Heart Healthy Foods

The first round of functional foods from Altus Food, Chicago, IL, is currently in test market in western New York. The Take Heart™ line, which in­cludes cereals, snacks and juice drinks, incorporates Reducol™ from Forbes Medi-Tech, Vancouver, Canada, a natural plant sterol/stanol blend clinically shown to reduce cholesterol absorption by the body. The cereals and snack bars also contain soluble fiber from whole grain oats and all products are low in fat and fortified with vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid as well as vitamins C and E.

The cereals are available in two flavors, Vanilla Almond and Honey Nut, while snack bar flavors include Chocolate Chunk, Apple Cinnamon and Raisin Spice. The juice beverages include Mixed Berry and Orange Citrus.