Foods With Aloe

• The humble aloe is growing in popularity as a key ingredient in food. Buena Vista Images/Stockbyte/Getty Images

  Since achieving GRAS -- i.e., generally recognized as safe -- status of use as an ingredient in food, aloe vera has appeared in an increasingly wide variety of food products in the United States. According to the market research firm SPINS, sales of aloe-containing health food products increased by 10% in 2000 alone. Unfortunately, because of the improper processing and manufacturing of aloe vera, many foodstuffs marketed with the label actually contain little or no active ingredients. Retaining every bioactive component of the plant during processing is essential if it is to offer any benefits as an ingredient. When purchasing aloe-containing products, things to look out for include the certification seal of the International Aloe Science Council and products that contain a high number of mucopolysaccharides.

Yoghurt

• Aloe vera has long been used as a basis for beverages in Korea. It is also a popular form of yoghurt in China and Japan, being sold under the Tarami, Mengniu and Morinaga brands. In the West, aloe yoghurt is establishing itself via the products Danone, Onken and Emmi.

Preservative

• Aloe vera can act as a preservative when processed into a special gel. The gel provides an environmentally friendly and natural way to preserve food after it has been harvested. Originally developed by scientists in Spain, the gel does not affect the taste or color of food. Grapes coated with the gel have been found to last five times longer than their untreated counterparts. As well as inhibiting and delaying the microorganisms responsible for food spoilage, the gel's antibiotic and antifungal compounds help reduce the incidence of food-transmitted illness in humans.

Additive

• Companies such as Florida Food Products Inc. and Aloecorp produce a number of different aloe-based gels, powders and flakes specifically for use in the creation of foodstuffs. Aloecorp uses patented Qmatrix technology to ensure that the processing of the plant results in an additive that retains as many biologically active ingredients as possible.