Nutraceutical specialist Solabia Nutrition has teamed up with Czech dietary supplement company Flow to create Focus Chocolate 2.0.
The functional food is enhanced with Solabia’s cognition-boosting extract Brainberry — which has been proven to support concentration and psychomotor speed — as well as energy-boosting ingredients L-theanine and caffeine.
Brainberry is a standardised aronia berry extract rich in potent anthocyanins — polyphenols that have been clinically proven to support cognition and brain health.
This product aims to cater to the growing demand for tasty functional foods with added health benefits, as consumers look for more than just a sweet treat.
To find out more about Focus Chocolate 2.0, NBR spoke with Billie Icheva, Marketing and Communications Manager at Solabia Nutrition.
Combining health benefits with indulgence
The dietary supplement market is highly saturated, with many companies competing to gain a reputation and be the best in their niche.
Therefore, Billie believes its paramount to find a way to stand out in this market: “A great way for supplement manufacturers to stand out is by doing something different and interesting, while also ensuring the product can offer clinically proven health benefits.”
“Combining nutraceuticals into indulgent foods such as chocolate is a great way to achieve this, as it’s more fun than taking a standard capsule and just as effective. Taking a capsule isn’t for everyone, and finding ways to get people excited about taking supplements is a valuable tool.”
Nootropics for cognition
To effectively cater to consumers looking to boost their cognition, functional ingredient and dietary supplement producers must consider what the best ingredients for the job are.
An group of nutraceuticals that are particularly interesting in this context, according to Billie, are the nootropics: “Since the end of 2023, nootropics have been rising in popularity, and we still see a lot about them at trade shows like Vitafoods Europe and SupplySide West. Solabia Nutrition wanted to cater to this market by providing Brainberry, and we’re glad to see the benefits of the ingredient in clinical trials.”
“It makes sense to add nootropics into chocolate, as many will eat it during the day to give them a burst of energy. By incorporating ingredients that actively support the mind, we can provide consumers with an enjoyable snack with an enhanced nutritional portfolio.”
