A CLOSER LOOK

at Safe and Flavorful

Ingredients

INSIDE:Emerging Healthful Ingredients p2

Consumers prefer sweet-potato-based

sweetener p4

Formulating for clean label gums for texture and stability p7

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Consumers are more aware today of

how food contributes to health and

wellness. They seek nutrient-dense

products with ingredients that address heart

health, aging, blood sugar control and cancer

protection, or at least that contribute to their

general health. As the new year dawns, food

processors will amping up efforts already

under way to formulate with ingredients that

have some kind of health halo.

Most of these ingredients are found in

plant-based foods and botanicals. Chi-

cago’s Mintel Group (www.mintel.com)

predicts that food & beverage processors

will explore a number of plant-based food

formulations in 2017, and incorporate more

ancient grains, antioxidants, plant proteins,

superfoods and botanicals as main ingre-

dients to align with consumers’ interests in

healthier lifestyles. Here’s what’s gaining

ground in the market:

PULSES, PLANT PROTEINSOnly in the past four or five years have

most consumers discovered the agricultural

meaning of the word “pulse.” Peas, beans

and lentils have become attractive ingre-

dients of late. They’re high in protein, fiber

and antioxidants and are gluten-free Plus,

they are even more environmentally friendly

than other crops. They come in many

useful forms — ground into flour, they’re

fractionated into fiber, protein and starch

– and as a result have found their way into

snack chips, baked goods, dressings, even

meat analogues.

Emerging Healthful IngredientsPulses, sprouted grains and other plant proteins, superfoods and natural sweeteners should be in your toolbox for 2017.

By Lauren R. Hartman, Product Development Editor

eHANDBOOK: A Closer Look at Safe and Flavorful Ingredients 2

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Sweet Potato IngredientsCLEAN LIVING

L E A R N M O R ECIFIngredients .com

sales@cif i1 .com

252-462-1551

Clean-living consumers need food they can trust—food that

supports their active lifestyles with clean labels and compelling

health beneets. Carolina Sweet clean label sweetener from

CIFI meets that demand, supporting functional products with

vitamins, minerals, and added vegetable servings for organic, vitamins, minerals, and added vegetable servings for organic,

non-GMO, gluten-free, and traditional applications. Create healthy

sauces and clean label beverages with Carolina Sweet from CIFI.

A recent blind taste test indicated a

strong preference for sweet-po-

tato-based sweetener over high

fructose corn syrup in barbecue sauce, indi-

cating strong commercial promise for this

new, clean-label sweetener Carolina Innova-

tive Food Ingredients (CIFI) manufactures

Carolina Sweet, a natural sweetener made

from sweet potato juice. The company con-

ducted a blind taste test at the 2016 IFT

trade show, finding that among over 100

taste testers, 74% preferred sauce made

with Carolina Sweet. The test suggests that

the ingredient holds promise for further

research and commercial development as a

clean-label sweetener in sauces and other

food products.

CIFI conducted the blind taste test using

a conventional formula with high fructose

Consumers prefer sweet-potato-based sweetenerBy Carolina Innovative Food Ingredients

In a taste test at the 2016 IFT trade show, 74% of testers preferred barbecue sauce made with Carolina Sweet over high fructose corn syrup.

eHANDBOOK: A Closer Look at Safe and Flavorful Ingredients 4

www.FoodProcessing.com

corn syrup and an alternative using Carolina

Sweet in a one-to-one replacement. The

formula, aimed at a traditional barbecue

sauce flavor profile, combines sweetness,

smokiness, and a slight tang. The sauces

were sampled by attendees at the IFT trade

show, a large food industry event that

primarily targets food scientists, chefs, mar-

keters, and others within the food industry.

Over 100 people sampled the two sauces,

with 74% preferring the formula with Caro-

lina Sweet. Although not a formal study, this

preliminary test provides additional support

for CIFI’s extensive pre-commercial testing

of the ingredient, all of which indicated that

it performs exceptionally well, as indicated

in an earlier CIFI white paper.

Furthermore, a plurality of those who

sampled the barbecue sauces could not

distinguish between the traditional sauce

and that made with Carolina Sweet. This

suggests that despite the taste preference,

other sensory qualities of the sauce, such

as texture, color, and smell, are not affected

by replacing traditional sweeteners with

Carolina Sweet. Products that currently

employ high fructose corn syrup could thus

be reformulated with Carolina Sweet, for a

cleaner label without affecting the appear-

ance of the product—a great value for

brands that require a high degree of conti-

nuity in their product.

For brands open to formulating a new

product, Carolina Sweet offers an even

more compelling set of benefits. In addition

to serving as a high fructose corn syrup

replacement, Carolina Sweet’s natural color,

flavor, and textural properties support

cleaner labels. The ingredient has a warm

brown color and warm flavor profile that

contributes well to the color and flavor of

barbecue sauce and thus permits a reduc-

tion in other ingredients such as brown

sugar or artificial colors and flavors. In addi-

tion, Carolina Sweet naturally adds more

body to a sauce, which allows for the reduc-

tion or elimination of thickeners like xanthan

gum and modified corn starch.

Sauces with a lighter texture and complex flavor profile—like vinegar-based sauces and Southeast Asian sauces—are a great fit for Carolina Sweet.

www.FoodProcessing.com

eHANDBOOK: A Closer Look at Safe and Flavorful Ingredients 5

CONSUMER

ACTIVIST MISINFORMATIONCONSUMER CONFUSIONGLOBAL REGULATIONSDISCREPANCIESSUBSTITUTIONMAJOR INVESTMENTTESTDEVELOPMENT & MARKETABILITY

CONSUMER DEMAND

ACTIVIST MISINFORMATIONCONSUMER CONFUSIONGLOBAL REGULATIONSDISCREPANCIES

1:1 REPLACEMENTSUBSTITUTIONMAJOR INVESTMENTTEST TESTDEVELOPMENT & MARKETABILITY UNEXPECTED

SYNERGIES

RE-

NOT

The capabilities of your internal team and the limitations of your existing external resources may not be enough to face these challenges. Successfully reformulating to a clean label begins with a large portfolio of solutions, intimate knowledge of hydrocolloids, and a tool for texture breakdown and identifi cation. With over 100 years of experience, TIC Gums offers a vast array of solutions, expertise in hydrocolloid synergies, and the Food Texture Terminology Tool that breaks down desired outcomes into defi nable terms. Learn more by visiting TICGums.com.

In the Clean Label Era, Your Reputation and Trust are at Stake.

TIC ChallengerAd_Clean Label_7.875x10.5.indd 1 9/12/16 3:02 PM

The clean label trend continues to penetrate

all categories within the food and beverage

industry. Although clean label does not have

a specific definition, consumers continue to

show increased interest in the sources and

purposes of the ingredients on their food

labels. Those same consumers are also seek-

ing foods perceived to be more healthful with

boosted levels of protein, vitamins and min-

erals. This combination of added nutritional

elements with a limited label declaration

intensifies the complexities formulators face.

According to Innova, clean label* is a global

trend with the U.S. market seeing 37.6%

of product launches touting a clean label

claim. (Figure 1)

Rather than looks at the ambiguity around

clean labeling as a problem in need of

a solution, formulators should embrace

this trend and use it as a catalyst to drive

newand innovative product development.

Formulating for clean labelClean label gums offer texture and stability for manufacturers.

By The Gum Gurus of TIC Gums

*The clean label category is defined by Innova as a combination

of Non-GMO, Natural, No Additives or Preservatives, Organic

2013 2014 2015

Clean Label Claims, U.S., as a percentage of total product launches

40.0%

35.0%

30.0%

25.0%

20.0%

15.0%

10.0%

5.0%

0.0%

Figure 1

30.9%

34.5%

37.6%

eHANDBOOK: A Closer Look at Safe and Flavorful Ingredients 7

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TARGETING TEXTURETexture is as important as ever. A 2015

study published by the Journal of Texture

Studies (Figure 2) shows texture at the

forefront of the consumer sensory experi-

ence. When panelists were asked to eat a

food then describe it, 41% of respondents

noted texture first versus only 26% men-

tioning flavor during the initial moment

of consumption.

When ingredients that impart criti-

cal functionality are formulated out of

a food due to clean label restrictions,

delivering a shelf stable, fortified prod-

uct that maintains the desired textural

attributes becomes even more complex.

Fortunately, hydrocolloids are often

suitable substitutes for many less label-

friendly ingredients.

To facilitate more efficient and accelerated

communication during the product devel-

opment process, TIC Gums utilizes Food

Texture Terminology to standardize the

way product texture is described between

developers and food scientists. Decon-

structing a combination term like “creamy”

into individual texture attributes such as

mouth coating, denseness and mixes with

saliva helps determine the specific attri-

butes most important to our customers.

With this, our scientists can recommend the

best hydrocolloid solution to pinpoint and

build back those attributes, reducing over-

all development time and unnecessary trial

and error.

Consumer Attitudes Towards Food Attributes

45.0%

40.0%

35.0%

30.0%

25.0%

20.0%

15.0%

10.0%

5.0%

0.0%

Texture Flavor Form/Temp Color Appearance Aroma Other

Figure 2

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