At IFT’s recent FIRST conference in Chicago, leading ingredient suppliers, startups and scientists showcased cutting-edge solutions to some of the food and beverage industry’s biggest challenges – including clean label and natural color demands, surging interest in GLP-1 support and consumers’ insatiable hunger for novel textures and flavors.
Innovations included bright, stable colors sourced from plants on land and in the sea, and novel proteins, fibers, fats and flavors to improve the taste and texture of products ranging from plant-based meat and dairy alternatives to crunchy and indulgent snacks. Better-for-you ingredients that deliver health and wellness benefits also took center stage.
In this episode of FoodNavigator-USA’s Soup-To-Nuts podcast, Lycored, Oterra and Ful Foods share strategies and new developments for replacing synthetic dyes with natural colors; Beneo, MGP and Comet offer GLP-1 support solutions; Kemin reveals a new clean label alternative for synthetic preservatives and Tate & Lyle offers answers for taste and texture challenges.
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What is driving pasta’s resurgence in the US? – Despite more than a decade of demonization of carbs and grains, pasta sales in the US continue to climb as brands break free of commodity constraints and offer more nutrient-dense and premium products that deliver an elevated experience that still is affordable and fun
Beyond sober-curious: How long is the runway for non-alcoholic beverages? – While sales of non-alcoholic beverages are growing double-digits year- over-year, new research from NielsenIQ shows most NA consumers still buy alcohol – upending assumptions and forcing brands to rethink their outreach strategy
Conscientious chocolatier Alter Eco’s secret to sustainability success: ‘Show your receipts’ – At a time when many CPG companies are pulling back on sustainability initiatives – or at least not talking about them as vociferously as they were five years ago – premium chocolate maker Alter Eco Foods is proudly pushing forward and placing its environmental efforts center stage in consumer communications.
From microalgae to macro impact: Arborea harnesses sunlight to create ‘food without the footprint’ – Climate-tech startup Arborea’s proprietary BioSolar Leaf system promises to produce nutrient-dense proteins and superfoods by ‘industrializing photosynthesis’ and using a fraction of the land, water and carbon footprint of conventional agriculture.
The war on sugar: Are better-for-you options unfairly caught in the crosshairs? - Republican leaders are amping up the war on sugar by taking aim at categories historically laden with the sweet stuff, but are better-for-you products accidentally getting caught in the crossfire?
What options are available for replacing synthetic dyes?
The clock is ticking for manufacturers to replace synthetic dyes singled out by the Trump administration, but color companies are ready with a range of vibrant options and promises of sufficient supplies – at least for those brands that act fast.
Among the synthetic dyes that FDA are encouraging companies to remove are Blue 1 and 2, which the Ful Foods can replace with its neutral tasting and stable Ful Blu from spirulina, company Co-founder Julia Streuli explains.
The company extracts different nutrients from spirulina, including blue and orange pigments that remain vibrant in acidic environments and after heat treatments, thanks to a proprietary process for stabilizing the color.
Streuli adds that her natural colors from spirulina have an advantage over options from other vegetable sources because she does not need arable land and can produce spirulina continuously so that it is not subject to the growing season.
Availability of raw material for other natural colors may become tighter and more expensive as deadlines for replacing synthetic colors approach, warned Vibeke Haislund, the global head of marketing at Oterra. But, he said, Oterra has been preparing for the conversion for years and is ready to help manufacturers reformulate.
He explained the company has been preparing for mass conversion in the US since 2021 and late last year it built a state-of-the-art innovation, collaboration and production hub in Wisconsin to help companies find the perfect natural shade with which to reformulate their products.
GLP-1s are revolutionizing how consumers think about food
The rise of GLP-1 weight loss drugs is reshaping how Americans think about food and beverages, including the serving size, nutritional profile and the consumption experience of products.
Kyle Krause, regional product manager at Beneo, explained about 15% of US consumers currently use anti-obesity medications, but many more are either discontinuing their use of GLP-1 drugs or trying to lose weight without them – and in each case they face different challenges which he said Beneo’s ingredients can address.
Specifically, he explained, consumers taking GLP-1 medications often have digestion issues and struggle with dehydration along with nutrient deficiency, low energy and muscle loss. Consumers trying to maintain weight loss after discontinuing the drugs are struggling to keep a lean body mass as food ‘noise’ returns and so they are looking for products that help them feel full, are nutrient dense and support bone health and muscle mass. And finally, consumers who are losing weight naturally are looking for ingredients that help manage hunger and cravings naturally, mitigate blood sugar spikes and crashes and support heart and bone health.
Beneo’s Orafti inulin and oligofructose chicory root fiber can help across all these phases by supporting satiety, muscle mass, sustained energy, digestive health and nutrient density, he said. Its Palatinose also helps with satiety, muscle mass, energy, nutrient density, heart health, hydration and mood. Orafti Beta-Fit beta-glucans helps with satiety, energy, digestion, nutrient density and hearth health. And finally, the company’s plant-based proteins from rice and faba bean help with satiety, muscle mass and nutrient density.
MGP also offers low-carb and keto-friendly ingredients that support GLP-1 use and weight loss or management goals. These include Fibersym RW resistant starch, which the company says is clinically validated to support a healthy microbiome, and Arise Wheat Protein Isolates that support muscle preservation and metabolic stability.
Comet also showcased two prebiotic fibers that support the needs of GLP-1 users, including Arrabina L, which it says at just 3.6 grams supports healthy bacteria in the gut, at 4.3 grams supports healthy blood sugar levels and glucose metabolism and at 5.6 grams qualifies as a good source of fiber.
The company’s Arrabina P qualifies as a good source of fiber at just 3.6 grams and also supports the healthy bacteria in the gut. At 4.3 grams it supports healthy blood sugar levels and glucose metabolism and supports metabolic health as well as modulates metabolic homeostasis, according to the company.
Consumers may not want preservatives, but they need them
Clean label has been a top trend at IFT FIRST for several years, but this year there was a new sense of urgency as HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s Make America Healthy Again initiative shines a spotlight on synthetic ingredients across categories, including not just colors but also preservatives.
At IFT FIRST, Kemin Industries introduced BactoCEASE Pure, which the company’s Marketing Director Courtney Schwartz explained is a clean label alternative to synthetic food preservatives, such as sodium lactates and diacetates. She added this is just one in a suite of solutions for improved preservation.
How can companies boost health benefits and fun simultaneously?
While consumers want products that are better for them, they also want products that taste good and are fun to eat, which includes innovative taste and texture combinations.
Research from Mintel found 30% of consumers cite more exciting textures as a purchase motivator, and 69% of US consumers agreeing that texture influences their snack cravings.
At IFT, Tate & Lyle went all in on taste and texture trends at its booth where it showcased a range of prototypes with unexpected combinations to create a multi-layered mouthfeel experience.
Tate & Lyle Category Strategy Manager Becca Henrickson explained modern consumers want entertainment from their food just as much as they want nourishment. She said, that begs the question how can companies reduce sugar and fat, add protein and “still make that something that they want to enjoy and consume?”
To answer this question, Henrickson explained Tate & Lyle acquired CP Kelco last year to bring together the first company’s sweetener solutions with the second company’s portfolio of mouthfeel enhancers.
For example, the combined company demoed a duel-layered gummy lollipop with two distinct textures – a gelled pectin exterior used to create a foam texture paired with a gummy made with Genutine carrageenan.
Another big texture trend on display at the booth was crunch, which also made Whole Foods’ trends list for 2025. The company’s Dip-n-Crunch Veggie Snackers with Dill Pickle Mouse included X-PAND-R, Promitor, Keltrol and Star-Dri to create a combination of crunchy and creamy.
These are just a few of the solutions and trends spotted at IFT FIRST this year – but if you are interested in learning more about the innovations showcased be sure to check out FoodNavigator-USA’s ongoing coverage from the conference over the coming weeks and check out our upcoming special edition with highlights from the show that will go out Aug. 20. Subscribers will receive the special edition straight to their inbox. If you have not yet subscribed, you can do so by visiting FoodNavigator-USA.com and clicking on the yellow subscribe button in the top left corner.