Improving energy gel technology: searching for solutions to create an environmentally friendly product

There are many products on the market in relation to special sports nutrition. The main requirement for these products is the ability to quickly restore energy losses during high physical exertion, which is achieved by introducing maltodextrin into the formulation. In addition, it should have a pleasant taste and convenient eco-friendly packaging, be convenient for consumption on-the-go, and contain a high number of calories in a small volume. Improving the technology of energy gels, taking into account the above requirements, can be considered as a comprehensive solution in the following three domains: 1) replacing artificial sweetener with natural honey; 2) using plant-based powder as a source of natural dyes and flavors; and 3) using environmentally friendly packaging.

The purpose of this study was to discuss these solutions to improve technology to create an environmentally friendly product. The possibility of replacing artificial ingredients in energy gels with natural ones has been demonstrated. The latter discusses honey as a natural sweetener containing a combination of glucose and fructose. A new solution for creating this product could be the use of plant-based powders (for example, hibiscus, black rowan, etc.) as natural flavors and colorants.

Plastic foil makes up a significant part of the existing packaging of energy gels. A comprehensive solution for improving the energy gel and its sustainable packaging is the recycling of polyethylene film laminate with different structures. Non-recyclable packaging with aluminum foil has one positive point, namely its high barrier to oxygen, moisture, and UV radiation. Usually, polyolefin packaging does not have a barrier to oxygen and UV radiation. Our goal was to provide polyolefin barrier properties while maintaining the possibility of recycling. An additional requirement for packaging is the ability to print all the necessary information on it.