Dairy ingredients now growing on trees

Swiss flavours and extracts manufacturer Emil Flachsmann is introducing another addition to its growing range of extracts, with the launch of EFLA Trees of Life, a line of plant-based products designed especially for the dairy industry.

The extracts include rose hip, linden flower, birch leaf, elder flower and pine bud. Designed for use in both milk and yoghurt products, each of the EFLA Trees of Life products brings with it a functional aspect, mostly relating to colds and flu.

The company claims the rose hip extract has a high vitamin C content and says according to folklore, it is used in the prevention of colds and infections. The linden flower extract is traditionally used in this way too, but is also recommended by Flachsmann for digestion and relaxation applications.

The birch leaf extract is said to consist of the fresh or dried leaf and contains flavonoids, saponins, tannins and essential oils. Birch leaf was traditionally used to purify the blood and act as a 'spring cure', but can also be used for beauty and urinary tract problems.

While also reputed to help recovery from the common cold and flu, elderflower extract is also used to refine the complexion and help relieve eczema, acne and psoriasis, although generally in the form of a skin wash.

Finally, the range includes pine bud flavour which is again said to be a rich source of vitamin C and is recommended in the case of catarrhal conditions of the upper and lower respiratory tract.

Flachsmann​ adds that the extracts can be used 'harmoniously' in conjunction with flavourings while providing "modern dairy products with an 'added value' or additional benefit, thereby making positioning according to the most recent trends possible."​

This is a claim which is sure to prick up the ears of the dairy industry with Euromonitor reporting recently on increasing innovation in the yoghurt market, specifically in the area of functionality.