Fortifying meal replacement beverages with a variety of micronutrients like vitamins, minerals, nutraceuticals and botanicals, as well as macronutrients like fat, protein and carbohydrates, is becoming increasingly popular as consumers—particularly those entering their boomer or “senior” years—become more concerned with health and wellness. And while this trend may have first emerged in the market as single ingredient fortification, now these beverages, as well as a variety of foods, are being developed to function as overall health solutions—offering balanced nutrition with multiple fortification ingredients.

As people grow older, they need fewer calories but more nutrients to maintain proper health. One reason is that in general people burn fewer calories during physical activity when they age. But even the most active aging body gradually loses lean muscle tissue, and less muscle translates to a lower calorie requirement. At the same time, however, the need for several nutrients goes up—or at least remains the same—in order for the body to run at peak efficiency as the years pass. Unfortunately, this is a problem for older adults who want to eat as well as possible. In addition to their activity level, their appetites decrease, even though they need to consume more nutrients to compensate for the effects of aging. Meal replacement beverages can help to compensate for these issues.

The loss of appetite doesn’t usually result in serious nutrient deficiencies that cause problems such as scurvy (a severe vitamin C deficiency) or pellagra (too little of the B vitamin niacin). But the elderly often have what are known as sub-clinical deficiencies that impact the body’s ability to maintain itself as well as it should. Many older adults, for example, don’t take in enough vitamin B6, which plays a key role in keeping the immune system functioning properly and thereby can help ward off illness.

Similarly, older adults don’t consume enough vitamin D, which they need to preserve bone density. It is not as though too little vitamin D will directly lead to broken bones. However, without enough vitamin D the loss of bone density that occurs naturally with aging will be accelerated, which increases the risk for fractures, stooped posture and other effects of osteoporosis. The fact is, because of their normal lifestyle and eating habits, older people need to pack more vitamins and minerals into fewer calories. That means eating nutrient-dense, fortified foods and/or food supplements in conjunction with making better food choices—such as eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low- and non-fat dairy foods, lean meats and fewer high-calorie, nutrient-poor snacks and desserts.

The following chart details nutrients that adults need more of in later years. It also explains why those nutrients are so important to maintain at the proper levels in the body.

Utilizing any combination of nutrients in a pre-mix requires the product formulator to take several factors into account during the product development stage. The challenges associated with pre-mix formulations that incorporate multiple nutrients include the type of finished product as well as the desired taste, flavor and color of the finished product, solubility, bioavailability, pH level, safety/toxicity, interactions among various ingredients and bioavailability and stability of the individual ingredients. Factors that can affect stability, for instance, include temperature, pH, oxygen, light and moisture to name a few. 

Among the many factors that can contribute to minimizing interactions, a manufacturer can separate vitamins and minerals into two individual pre-mixes, or encapsulate certain vitamins or minerals or utilize a particular form of a specific ingredient (i.e., iodine’s ingredient form may be potassium iodide, magnesium’s may be magnesium phosphate, zinc’s may be zinc oxide, copper may be copper gluconate and calcium’s could possibly be tricalcium phosphate, dependent upon what other ingredients are utilized in the pre-mix).

The incorporation of nutrient pre-mixes in food fortification is an essential step that manufacturers will need to take if they are to stay competitive in today’s marketplace. Overall, health and wellness within the consumer mindset, as it relates to purchasing decisions, will greatly influence what gets put into the grocery cart during a trip to the local supermarket. Within the beverage category, fortified waters, juices and single-portion powdered drink mixes will continue to grow in popularity. To successfully introduce new products to the marketplace, a manufacturer needs to lay a solid foundation at the very beginning of the development process. That foundation should include partnering with an experienced nutritional pre-mix formulator to minimize the challenges associated bringing products to market, and to ensure products live up to label claims and deliver repeat purchase.

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The ideas and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect views held by Nutraceuticals World.