Optimization of manufacturing processes for incorporation of plant-based bioactives in dehydrated honey lozenges to maximize health benefits

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Island Abbey Foods Ltd has developed a unique dehydrated honey product (Honibe) that is shelf stable at ambient temperature. This project will further enhance the marketing of this type of product through incorporation of natural ingredients that provide additional health benefits to the consumer. The project involves the preparation of a range of anti-microbial plant-extracts targeted for sore throat caused by Streptococcus infection. The primary scope of the project is to establish processes for incorporation of polyphenol-rich extracts from small berries (haskap and blueberry) and carvacrol-rich essential oil from summer savory into Honibe products. These extracts are to be stabilized and interfaced to dehydrated honey in a manner sufficient to retain their bioactivity, especially anti-microbial efficacy, in the finished Honibe products. The proposed project will overcome a series of challenges which include: minimization of the impact of thermal degradation and associated changes of bioactives by rationalizing the time of incorporation during the cooling phase of the dehydrated honey manufacturing process; development of processing methods to protect bioactives using novel microencapsulation techniques; and development of unique natural extracts with efficacy to control the growth and viability of Streptococcus species while imposing a minimum inhibitory effect on the beneficial microorganisms of the colon. Honibe manufacturer and the Canadian natural health product industry will benefit by improved technologies for use of natural antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory bioactives in the dehydrated honey lozenges and other similar products. The project will also facilitate fulfilling the regulatory requirements of Health Canada in attaining a product format that will meet the needs of natural health product registration protocols to establish new Honibe lozenge products. Furthermore, this initiative will help in creating a new value-chain between primary agricultural producers and value-added processors as well as increasing the sales of Honibe both in local and export market.