Ingredient providers laying the groundwork for future developments
Though no one can truly predict what the future holds for food innovation, ingredient suppliers attending the Institute of Food Technologists’ virtual conference this year have a clear notion of where current efforts in product development should be directed. Since this was the second virtual exhibition since the epidemic began, their task is to demonstrate and sample their innovative efforts with the industry.
Several of the 101 businesses that took part in IFT FIRST’s Supplier Suites from July 19–21 used films of in-person demonstrations to showcase their ingredient technologies. Additionally, a lot of them have built their own internal customer laboratories over the course of the previous year, using IFT FIRST to highlight their capabilities and encourage clients to experiment with them. It all comes down to being ready for the next move.
Reviewing what being healthy means is part of that preparation because various people may have different ideas about what health is. Food and beverage formulators have a great opportunity to define healthy in relation to their product because of this variety.
During one of the conference’s sessions, Joan Driggs, vice president of content and thought leadership at Information Resources, Inc., Chicago, stated, “People are looking for a lot of different things.”
According to her, the majority of customers have more than six personal wellness and health goals. This covers everything, from managing weight and reducing stress to enhancing mental clarity and sleep quality. The pandemic increased awareness of these objectives. Additionally, it increased consumer awareness of how important food and drink are to achieving the objectives.
A new perspective on what is good for people, the environment, and businesses is necessary when planning for the future. Navigating the future also means tackling supply chain resilience and sustainability while maintaining a focus on clean label, nutrition, and other attributes.
According to Ron Hayes, marketing manager of Idaho Milk Products in Jerome, Idaho, “food and beverage formulators find it challenging to develop products that meet the ever-increasing desire for clean labels while also meeting demand for greater nutritional value, better flavor, and improved mouthfeel.” “Consider attempting to develop a food product that uses fewer ingredients while boosting the amount of protein in portions that are already highly packed or creating customized goods that cater to a certain market niche.”
Idaho Milk Products showcased dairy products made with a method that lowers the mineral concentration in milk proteins at IFT FIRST. Micellular casein and milk protein concentration are examples of this.
Reduced mineral milk proteins can help with these problems, as well as create clean label goods, boost protein content in drinks and yogurts, swap out caseinates in existing formulas, and more, according to Mr. Hayes. “We recently opened our Milk Innovation Center, which offers our customers a truly collaborative experience in formulating winning consumer products, from concept to packaging samples, to improve speed to market with high levels of confidence and confidentiality.”
Kemin Industries, located in Des Moines, Iowa, understands that in order to remain relevant, processors need to quickly adapt to the changing market. Shops want their products to be stocked by retailers. Product developers are therefore encouraged to collaborate with Kemin’s Customer Laboratory Services (CLS) team.
Using IFT FIRST, Westchester, Illinois-based Ingredion Inc. unveiled a new plant-based product for the US and Canada. Peas are the source of the novel structured vegetable protein.
According to Kristen Germana, senior manager of business development for plant-based proteins, “(The new) textured protein helps food developers formulate consumer-preferred, alternative meat products without compromising taste and texture.” “Developers now have a full toolkit for creating alternative meat products that mimic the bite and chew of animal proteins, while balancing texture, taste, and functionality thanks to Ingredion’s broad plant-based protein portfolio and tested formulation experience.”
Developers can collaborate remotely or with experts at Ingredion’s Plant-Based Meat Center of Excellence in Englewood, Colorado, to take their plant protein-enhanced products from concept to launch. The new component has 65% protein content (dry weight) and is marketed as pea protein. Because it is free of gluten, wheat, and soy, it can support a number of product claims, such as non-GMO, and it does not require allergen labeling.
Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America Inc., located in Itasca, Illinois, concentrated on how its constituents may help plant-based meat substitutes more closely resemble the genuine thing. The company sells enzyme preparations that are intended to provide texture to plant-based goods. Additionally, there are components that help enhance flavor while reducing salt content—a frequent flaw in a lot of meat alternatives. The company sells materials containing monosodium glutamate, yeast, and yeast extracts to produce umami and kokumi.
“The plant-based segment is witnessing a significant increase in the usage of umami and kokumi,” stated Joe Formanek, Ajinomoto’s director of ingredient innovation. “We can contribute to promoting the enjoyment of foods that people should be eating more of by improving their taste and texture.”
Tate & Lyle, an interactive trend and innovation hub in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, calls itself “Home Kitchen.” It made its debut earlier this year and keeps adding new content every week. Attendees at IFT FIRST were given a tour of the website, given an exclusive look at recently launched demos, industry research, and customer insights regarding at-home use.
The “Teapot,” which highlights this week’s contributions to the Kitchen, is a new feature on the website, according to Kelly Noonan, manager of marketing, events, and communications. “The hosts of “Trends in Seven” are our international market research team in brief segments. Additionally, “Culinary Prototypes” features films of Chef Christine Kerekes preparing dishes that are accessible for clients to sample.
You may also like:
Food security in emerging nations: issues and remedies
Are drinks the secret to increasing cannabis use among consumers?
Managing the lack of labour for mushroom picking
The Minneapolis restaurant argill highlighted how it is adapting to the growing interest in and need for products supplied sustainably. The business holds a Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification, making it one of the first major providers of separated palm oil in North America.
As the most frequently used vegetable oil in the world, palm oil is essential to feeding and supporting millions of people, according to Jamie Mavec, marketing manager at Cargill. “Cargill is now positioned to supply North American food manufacturers with sufficient quantities of segregated RSPO-certified product to meet their sustainability commitments, as more and more brands pledge to source palm oil responsibly.”
Due to the increased availability, consumers may soon notice the usage of sustainable palm oil in a wide range of products, including non-dairy creamers, dairy substitutes, and baked goods.
AAK, Edison, NJ, displayed a range of trendy prototypes including multifunctional plant-based oil systems intended for meat and dairy substitutes. These featured spreads that resembled soft and hard butter, bacon analogs that fry like regular bacon, and pizza cheese topping.
The clean label rice starch from Beneo Inc., located in Parsippany, New Jersey, was highlighted in two products: a dairy-free vanilla yogurt and an oat-based dulce le leche spread.