The ingredient, Aminogen, will be particularly suited for foods targeting the weight management and digestive health sectors.
The patented enzyme system has so far been used as a dietary supplement ingredient and powders and tablets marketed for maintaining or building lean muscle mass.
According to Triarco, interest in its Aminogen product has increased on the back of emerging research on the importance of lean muscle mass maintenance during weight loss and in conditions such as sarcopenia, the degenerative loss of muscle mass.
The firm said that the FDA-approved GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status means that the ingredient can now be used in products such as protein bars, snacks, meal replacements, and weight loss products, as well as a variety of protein-based foods.
"Aminogen maximizes the nutritive value of the protein it is consumed with by making digestion more efficient and significantly increasing amino acid absorption," said Triarco director of research and development, Dr Mark Anderson.
Science The company said it has conducted both pre-clinical and clinical studies on Aminogen, and it expects to publish some of these in the next few months.
"In a recent clinical trial, researchers found the patented enzyme system improved protein digestion and increased amino acid levels from dietary sources of protein by over 100 percent and levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) by over 250 percent," the firm stated.
The study also showed that Aminogen increased nitrogen retention by 32 percent, indicating the enzyme's potential for use in sports nutrition, it said.
Aminogen's ability to break down protein is also said to lead to the reduction or elimination of gastrointestinal symptoms that can result from incomplete protein digestion.
This, said Triarco, is a problem that causes some consumers to shy away from high-protein products.
Weight management The US weight management market i booming with an estimated 66 percent of adults either overweight or obese, based on results from the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
According to the latest figures available from Euromonitor International, the US retail market for weight management products was $3.93bn in 2005 and $930m in Europe.
Digestive Health Figures from Mintel's GNPD (Global New Products Database) revealed foods and beverages designed to maintain a healthy digestive system were popular in 2007, with 103 new items launched on the market compared to 44 new products launched in 2008.
Most notable though, is the fact that in 2003 Mintel recorded no products launched in this segment.
However, as awareness started to pick up, foods and drinks aimed at maintaining digestive health started to trickle onto the market: four new products were introduced in 2004, and 19 in 2005.