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“Strong focus on developing food products that are affordable”
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Monday, 14 March, 2022, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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 Ingredion Incorporated, a leading global provider of ingredient solutions to the food manufacturing industry, showcased the latest consumer trends and ingredient innovations in six delicious recipe prototypes at Gulfood Manufacturing. Esen Kural, senior business development manager – emerging markets Ingredion; Muserref Karadayi, regional lead, emerging market, PureCircle by Ingredion; Firas Abu Irshaid, technical sales accounts manager - Middle East Ingredion; Kevin Alder, senior culinologist EMEA, share their thoughts on industry challenges, sustainability, market trends, innovative products and more, in an email interview with Kimberley Fernandes. Excerpts:
How does the company plan on preparing dishes that tackle industry challenges including affordability, reducing sugar, and enriching products with plant protein?
We are taking a strong focus on developing food products that are affordable but still in line with consumers' expectations towards quality and deliciousness.
We also see that in the Middle East and Africa, there is a very young population with a taste for very sweet and highly calorific food. Based on that, we are seeing a rising issue with obesity and Type 2 diabetics, specifically in the Middle East / North Africa. Post-pandemic consumers are becoming more health-conscious, considering obesity is one of the specific risk factors for a severe Covid-19 infection. To address this trend at Gulfood, we had several sugar-reduced concepts across several categories, including fruit preparations, table sauces and beverages, featuring solutions like our PureCircle Stevia range. Another trend that is emerging is plant-based food. We've seen a 31% increase in plant-based claims in the Middle East and Africa over the past five years. Therefore, we also had a plant-based nugget and vegan cheese present at the event.
Products enabling quality and affordability formulation in bakery cream and coated nuts
Precisa Crisp 37C Starch is an instant waxy maize starch that provides a light and crispy texture to baked sheeted snacks. Labelled as ‘maize starch', it allows snack manufacturers to design the texture of their snacks to meet consumer preferences. Swely Gel 200D modified starch is a texturising solution for instant bakery fillings with excellent texturising properties and superior baking and freezing stability. It delivers a premium, creamy texture profile, ideal for yellow bakery cream fillings.
Products enabling sugar reduction in beverages
PureCircle Core 95 Steviol glycosides is a stevia sweetener designed as a standalone sweetener or in combination with other sweeteners to round out the profile. The total steviol glycoside (TSG), content in the product is more than 95%.
Another PureCircle product is the NSF-12 Natural flavour. A flavour modifier that rounds the flavour profile and reduces the aftertaste of non-caloric sweeteners in food and beverage applications. It provides the enhancement of complex flavours.
Products enabling plant-based positioning in nuggets, cheese and bakery glazes
Vitessence TEX Chunk 101 Textured pea protein is a textured protein made of yellow peas. It consists of 65% protein (dry basis). This textured pea protein's 'chunk' structure makes it very versatile for different shapes and processes, such as grinding and shredding. It is ideal for applications such as burgers, meatballs, sausages, nuggets and ready meals. With a firm and coarse texture, Vitessence TEX Chunk 101 can help you deliver a satisfying and succulent eating experience.
Precisa Set 1210W Modified starch allows manufacturers to substitute protein and still be able to produce a high-quality product with appealing texture at a lower cost. It helps to facilitate cost-effective gelling and melting properties at different protein levels. It can be used to optimise texture in various block and shreddable types of analogue/processed cheeses.
Simplistica VG 1211 Stabiliser system is an affordable full-compound system for vegan glazing with similar functionality to diluted whole egg. It is easy to disperse in cold water and can be directly applied onto bread, pastry, biscuits or crackers before baking. With a good freeze/thaw stability, it is possible to use it for frozen baked goods. It imparts an appealing brown, non-sticky and even film when baked. This system is ideal for all baked goods where affordability is key.
What are the different types of products offered by the company, and which are most popular among consumers?
Our solutions for dairy (Greek-style yoghurt, gelatin-free pannacotta), have been very popular at this year's GFM as well as our Vitessence Tex Chunk 101, which went into our plant-based nugget concept.
What types of research and development go into each of your products?
Before any product is launched, our Research and Development and Development and Innovation teams work together with our marketers to ensure the products we are bringing to market fit our customers' challenges. We also do sensory testing of the products in application.
Tell us more about the formulation and production challenges in the new menu featured at Gulfood Manufacturing 2021.
One example of a production challenge we have helped to solve this year is a solution for Thermized drinking yoghurt, which usually has a two-step process. However, with our Simplistica DY 1210 we have created a product that only needs a one-step process enabling lower energy costs for the customer and a shorter production time which can increase output.
Describe the company's vision for sustainable living.
Sustainability is of increasing importance to our business. Aligned with our purpose to "make life better" our "All Life" Sustainability strategy has three main pillars – Everyday life, Planet life and Connected life. Everyday life is about building a productive culture where people, product safety and long-term health are a priority, along with promoting respect for human rights and increasing transparency across our supply chain. We want to establish a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion to enhance belonging and drive sustainable innovation by aligning with the UN SDGs. Planet life is about protecting and renewing the planet's resources by enacting science-based targets and other conservation measures to drive improvements and implement programmes in our crop sourcing areas to protect biodiversity or deliver a net positive impact. Connected Life is about sustainable and regenerative agriculture, food security and community impact, including sustainably sourcing 100% of priority crops (Tier 1 by 2025), improving food security and eliminating food waste across our supply chain and aligning with the UN SDGs to make life better for >1 million people in our communities.
Are you planning on introducing any new products in view of the changing trends in the market?
A growing concern for consumers in today's food and drink marketplace is trust and transparency. When consumers know which ingredients and processes go into the products they buy, they feel more empowered in their decision-making. 43% of consumers in the Middle East and Africa say they bought more packaged food and beverages with a clean label positioning in 2020 vs. 2019. Food manufacturers in the Middle East and Africa are responding to these numbers, and we can see the use of clean label positioning growing by 21% in MEA over the past five years.
It's also important to define what we mean by 'clean label,' as it's not a term consumers might recognise. At Ingredion, our definition of a clean label food product is made only with ingredients recognised and accepted by consumers, free from ingredients that sound artificial or misleading, and is consistent with consumers' understanding of on-pack claims.
Using Ingredion's Novation Lumina functional native starches, manufacturers can formulate clean label food and beverages while maintaining the indulgent textures and vibrant colours consumers have come to expect. These starches are designed to perform across the full range of processing conditions and support food and beverage manufacturers in making 'natural'* claims. Novation Lumina functional native starches provide viscosity and mouthfeel comparable to modified starches, with excellent texture stability over its shelf-life.
Manufacturers should consult regulations specific to all target markets. Of the countries that have provisions to regulate the term 'natural' to date, these products meet the criteria of a natural food ingredient in the UK, France, Ireland, and associated EU legislation, and the global ISO Technical Specification (ISO/TS 19657).
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