IFT FIRST
IFT Preview: From ingredients to ideals -- How clean label is reshaping product development
Between plant-based proteins, dairy alternatives and meat alternatives, organic, sustainable and clean label are driving consumers’ dietary and lifestyle preferences, Linnea Halter, marketing coordinator, Global Organics, explained to FoodNavigator-USA.
As consumers look to make more informed choices about the food they consume, brands have the opportunity to establish transparency, functionality and nutrition starting with ingredients. Labels with fewer and recognizable ingredients are often perceived as nutrient-dense and provide essential vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber, mirroring whole foods.
These familiar ingredients are shaping Global Organics’ portfolio, Halter explains, as the company features “cane sugar and other sweeteners, chocolate and cocoa, coconut, fruits and vegetables for organic products” and free from artificial additives, preservatives and GMOs.
Brands are meeting consumers at the label with familiar ingredients, clearly communicated dietary and functional attributes (and free-from ingredients) on packaging and ingredient provenance, building trust and consumer confidence.
“We focus on sourcing ingredients from certified organic farms that also implement fair trade practices to ensure sustainability and social responsibility. Our company seeks certifications such as USDA Organic or Fairtrade to provide consumers with assurance that their products are traceable and meet specific standards,” she elaborated.
The perception of clean and simple ingredients also extends to sustainability and social responsibility, Halter explained.
“Transparency and traceability build trust,” she says, explaining how the company performs supplier audits, supply chain mapping, documentation and record keeping, certifications and collaborations with suppliers to ensure a clean label.
The company’s longtime partner, Natíve, is the first Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) sugar producer. “ROC goes beyond traditional organic agriculture to enrich the farmland and lives of local communities. By focusing on soil health and biodiversity, integrating sustainability at all levels of their operation and ensuring social fairness to farm workers, Natíve’s Green Cane Project has been long recognized as the model for sustainability,” Halter added.
Functional sweeteners that do more
“Functional foods and beverages appeal to consumers because they offer additional wellness benefits. Functional sweeteners do more than reduce calories and improve glycemic response,” Marianne McDonagh, VP sales, BLS, explained to FoodNavigator-USA.
Featuring its functional, clean label sweetener at IFT this year, BLS’ Bioenergy Ribose encompasses metabolic health by enabling beverage formulas to “deliver noticeable, sustained energy by replenishing cellular ATP,” Penny Porter, director of marketing, BLS, elaborated in a press release.
Functional food and beverages are expected to grow form $216.4 billion in 2022 to $324.4 billion by 2027, according to data by BCC Research. The fast evolving healthy aging market offers brands an opportunity to develop products that improve aging and cognitive function.
BLS’ RiaGev nutritional solution is formulated to increase NAD (reduce inflammation), ATP (improve cognitive function) and GSH (antioxidant) simultaneously, McDonagh says.
“This has never been done before with any other NAD precursor and is crucial to helping people live healthier, longer lives,” she added.
Learn more about Global Organics' organic ingredients at booth S1550 and BLS' sweetener solutions at booth #S0229 during the upcoming IFT Food Expo in Chicago, July 16-19.
