Rapidly shifting consumer expectations have placed food makers under pressure. The industry’s response has been to step up the pace of R&D and shorten innovation cycles.
High performing ingredients that tap into key consumer trends are enabling finished good manufacturers to deliver. And such innovation will be on full display at this year’s Food Ingredients Europe (FiE) in Paris on 3-5 December.
Established trends like the drive for cleaner labels continue to shape formulation requirements. Meanwhile, the explosive growth of the meat-free category – and the need to find new ingredients that deliver in terms of taste, texture and mouthfeel – have put plant-based proteins in the spotlight. Reformulation efforts to cut salt, fat or sugar continue apace. And the health-conscious consumer is even going a step further, seeking out products that contain ‘superfoods’ and deliver functional benefits. All the while the desire for mindful indulgence and convenience can be seen in full force.
Food industry innovators need to respond to these demanding – and sometimes seemingly contradictory – expectations to continue to excite global consumers.
With more than 1,700 exhibitors and 15,000 ingredients on the show floor, here is a small selection of some of the must-see ingredient developments showcased at this year’s FiE plus highlights from the New Product Zone, which showcases product innovations from leading industry players.
Scroll through the gallery to see what's in store at this year's event.
Rapidly shifting consumer expectations have placed food makers under pressure. The industry’s response has been to step up the pace of R&D and shorten innovation cycles.
High performing ingredients that tap into key consumer trends are enabling finished good manufacturers to deliver. And such innovation will be on full display at this year’s Food Ingredients Europe (FiE) in Paris on 3-5 December.
Established trends like the drive for cleaner labels continue to shape formulation requirements. Meanwhile, the explosive growth of the meat-free category – and the need to find new ingredients that deliver in terms of taste, texture and mouthfeel – have put plant-based proteins in the spotlight. Reformulation efforts to cut salt, fat or sugar continue apace. And the health-conscious consumer is even going a step further, seeking out products that contain ‘superfoods’ and deliver functional benefits. All the while the desire for mindful indulgence and convenience can be seen in full force.
Food industry innovators need to respond to these demanding – and sometimes seemingly contradictory – expectations to continue to excite global consumers.
With more than 1,700 exhibitors and 15,000 ingredients on the show floor, here is a small selection of some of the must-see ingredient developments showcased at this year’s FiE plus highlights from the New Product Zone, which showcases product innovations from leading industry players.
Scroll through the gallery to see what's in store at this year's event.
Arla Foods Ingredients has developed a ‘unique’ new ingredient that, it said, overcomes the taste and mouthfeel issues that challenge manufacturers of clear protein waters.
As demand for high-protein products continues to grow, Arla Ingredients noted demand for RTD nutritional beverages is supporting consumer interest in clear protein waters. However, problems with taste and dry mouthfeel have stifled product launches.
The ingredient manufacturer claims to have developed a solution: Lacprodan ISO.Water. The new ingredient is a 100% whey protein isolate designed for clear beverages. According to Arla Foods Ingredients, it delivers ‘great mouthfeel without the taste of protein’. This, the company believes, will open up new opportunities in the functional beverage space.
“Protein waters are a fantastic way to offer consumers healthy protein in a convenient, refreshing and low-calorie format. However, the one box they haven’t previously ticked is great taste. Lacprodan ISO.Water overcomes that challenge, paving the way for products with a far wider range of flavours. It will set a new standard for clear protein waters that taste great as well as meeting nutritional needs,” Troels Laursen, director of health & performance nutrition, commented.
Arla Foods Ingredients will showcase the new product alongside its portfolio of ingredients at on Stand 6C120.
Fruit and veg ingredient supplier SVZ is showcasing what it describes as a ‘fresh take on texture’ at FiE this year, with the launch of new ‘chunky’ purees.
The company said the new addition to its 100% natural and sustainably sourced portfolio is ‘minimally processed’ to retain pieces of fruit within a ‘rich’ puree. The chunky purees are available in strawberry and sour cherry.
SVZ said the new range allows dairy, ice cream and desert producers to create natural, clean label products that offer the look, taste and bite of authentic homemade purees. The size of the fruit pieces can be individually tailored according to customer requirements, allowing brands to create a ‘unique texture profile’.
SVZ suggested the new ingredient is likely to be of particular interest to food makers who use transparent packaging and ‘healthier choice’ premium brands.
“The launch of new chunky purees not only opens up a host of exciting NPD possibilities for producers, but equally demonstrates our dedication to serving the ever-changing needs of our customers," commented Johan Cerstiaens, commercial director at SVZ.
“From healthy reformulation to minimally processed ingredients for a more authentic, ‘homemade’ feel, our ingredients are designed to create exciting taste and texture experiences that satisfy the core demands of today’s consumers.”
SVZ is also committed to sourcing fruit and vegetable inputs sustainably, with a ‘longstanding commitment’ to chain visibility and working with suppliers to develop more sustainable farming practices. “Our commitment to achieving 100% sustainable sourcing by 2030 additionally means our products don’t just look and taste good, but aim to do good as well,” Cerstiaens stressed.
This new addition – and the rest of SVZ’s ingredient portfolio – will be on display at stand 6E110.
For the first time, Griffith Foods Europe will be exhibiting at FiE to showcase its ‘breakthrough concepts in sodium and sugar reduction’.
The US-based company said it wants to highlight the ‘breadth’ of its portfolio and innovations that will allow producers to tap important market trends, such as sustainable sourcing, flavour differentiation and healthy eating.
In particular, Griffith Foods will demo its sugar and salt reformulation ingredients – Sodium Felx and Sugar Flex – as well as its vegetable-coated solutions. The company is targeting protein, plant-based protein and savoury snacking segments.
“We are delighted to be at FiE this year as we can showcase our capabilities in innovative, product development across different categories,” said Wim van Roekel, president at Griffith Foods Europe. “Our customers are seeing health and nutrition play a much bigger role in consumer decision making and so our culinary expertise, creativity, and problem solving have an even bigger part to play.”
Griffith Foods also revealed it has been short-listed for two FiE awards – the F&B Category Award with its vegetable-based ‘never fry coating system’ and the Reformulation Award for extruded snacks using Sodium Flex and green banana flour.
Griffith Foods will be promoting its products to a European audience at stand 6M147.
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Doehler will be leveraging natural, plant-based raw material sources and ‘cutting-edge’ processing technologies to deliver a ‘completely new range’ of natural ingredients at FiE this year.
The company said that the initiative links to its theme of “turning the best out of nature into multi-sensory and nutritional excellence”.
In addition to integrated dry ingredients and colour solutions, such as natural fruit powders and granulates, Doehler will show a range of sweetening solutions for more natural and reduced sugar products.
Meanwhile, the German company will showcase its ‘integrated health solutions’ – such as botanical extracts or vitamin C fruit powders - to ‘provide food and beverages with a healthy added value’.
Fruit and vegetable based ingredients meet clean label and high nutrition needs as well as ‘best in class’ taste and colour, Doehler claimed. New items include: apple fibres, ‘unique’ tropical NFC juices and vegetable purees.
Doehler experts will be on hand in Hall 6, Stand 6A60.
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Glanbia Nutritionals will be debuting its CreaBev ingredient at FiE, featuring a patent pending encapsulation technology that facilitates a more soluble and stable creatine monohydrate.
With the global sports nutrition market valued at $20.3bn in 2018 according to Euromonitor, interest in ingredients like creatine monohydrate – itself valued at $100m – continues to rise. However, according to Glanbia Nutritionals, the issue with using standard creatine monohydrate in Ready-to-Drink (RTD) and Ready-to-Mix (RTM) formulations is that it has poor solubility in water and is unstable due to its degradation to waste product creatinine.
The company has created an ingredient that addresses both of these issues: CreaBev.
According to Glanbia Nutritionals, a recent study showed that in neutral pH RTD after three months approximately 95% of standard creatine monohydrate has already been converted to creatinine. After 12 months 100% has completely been degraded. This compares unfavourably to the performance of CreaBev. After 12 months, 70% of creatine monohydrate in CreaBev remained stable with only 30% degradation. Additionally, CreaBev does not crystalize when exposed to Ultra Heat Treatment or precipitate like standard forms of creatine monohydrate.
“With such superior stability and dispersion, CreaBev opens up new beverage formulation opportunities for manufacturers,” the company said noting that CreaBev will feature in the New Products Zone at FiE
“As ever we are excited to be back at FiE this year, and we are looking forward to introducing CreaBev to the European market,” said Tara Bane, European marketing manager at Glanbia Nutritionals.
The company can be found at stand 6G60.
Image credit: ©iStock petrenkod
Hydrosol, a supplier of stabilising and texturing systems, is focusing on “free from” solutions at this year’s FiE.
These include new concepts for melted cheese preparations and for plant-based alternatives to dairy as well as deli and meat products.
In processed cheese, Hydrosol noted the phosphates in the melting salts are under fire for causing health problems, first and foremost osteoporosis, but also a heightened risk of heart attack and stroke in certain groups. Hydrosol has therefore developed formulations that don’t need added phosphates.
In plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, Hydrosol said ‘more consumers also want to see a short ingredients list with the fewest possible E-numbers’.
“Inspirations in the dairy and deli categories offer vegan alternatives to sour cream, dessert, mayonnaise and a burger condiment. All four products are all-vegetable and clean label,” the company stated.
Similar concerns over the need for clean label prompted Hydrosol to develop a new preservative solution for meat products based on dry vinegar as a functional ingredient. This makes it ‘declaration-friendlier’ than the acetate and lactate often used. “The raw materials in the mix are perfectly balanced to prevent bacterial growth and keep the colour of meat products stable. There is no negative sensory effect on the end product, making this preservative ideal as a brine and tumbler additive and as a cutter aid,” the company said.
Hydrosol will be exhibiting at booth 6D90 together with sister company Deutsche Back. The suppliers, part of the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe, have also jointly developed a product in keeping with the ‘free-from’ theme.
The companies have produced a FreeFromFlammkuchen (free from tarte flambée). It consists of a gluten tarte flambée crust coated with an almond-based sour cream and a vegetable alternative to bacon.
Germany's Taiyo is launching a new 'functional cola' with added dietary fibre scientifically shown to help weight loss at this year's FiE.
New Sunfiber Cola is the first FODMAP friendly sugar-free cola to combine the flavour of cola with the satiating effect of fibre.
The fibre comes from the guar bean which has been shown to promote the balance of useful micro organisms such as Bifido bacteria and lactobacilli, and improves the bioavailability of mineral materials such as calcium and magnesium, and reduces bad LDL cholesterol.
As with the Sunfiber Orange concept introduced in 2018, the development partners are soft drink expert Sinalco International and sweetening specialists Sweethouse.
The natural ingredients manufacturer says its fibre has been scientifically proven to help with appetite control.
Taiyo also manufactures pure Sunfiber and a combination concept made of dietary fibre with curcumin called SunCurcumin which can be added to beverages and meals to give them a nutritional boost.
The company's tea extract Sunphenon TH30 product is a natural L-theanine variant for the European market. Because the synthetic form of L-theanine can only be sold outside the EU, Taiyo has now launched a natural L-theanine with the same effect. Taiyo extracts the amino acid L-theanine from the leaves of green tea.
Expanding its chia range, Taiyo has also launched a micro-fine ground chia protein of the highest purity, and concepts for ready-to-drink shakes based on water, milk or milk alternatives.
Image Credit: ©iStock
