater antioxidative potential.

Conclusion

Due to its unusual composition, Caromax is the innovation on the dietary fibre market. No other insoluble dietary fibre unites so many different and individual characteristics as Caromax®. With this health effect, which far exceeds the normal digestive promotion, Caromax® is the ideal ingredient for new health and wellness products.

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