3 February 2016

2 minute read

Talin® is the natural protein (Thaumatin) which is found in the fruit of the Katemfe plant that grows in the tropical rain forests of West Africa. It is intensely sweet but it also has some very unique flavour modifying properties.

Talin® is extracted from the Katemfe fruit, Thaumatococcus daniellii, using only physical processes including reverse osmosis and ultra-filtration.

It was first brought to the attention of the western world in the 1840’s when, during a posting to the region, British Army Surgeon, W.F. Daniell, made note of how the local people used the fruit of the Katemfe plant to sweeten their food and mask the unpleasant taste of sour fruits and their palm wine. He later reported his findings in a pharmaceutical journal.

Talin® has many uses and applications in the human food and pharmaceutical industries. Through an exclusivity arrangement, which has been in place for more than 25 years, Nutriad has developed its application in the animal feed palatability arena.

The use of high intensity sweeteners is well established in young animal or challenging diets, but many of the available high intensity sweeteners, such as saccharin, NHDC and Stevia, have poor flavour properties. These negative taste attributes can actually reduce feed intake rather than increase it.

Talin’s unique ability to synergise with these sweeteners, increasing the overall sweetness level, as well as masking their negative bitter or metallic aftertastes make it a powerful element of Nutriad’s formulation capability. Talin® can be used in a wide range of animal nutrition and health applications as it has minimal legislative restriction with regard to species or usage limits.

Flavour and aroma enhancement is another important property that Talin® offers and Nutriad’s non-sweetener palatability products also feature this beneficial ingredient, thereby maximising the taste experience of the animal.

Nutriad’s extensive palatability range features many high quality and effective flavour and sweetener products for all feed applications and species. Key product lines such as OPTISWEET, POWERSWEET and DELISTART all feature Talin® and are designed to optimise feed intake and acceptance.