Versatile vegetarian vitamin D targets global deficiencies

By Shane Starling

- Last updated on GMT

More foods and drinks should be vitamin D-fortified to address global deficiencies, says Lallemand
More foods and drinks should be vitamin D-fortified to address global deficiencies, says Lallemand

Related tags Vitamin d Nutrition Yeast

Lallemand Bio-Ingredients is promoting a new vegetarian form of vitamin D it says can make a considerable dent in global deficiencies in the ‘sun vitamin’ due its functional food flexibility.

Engevita D contains 100 IU/g, 100 per cent of the US Institute of Medicine recommended daily allowance of 2g, and is being promoted on its formulation ease across a range of applications to boost vitamin D levels and act as a flavour and texture enhancer.

Dairy, soy, soups and breakfast cereals are some of the categories the ingredient could fortify, said corporate communication manager, Jacinthe Côté.

“There is a serious need for new food sources of vitamin D,”​ she said. “Current food sources do not achieve current recommendations – they only contribute a very small percentage of the new IOM recommendations. Enrichment of food products with EngevitaD may be an immediate solution to deficiency by dramatically increasing the vitamin D in the food supply.”

Côté said dairy alternatives like soy, rice, and oat milk, are an attractive target, ​along with traditional dairy. “Since dairy alternative products are often fortified with calcium and would benefit from an additional vitamin D supplementation to improve calcium absorption. EngevitaD can give a healthier image to the product and improve the phosphorus:calcium ratio, as well as enhance the cheese flavor.”

The ingredient could contribute to the nutrient profile of soups and hot chocolates, while enhancing their creaminess and thickness, she said.

Breakfast cereals could have their nutrient/calorie profile improved, as could meats like sausages and ham and snacks like potato chips and seasonings which would benefit from the yeast component of the ingredient’s ability to act as a flavor carrier.

Lalmin Vita D

Lallemand Health Ingredients recently introduced another yeast-based vitamin D ingredient, derived from the dried, inactivated whole yeast cell of the saccharomyces cerevisiae ​strain, and containing 8000IU of vitamin D per gram.

It comes in a “natural, non-synthetic”​ form that can be used as a food ingredient and in supplement tablets, soft gels and capsules.

Yeast is a natural source of ergosterol, which reacts naturally with sunlight to form the fat-soluble ecosteroid vitamin D, where yeast cells respond in the same way as human skin by transforming ergosterol into the vitamin.

For Lalmin Vita D, Lallemand subjects S.cerevisiae ​to UV light to catalyse the conversion of endogenous (native) ergosterol into the vitamin to produce a yeast cream that is then inactivated by pasteurisation and roller-dried. The process means no reblending is required before formulating the ingredient into food matrices.

Related topics Ingredients Functional Dairy