ACT4 Food Innovation
Where technology meets food matrices
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From the delivery of lipophilic molecules to new functional ingredients for the food industry.
Food innovation requires solutions that integrate high-value ingredients while addressing the properties of the food matrix, product stability and manufacturing requirements.
The ACT4 platform incorporates lipophilic active ingredients into liquid formulations that can be evaluated for use in different food matrices. Dispersing these ingredients in an aqueous formulation opens opportunities for foods enriched with functional molecules.
From ricotta to yogurt: testing new formulations
ACT4 has developed food prototypes by integrating its formulations into dairy products, including ricotta and yogurt. This work explored compatibility with different food matrices and opportunities for collaboration with food companies.
The practical aim is to facilitate the use of lipophilic ingredients in foods through delivery systems designed to support dispersion and stability.
Innovation in partnership with industry
ACT4 collaborated with dairy company La Perla del Mediterraneo on an innovation project that received an innovation award, as documented in the company blog.
This experience demonstrates the value of collaboration between technology research and the food industry in turning a formulation idea into a tangible prototype.
Beyond dairy: a jelly sweet prototype
ACT4 has also developed a gelatin-based sweet prototype to explore another way of incorporating functional ingredients.
Compared with fresh products such as yogurt and ricotta, an appropriately formulated jelly sweet may offer opportunities in storage, convenience and distribution.
Actual shelf life must be established through specific stability studies, microbiological assessments and evaluation of sensory properties over time. This approach allows alternative formats to be explored for different markets and consumption occasions.
From prototypes to industrial collaboration
ACT4 offers food companies a technology platform and an experimental approach to develop and evaluate:
- functional ingredients based on lipophilic molecules;
- formulations for dairy products;
- new food matrices and consumption formats;
- prototypes for stability, compatibility and shelf-life assessment.
Do you have a food innovation project?
We work with companies and research partners to identify applications for the ACT4 platform, from ingredient selection to prototype development.
Contact us to develop a functional ingredient for your products.