Food Ingredients
Current Food Ingredients shaping Food and Beverage Trends in the Food Industry
3/30/2011
Trends in the food industry are constantly changing as needs for consumers continue to change. New food products are being created to fit the need of the consumer. Food ingredients are constantly being discovered and developed to fit these needs. New ingredients are one way to alter products to consumer needs. Food ingredients improve food products and beverages by producing cheaper products for consumers, protecting the environment, and producing health benefits. Although current trends are expanding and growing, new trends and discoveries eventually change according to needs of consumers. Some of the trends occurring in the 21st century include natural and functional food, specialty flavors, artificial sweeteners, sustainability, clean label ingredients, and low sodium foods.
Natural and Functional
One trend on the rise is the need for natural and functional ingredients in food and beverages. Consumers have developed a want for food ingredients that are naturally occurring, as artificial ingredients are among a topic of health concern. One example of these natural and functional ingredients is cocoa extracts. Products produced using Cocoa flavanol extracts include CocoaVia by Mars, Cocoactiv by Naturex, and Acticoa by Stollwerck. Cocoa is a natural ingredient that can be used as a food additive. The top producers of cocoa with over two-thirds of the world market include the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon. Mars is a leader in the use of cocoa as a functional ingredient (CRB 2007).
Scientists have now identified specific flavanols more prevalent in cocoa that are responsible for the range of health benefits, allowing for the improvement and expansion of beneficial cardiovascular products. Furthermore, these studies have found that it is not the cocoa but the flavanols in the cocoa that provide circulation benefits. Davison and others (2008) found that
3/30/2011
Trends in the food industry are constantly changing as needs for consumers continue to change. New food products are being created to fit the need of the consumer. Food ingredients are constantly being discovered and developed to fit these needs. New ingredients are one way to alter products to consumer needs. Food ingredients improve food products and beverages by producing cheaper products for consumers, protecting the environment, and producing health benefits. Although current trends are expanding and growing, new trends and discoveries eventually change according to needs of consumers. Some of the trends occurring in the 21st century include natural and functional food, specialty flavors, artificial sweeteners, sustainability, clean label ingredients, and low sodium foods.
Natural and Functional
One trend on the rise is the need for natural and functional ingredients in food and beverages. Consumers have developed a want for food ingredients that are naturally occurring, as artificial ingredients are among a topic of health concern. One example of these natural and functional ingredients is cocoa extracts. Products produced using Cocoa flavanol extracts include CocoaVia by Mars, Cocoactiv by Naturex, and Acticoa by Stollwerck. Cocoa is a natural ingredient that can be used as a food additive. The top producers of cocoa with over two-thirds of the world market include the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon. Mars is a leader in the use of cocoa as a functional ingredient (CRB 2007).
Scientists have now identified specific flavanols more prevalent in cocoa that are responsible for the range of health benefits, allowing for the improvement and expansion of beneficial cardiovascular products. Furthermore, these studies have found that it is not the cocoa but the flavanols in the cocoa that provide circulation benefits. Davison and others (2008) found that
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