Taking Ingredient Innovation to the Next Level

It’s an exciting time for food and beverage product developers as they try to understand what consumers want, which is everything—from foods and beverages that deliver on taste and health to products made with clean labels or naturally derived ingredients. Consumers are reading labels and scrutinizing ingredient lists. New regulations challenge food formulators, who must comply with changes to the Nutrition Facts panel and implement reformulation efforts around trans fat and added sugars, to cite just a few examples. All of this means that manufacturers must respond in order to stay relevant in this hypercompetitive food market.

It’s also an exciting time for IFT’s annual event, which is introducing a suite of new programming under the banner IFTNEXT. This program has been developed with a goal of challenging the status quo by bringing provocative ideas and discoveries together to inspire new approaches within the science of food.

A number of ingredient suppliers and product development experts will be sharing ideas as part of IFTNEXT and, of course, hundreds of food expo exhibitors will be showing off ingredient innovations designed to help solve functionality challenges and address consumers’ constantly evolving expectations. So whether you’re looking for clean label preservatives or non-GM grains, seeking to reduce off flavors in protein-fortified beverages, working to keep protein ingredients in suspension, or creating a new globally inspired sauce application, IFT’s food expo will offer a solution.

Be sure to make time on your IFT17 agenda to attend ingredient-related sessions (listed under the Product Development & Ingredient Innovations track) to learn from food scientists and researchers about the latest developments in areas such as sweeteners, food quality and safety, fats and oils, texture, and more. For an overview of product development, attend session 032, “The Evolving Role of Science in Food Product Development: An Expert Panel Discussion,” from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, June 26. Food industry professionals at this roundtable session will discuss steps that the food industry can take to help meet the challenges of today’s marketplace.

Something else that IFT17 offers to product developers is the opportunity to gain insights from Innova Market Insights and Mintel about the latest trends affecting the food and beverage industry. Both global market research firms will have representatives on hand to speak about what consumers want and how this will shape product development in the areas of clean label, reduced sugar, global foods, plant-based protein sources, healthy indulgence, and much more.

And since the food expo is a food show after all, there will be plenty of product concepts served up that feature key ingredients. Chefs are also getting in on the action, as several ingredient exhibitors will host live chef demonstrations at their booths. Treats made with the latest sweeteners to satisfy any sweet tooth, thick and creamy beverages formulated with clean label texturizers, vegetarian meatless crumbles, and on-trend tea and coffee beverages are a few of the hundreds of product concepts that will be presented during the three-day food expo.

This Ingredients column highlights some of the ingredients manufacturers plan to highlight at the food expo; for a comprehensive list, visit iftevent.org or download the IFT17 app. And in Las Vegas, walk the show floor to meet with ingredient experts as they explain how their ingredients can solve functionality challenges, discuss the latest trends, and offer product development guidance and inspiration. 

SPECIAL THEMES
Ingredient exhibitors at the annual IFT food expo often take the opportunity to develop a booth theme, celebrate an anniversary, or focus on a particular issue. And it’s no different for IFT17. Some ingredient exhibitors are emphasizing taste and nutrition and how they can help food manufacturers formulate better-for-you products without compromising on taste. Others want to draw attention to their wide-ranging portfolios of clean label ingredients. Attendees will even have the chance to learn more about the ingredients of South America and celebrate the 25th anniversary of a supplier of organic ingredients.

DISCOVER THE FOODS and ingredients of South America without the hassle of air travel. Use a special passport to travel around the booth of Ecuadorian Rainforest to learn about the myriad ingredients that come from diverse regions all around the continent. These ingredients include herbs, spices, marine products, fruits, vegetables, and grains with functions as antioxidants, sweeteners, fiber enhancement, energy and weight management, and natural flavors and colors. Some of the featured stops on the ingredient tour will present attendees with information about the traditional and trendy uses for coconut water, watermelon juice, hibiscus, avocado pits, cauliflower, and guayusa. Ecuadorian Rainforest, intotherainforest.com, Booth 4825

WHAT’S ON YOUR label? As food and beverage manufacturers prepare for the upcoming FDA label changes as well as the ongoing consumer pressure for ingredients they know and trust, Cargill can help its customers rise to the challenge. The company assists with product line and brand innovation challenges initiated by consumer and regulatory demands to improve nutritional profiles through sugar reduction, healthier oils, reduced sodium, and cleaner labels. Cargill provides customers with technical knowledge and ingredient solutions focused on improving nutritional values and managing costs, as well as protecting customer brands through responsibly supplied ingredients. Stop by the booth at IFT’s food expo to discuss your label challenges. Cargill, cargill.com, Booth 2650

IMAGINE DOING MORE to create new or improved products that stand out from competitors’ products in the marketplace. Ingredion’s broad portfolio of ingredients and applications expertise can help overcome challenges in clean label, health and nutrition, and sensory experience in many different types of products. For example, develop less processed foods and beverages with ingredients consumers recognize or add or subtract ingredients to offer the health and nutrition claims consumers want. Ingredion will have a number of chef- and consumer-inspired product concepts formulated with simple, health-focused ingredients such as its non-GM sweeteners and starches, pulse proteins and flours, Reb A and Reb M stevia sweeteners, potato starches, texturizers, and more. Its fibers and prebiotics are designed to support digestive health, and other ingredients can reduce sugar levels and provide weight and energy management solutions.

Ingredion is moderating five sessions, with two being presented by members of its technical teams. Session 056, “Emerging Sweeteners for a Changing Market,” will be held from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 27. Two other sweetener-related sessions are Session 011, “Understanding Sweet Taste and Achieving Sugar Reduction Through a Chemosensory Lens,” from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Monday, June 26, and Session 100, “Integrating Sweetener–Sensory Perception in Product Development,” from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 28. Session 046, “Leverage the Power of Plant Proteins,” will be held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 27, while Session 087, “The Critical Role of Beverage Mouthfeel—Unique Insights for a Product Developer,” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, June 28. A poster will also address how functional native potato starch can improve cooked yield and tenderness in frozen beef and chicken patties that were previously cooked. Ingredion, ingredion.us, Booth 2056

ADM COMBINES AN extensive, innovative, and on-trend range of ingredients with a depth of expertise to provide product developers with value-added services from plant to plate. Whether it’s colors from nature, natural flavors, plant-based ingredients, sweeteners, clean-label solutions or more, the company states that it will partner with developers to problem-solve challenges and deliver the insights, ingredients, and tastes that satisfy today’s evolving consumer preferences.

Representatives from ADM will be available to discuss the latest trends in food while attendees experience how ADM’s ingredients and experts can help create foods and beverages that deliver consumer-preferred eating experiences. ADM, adm.com, Booth 650

AS CONSUMERS DEMAND a return to real food and beverage products, Kerry, The Taste & Nutrition Company, is responding with better, more authentic, and nutritious taste experiences. The company brings to the table its strong food heritage with 40 years of experience, global insights, marketplace knowledge, culinary and applications expertise, and solutions that meet consumers’ needs. Food expo attendees can visit Kerry’s booth to see and taste a variety of new product concepts that offer clean labels without compromising taste. Chef demonstrations will take place daily in the booth. Kerry, kerry.com, Booth 1440

MAKING PRODUCTS LOOK and taste better and last longer naturally is the main focus for Kalsec at this year’s food expo. Consumer demand for wholesome foods and cleaner, simpler labels continues to drive food manufacturers to replace artificial and “chemical sounding” ingredients with natural alternatives while maintaining shelf life and visual appeal. Additionally, there’s the need for manufacturers to create new and exciting flavor profiles that entice the increasingly sophisticated palates of their consumers.

Stop by Kalsec’s booth to explore the range of naturally sourced ingredients, including Durabrite high-stability colors, Herbalox low flavor and aroma antioxidant solutions, and natural spice and herb flavor extracts, including the Culinary Collection global flavor systems line. Developed by Kalsec culinary specialists, these authentic flavor systems are easy to use and cost-effective. The Kalsec Creation Station will feature interactive demonstrations to show how the company’s ingredients can help make products look better, taste better, and last longer. Kalsec, kalsec.com, Booth 2244

CULINARY DEMONSTRATIONS AND samples using Bunge’s on-trend ingredients prepared by the company’s chef as well as presentations by industry thought leaders are planned at the company’s booth. Scalable USDA-certified organic and Non-GMO Project Verified oils and grains are the main offerings that Bunge plans to showcase. Learn more about expeller-pressed canola and soybean oil, ancient grains in a wide range of ingredient formats, including flours, meals, and puffs, and milled corn ingredients, including grits, meals, and flours. Other key ingredients include new sorghum masa, algae butter, high-performance non-GM sunflower oil, clean label grains, extruded pellets and inclusions, and a portfolio of bakery fats that have up to 50% less saturated fat. Visit the booth to taste samples, network, and speak with the Bunge team about its offerings and reformulation support. Bunge, BungeCreativeSolutions.com, Booth 2645

TEXTURANTS, FIBER ENRICHMENT, and sugar and calorie reduction. Those are the three solution platforms that Tate & Lyle will emphasize with information about its ingredient portfolio at this year’s food expo.

For its texture solutions, Tate & Lyle will reveal its expanded portfolio of clean label starches, including several novel lines to be introduced under the CLARIA Functional Clean-Label Starches brand. Additionally, the company recently expanded its texturants portfolio of non-GM ingredients with 17 new starches, an expansion that marks the first wave of several new non-GM ingredients Tate & Lyle anticipates launching across its three solution platforms.

The company will also showcase its ingredients for calorie and sugar reduction. This includes highlighting the functional benefits of DOLCIA PRIMA Allulose, which reduces calories from sugar. In addition, Tate & Lyle will feature its sugar-replacement toolbox that includes SPLENDA Sucralose, PUREFRUIT Monk Fruit Extract, KRYSTAR Crystalline Fructose, MultiVantage Syrup, and its range of stevia sweeteners with its partner, Sweet Green Fields.

Finally, the company will promote its Health and Wellness and Enrichment solutions, including PromOat Beta Glucan, PROMITOR Soluble Fiber, STA-LITE Polydextrose, and PrOatein Oat Protein. Tate & Lyle, tateandlyle.com, Booths 2467, 2664

MIZKAN WILL DEBUT a new booth design and theme at IFT17, “Fresh Flavor Is in Our Roots,” which aligns graphics with the strength of the Mizkan brand’s motto, “Bringing Flavor to Life.” Mizkan provides freshness throughout its process, both as its products are grown and as the ingredients are processed. By offering a number of organic and preservative-free options, Mizkan aims to arm its customers with the tools they need to create the products their consumers want. Mizkan will also introduce a new organic rice wine vinegar and feature this ingredient, along with its other vinegars and peppers, in a rotating menu of two delicious and fresh chef-driven samples each day. Mizkan America, mizkan.com, Booth 3857

TRY A VARIETY of product concepts featuring ingredients from Ajinomoto as it highlights its booth theme, Enhancing Taste with Innovative Solutions. At the booth, attendees can visit a station where a chef will prepare comfort-food samples that deliver on taste without any of the guilt. The food samples will feature Ajinomoto’s ingredient solutions for sodium reduction, sugar reduction, taste enhancement, and more. Savorboost yeast and yeast extracts, for example, enhance the taste of products with umami, kokumi, or both, depending on the desired application. They deliver taste enhancement in low-sodium applications. Additionally, the company will show its newest sweetener, Advantame. This sweetener has an excellent taste and high potency in order to drive high-quality products at low use levels, according to the company. It is an ultrahigh potency sweetener that can be used to partially replace caloric sweeteners and other high potency sweeteners while maintaining or enhancing the taste profile. Ajinomoto, ajinorthamerica.com, Booth 1058

HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY to Global Organics. To celebrate, the company will focus on some of its key ingredients. For example, the company is introducing a variety of new ingredients made with Agostoni Italian organic chocolate and cocoa. The cocoa ingredient line now includes organic dark Dutch cocoa powder as well as natural and Dutch versions. Agostoni cocoa powder is one of the few cocoa powders that is tempered to improve shelf life, color brightness, and flowability. Other new ingredients include Fair Trade Organic Milk Chocolate, Organic Dark Chocolate Chips Made With Coconut Sugar, Organic Low Melt Espresso Flavored Chunks, and Organic Dark Compound for ice cream and snack bar coating.

Global Organics has been supplying a range of non-GM and organic sweeteners for 20 years. Organic certified ingredients include golden cane sugar, demerara sugar, whole cane sugar, liquid cane sugar, invert cane syrup, powdered sugar, and light and dark brown sugar. Other categories of organic ingredients offered are tropical fruits, which the company will showcase in the Organic Pavilion on the expo show floor, dried fruits for snack bars and mixes, and fruit and vegetable juice concentrates, purees, dried, and IQF made from fruits and vegetables sourced from farms and orchards in North and South America and Europe. Global Organics, global-organics.com, Booth 3012

ABF INGREDIENTS, A division of Associated British Foods, is a global family of specialty ingredients businesses, each specializing in its own high-value fields. All businesses operate independently. Collectively, the businesses maintain strong market positions across various differentiated and value-adding ingredients, including enzymes, yeast extracts, specialty lipids, emulsifiers, cereal specialties, and pharmaceuticals. Companies within ABF Ingredients include AB Enzymes, Ohly, and PGP International. Each of these focuses on its own particular area of expertise. Exhibiting jointly with ABF Ingredients will be AB Enzymes, Ohly, and PGP International. PGP International will focus on sugar reduction while Ohly will showcase its new launch from its ProDry ingredient range. AB Enzymes will highlight the benefits of the VERON baking enzymes. Read more about these companies later in the article. ABF Ingredients, abfingredients.com, Booth 2430  

GRAINS
More than ever, food manufacturers have a diverse range of grain ingredients from which to choose. Whole grains and ancient grains appeal to consumers seeking healthier food options while giving manufacturers the opportunity to call out the ingredients to set their products apart from others. Some consumers still demand gluten-free foods, so there are plenty of gluten-free grain and flour ingredients available to manufacturers. Suppliers are also bringing more organic and non-GM versions online. The grain ingredients come in a variety of formats, too, each with specific functionalities in foods and beverages.

FIREBIRD ARTISAN MILLS, a dedicated gluten-free and allergen-free mill, specializes in helping businesses produce gluten-free products that stand out from the pack. The company offers more than 40 different gluten-free flours and blends, including ancient grains, pulses, organic grains, and whole grains. All of its ingredients are non-GM, certified gluten-free to <10 ppm, can be custom-milled, and are blended and packaged onsite. Its proprietary milling process produces granulations that range from coarse to ultrafine to help flour perform exactly as it should to produce final results that food manufacturers’ customers want. Manufacturers can choose from ancient grains and whole grains like amaranth, sorghum, teff, buckwheat, and more. Firebird Artisan Mills, firebirdmills.com, Booth 5070

RICHARDSON MILLING OFFERS a full line of conventional and organic whole grain oat products, oat bran, coated grains, and clusters. The company’s team is passionate about finding solutions to meet the rapidly changing demands in the food industry. Its specialty milling processes can provide product differentiation while its fully integrated supply chain from the producer to the mill offers trust and confidence in the source of its ingredients. Taste, texture, and nutrition drive demand for Richardson Milling’s oat products, and major trends like sugar reduction, increasing fiber and protein, natural flavors, and antioxidants are incorporated into its cluster product development. Richardson International, richardson.ca, Booth 1453

AN EXPANDED PORTFOLIO of specialty sprouted grains from Briess Malt & Ingredients offers almost unlimited options for food manufacturers to address consumer demands for sprouted foods. The company has leveraged more than 140 years of sprouting expertise to define and develop true sprouted grains—grains that have been fully soaked in water to initiate sprouting, then heat-treated at the optimum time to preserve the sprout and healthy, wholesome character of the modified grain.

Insta Grains Sprouted Ingredients are heat processed for improved quality and safety. Available in gluten-free naked oats, gluten-free ivory quinoa, and wheat, they require no soak or precook, and they incorporate directly into the dough. Offered as whole kernel, flakes, and flours, they add healthy, wholesome flavor and eye appeal.

InnoSweet Sprouted Whole Wheat Powder is a first-of-a-kind whole grain sweetener that reduces “added sugars” while adding “whole grain” to labels. This 100% pure sprouted whole wheat ingredient is ready to eat and helps manufacturers achieve clean labels while lessening the impact of the addition of “added sugars” to the updated Nutrition Facts panel. Finally, there is a wide range of light- to dark-flavored pure specialty malt flours and particles. Malt, the original sprouted ingredient, will enhance flavor and color and improve processing in yeast-raised doughs and other baked goods. Briess Malt & Ingredients, briess.com, Booth 3926

BAY STATE MILLING develops partnerships with suppliers at the source to give its customers access to a wide array of plant-based specialty grains and seeds while providing full supply-chain transparency and traceability back to the source. The way that the company sources results in a reliable supply of organic, gluten-free, non-GM, and conventional ingredients. Part of maintaining the quality of the ingredients comes from using a nonchemical heat treatment for pathogen reduction. The company’s value-added process treats grains and seeds in the original packaging to further protect them from outside contaminants. As the new owner of CleanDirt Farm, a millet cleaning and dehulling processing operation in Sterling, Colo., Bay State Milling can deliver conventional and organic millet directly to its customers from area farmers. The demand for millet is rising as consumers realize its nutritional benefits and mild taste. Bay State Milling, baystatemilling.com, Booth 4070

MEET SAFETY STANDARDS and help keep ingredient functionality with a microbial reduction process from Healthy Food Ingredients. It is a rotation-based system that evenly distributes dry, saturated steam heat for consistent pasteurization and then cools the ingredients with a quick-cooling vacuum. The process is said to be gentle on ingredients such as Healthy Food Ingredients’ ancient grains and cereal grains and is an alternative to irradiation and other pasteurization technologies. Healthy Food Ingredients encompasses SK Food International, Hesco/Dakota Organic Products, Suntava, and Heartland Flax. Stop by the booth to learn all about grains, pulses, soybeans, purple corn, and oils. Healthy Food Ingredients, hfifamily.com, Booth 3212

TASTY PRODUCT CONCEPTS will feature the newest ingredient from Ardent Mills, Great Plains Quinoa. This local, North American–grown, identity-preserved quinoa will bring a consistent quality, predictable pricing, and scalable supply to the market, according to the company. Small, round, and light colored, the Great Plains Quinoa is available in whole seeds, whole grain flour, crisps, and flakes. The ingredient gives side dishes, salads, pizza, artisan-style breads, and more earthy, nutty, and slightly sweet flavors. The company will also highlight its Ultragrain whole grain ingredients, Sustagrain proprietary barley variety, ancient and heirloom grains, Sprouted White Spring Whole Wheat Flour, Simply Milled Flour, Organic Flour, and SafeGuard Flour.

Ardent Mills backs its ingredients with a coast-to-coast network of more than 40 community mills, technical support, traceability, food safety solutions, an artisan commercial bakery, an on-site bake lab and Innovation Center, and its Mobile Innovation Center, all located in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Ardent Mills, ardentmills.com, Booth 1062  

DAIRY
Manufacturers can use dairy ingredients to boost protein content, add flavor, or provide texture to foods and beverages. Cheese, milk, and butter are the backbone of many foods, but other forms like powders, isolates, and concentrates are important, too. Sample an array of innovative product concepts that feature a varied range of dairy ingredients. Learn about spray-dried dairy powders and their use in protein fortification in a number of applications in Session 026, “Innovations in Spray-Dried Fortified Dairy Products and Emulsions: Recent Advances and Product Applications,” from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, June 26.

THE U.S. DAIRY Export Council will bring trends to life with product concepts that incorporate various dairy proteins and permeate. The product concepts—a warm smoothie, frozen breakfast bar, switchel, and udon noodle soup—feature dairy protein and tap into the consumer trends of convenience, high-quality protein, protein throughout the day, and benefits beyond the label. The council represents the interests of U.S. dairy producers and it says that delivering on ever-evolving consumer trends can be achieved with U.S. dairy ingredients, as they consistently deliver the high-quality nutrition benefits and unmatched flavor consumers expect. U.S. Dairy Export Council, thinkusadairy.org, Booth 2270

A MILK PROTEIN concentrate-85% from Idaho Milk Products offers value in high-protein–enrichment applications such as ready-to-drink beverages and powder mixes for adult nutrition, sports nutrition, and weight management. The ingredient, IdaPlus 1085, can also make functional improvements, such as improved texture, consistency, and flavor, to fresh dairy products including traditional yogurts, drinkable yogurts, and Greek yogurts. In addition to this, yogurt manufacturers have experienced shorter make times and the potential to remove stabilizers, resulting in lower costs and cleaner labels, according to the company.

The ingredient is produced from fresh, pasteurized skim milk using a low-heat membrane filtration process to ensure protein is undenatured and remains highly nutritional and includes casein and whey proteins in the same unaltered ratio as in milk. It is said to have a clean, sweet dairy flavor and aroma as well as excellent solubility and emulsifying capabilities, delivering improved texture and hydration compared with typical MPC and MPI ingredients. Idaho Milk Products, idahomilkproducts.com, Booth 3813

INGREDIA, A LEADING producer of dairy ingredients, innovates to meet the market demands for high-protein formulations and targeted, highly functional ingredients. Several product concepts will be available at the booth. A high-protein fermented beverage with PROMILK 600A has 23 g of protein. Oatmeal packed with protein will feature PRODIET 85B Instant micellar casein, which increases satiety. Chewing gum will be made with PRODIET Lactoferrin, which is said to inhibit the growth of bacteria responsible for plaque formation. Ingredia, ingredia.com, Booth 2092  

SWEETENERS
Choosing the right sweetener has never been more important. Some consumers are drawn to pure cane sugar while others are searching for natural alternatives like honey and molasses and are accepting of other nutritive sweeteners made from sources like rice and tapioca. From more traditional high-intensity options like sucralose and aspartame to natural offerings derived from the stevia plant, sugar alternatives can also maintain sweetness levels in products as well as provide cost savings.

HOW CAN SUGAR be transformed? Domino Specialty Ingredients wants customers to turn to the company for the answer. In the modern food industry—where sugar is indispensable not only for sweetening but also for bulking, texture modification, and other functionalities—Domino Specialty Ingredients considers itself essential for good food.

Domino Specialty Ingredients manufactures clean label ingredients that include organic cane sugar, tapioca syrup, molasses, malt, honey sweeteners, rice, rice syrup, rice bran, rice flour, fondant and icing sugars, and a range of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical sugars. Domino Specialty Ingredients helps customers simplify processing and perfect their unique formulas. The company offers ingredients verified in compliance with the Non-GMO Project standards as well as Fair Trade Certified cane sugars.

The latest addition to Domino’s ingredient spectrum of dry sweeteners is a sweet touch of maple flavor, Qwik-Flo Maple, a granulated blend of crystallized maple syrup and cane sugar. Free-flowing granules make mixing easy, and Qwik-Flo Maple can add a taste of maple to beverages, snacks, meats, and sauces and is perfect for baked goods and a variety of other applications where sweetness and flavor come together to enhance recipes.

Part of the ASR Group Domino Foods, Domino’s family of consumer-branded solutions includes Florida Crystals, Domino Sugar, C&H Sugar, Redpath Sugar, Tate & Lyle Sugar, and Sidul. Domino Specialty Ingredients, dominospecialtyingredients.com, Booth 1444

SWEET ADDITIONS PROVIDES natural, non-GM starch derivatives and syrups from rice and tapioca. The company invites manufacturers looking to switch from corn and/or GM-based ingredients to learn about a variety of its clean label, natural ingredients at its booth. Its new formulations are designed for use in a variety of applications, including beverages, gummies, and bars that provide the lower sugar profile consumers are demanding without compromising functionality or taste. Sweet Additions can also customize its ingredients to meet specific requirements, and its expert technical staff is committed to assisting companies’ innovation teams with everything from new product development to application support to formulation challenges. Its manufacturing facility is located in Wisconsin and employs superior quality assurance practices and holds many industry certifications, including SQF Level 3, organic, kosher, gluten-free, and Non-GMO Project Verified. Sweet Additions, sweetadditions.com, Booth 1804

SUZANNE’S SPECIALTIES HAS been supplying organic and all-natural sweeteners to the health and commercial food industries for more than 30 years. The company’s full line of alternative sweeteners includes brown rice syrup, tapioca syrup, non-GM honey, molasses, agave syrup, and cane sugar. Suzanne’s can also create custom blends and systems. Suzanne’s Specialties, suzannes-specialties.com, Booth 3015

MATSUTANI CHEMICAL INDUSTRY Co., a Japanese producer of specialty food starches, maltodextrins, and rare sugars, will be showcasing the company’s rare sugar, Astraea allulose, at the food expo. This ingredient is the first plant-based, zero-calorie sweetener with proven physiological benefits, according to the company. Astraea is a monosaccharide and a rare sugar—one of approximately 50 that exist in nature. It carries just 0.2 kcal/g and gives true sugar flavor with no aftertaste, allowing product designers to formulate reduced- and low-calorie or calorie-free foods and beverages while maintaining the taste of full-sugared variants. Recommended applications include beverages, confections, dairy, bakery, and sweet goods. Astraea can also be used as a 100% tabletop granular sugar replacement and as a sugar replacement for hard candy and chewing gum at 50%.

Visitors to Matsutani’s booth can sample the ingredient in several sweet treats. In addition, the company’s R&D experts will be on hand to discuss the properties and benefits of Astraea and its use in a wide variety of food and beverage applications. Matsutani, matsutaniamerica.com, Booth 1335

CAROLINA INNOVATIVE FOOD Ingredients (CIFI) will be showcasing several new ingredients at the food expo. Carolina Sweet clean label sweetener is a higher-brix, vegetable-based clean label replacement for other sweeteners (including agave syrup, honey, brown rice syrup, and high fructose corn syrup). Carolina Sweet offers an ideal clean label sweetening solution option for premium applications like sauces and baked goods. Carolina Pressed not-from-concentrate juice, meanwhile, provides the superior nutritional and taste profile of the sweet potato for use in premium juice blends and other high-quality products. It contains all the key nutrients inherent in sweet potato juices, such as calcium, vitamin A, and potassium. In addition, the mild-flavored Carolina Clear clarified sweet potato juice concentrate adds vegetable servings and natural sweetness to juice blends and other high-quality products.

At its booth, CIFI will sample a smoothie made with Carolina Clear sweet potato juice concentrate and provide comparison testing between Carolina Sweet and traditional sweeteners. It will also showcase its Carolina Pressed in a beverage and Carolina Craft sweet potato flour in crackers and cookies. In addition, the company will have a white paper about shelf-life benefits provided by Carolina Craft flour in baked goods. Carolina Innovative Food Ingredients, carolinaingredients.com, Booth 3115

JUNGBUNZLAUER IS A global producer of biodegradable ingredients of natural origin. Its sugar alcohol–based sweetener range includes ERYLITE, the first natural polyol, a fermentation-based bulk sweetener. The ERYLITE Stevia ingredient blends ERYLITE and Rebaudioside A, and ERYLITE Bronze consists of ERYLITE, a coloring fruit extract, and a natural flavor to create a unique taste sensation. It also supplies a range of ingredients, including specialty salts, citrics, lactics, and its sub4salt patented mineral salt blend. Jungbunzlauer, jungbunzlauer.com, Booth 1862

GLOBAL STEVIA INGREDIENT company Sweet Green Fields recently entered into an exclusive partnership with Tate & Lyle for the company to deliver Sweet Green Fields’ stevia ingredients and solutions to customers around the world. Sweet Green Fields has extensive experience in stevia plant breeding and agriculture, in addition to deep expertise in stevia sweetening ingredients. Through this partnership, Tate & Lyle will provide customers with access to Sweet Green Fields’ line of steviol glycosides, including its Non-GMO Project Verified stevia offerings, certified organic stevia, the sugar-like proprietary stevia extract INTESSE, and the cost-competitive Optimizer stevia series. This range of stevia-based sweeteners will be supported by Tate & Lyle’s global network of application laboratories and scientists to help customers accelerate product development and speed to market. At the show, Sweet Green Fields will offer attendees innovative and tasty prototypes using its proprietary stevia products. Sweet Green Fields, sweetgreenfields.com, Booth 3470  

COLOR AND FLAVOR
Make a statement and drive sales with color and flavor, two important ingredient categories. High-quality naturally derived colors are more important than ever, as more and more consumers demand clean and natural ingredients in their products without sacrificing visual appeal. Color companies can provide bright, vibrant, true-to-life hues for all manner of applications while allowing consumers to feel good about what they buy. The latest trends for global flavors, bold flavors, nostalgic flavor, and flavor combinations, meanwhile, have product developers looking for ways to apply these trends to their food and beverage formulation efforts. Food expo attendees will also learn how flavor ingredients can enhance sweet, savory, and salty taste sensations or minimize bitter and other off-tastes in foods and beverages. This is especially important to manufacturers of products with reduced sugar or reduced sodium as well as products that are fortified with protein ingredients, vitamins, and minerals.

SYNERGY FLAVORS WILL be conducting a social experiment at its booth. Company representatives report seeing a huge trend in clean eating and overall interest in healthier and whole foods. Paradoxically, however, consumers are still drawn to new food and drink experiences that deter them from their normal, healthy diets. Therefore, Synergy’s booth will be divided: one side of the booth will focus on “Clean Eating,” showcasing flavored nut butters and organic beverages, while the other side will represent “Cheat Day,” complete with a gin and tonic ice cream float and other delectable sweet treats. Come by Synergy Flavors’ booth to taste and pick a side. Synergy Flavors, synergytaste.com, Booth 2626

THREE TASTE SOLUTIONS will focus on approaches to tackling challenging health and wellness trends. At the FlavorHealth booth, learn about ingredients to reduce calories, lower sodium, and mitigate off-taste in foods and beverages. By reducing the amount of sugar needed in foods and beverages by 30% to 50%, FlavorHealth natural sweet solutions address growing health concerns around calorie and sugar intake. FlavorHealth Sweet offerings intensify the sweet taste of both noncaloric and caloric sweetener sources while maintaining the same great taste. The company’s natural sodium-reduction ingredients allow food and beverage makers to meet recommended sodium guidelines while maintaining the same salty taste—all with a 30%–60% sodium reduction. The company’s natural bitter balancing solutions reduce the negative taste characteristics often associated with better-for-you ingredients like astringent tannins, plant-based proteins, high-potency sweeteners, and vitamins and minerals. FlavorHealth Bitter Balance products allow for a 40%–60% reduction in bitterness. FlavorHealth, flavorhealth.com, Booth 2046

AT ITS BOOTH this year, DDW will feature several new innovations, including purple corn color, NaturBrown ingredients, and EmulsiTech natural color emulsions.

DDW’s award-winning Purple Corn Juice Concentrate for color is a gold standard natural color. This vibrant red non-GM option with a neutral taste can be labeled simply as “vegetable juice for color.” It is gently produced without the use of solvents and has a safe, sustainable, and transparent supply chain that is controlled from seed to sale by DDW. It has the capacity to quickly scale to meet global demand, providing opportunities for significant cost reduction so customers can more cost effectively replace Red #40.

DDW’s EmulsiTech clear paprika and beta-carotene natural color emulsions are created using a natural emulsifier system and natural colors. These are the only clear, all-natural paprika and beta-carotene emulsions currently available, according to the company, and they do not contain polysorbate-80, sucrose esters, or modified food starches. They allow product developers to create a clear yellow, orange, or orange-red beverage with minimal flavor impact and excellent heat, acid, and light stability. DDW’s NaturBrown ingredients, meanwhile, are manufactured from 100% natural sources and provide an optimal balance of stability, flavor, and color. NaturBrown ingredients are kosher, halal, and non-GM. They do not contain 4-MeI and can be used in place of caramel color or FD&C brown blends in many food and beverage applications. Typical applications include bakery, confections, dairy, beverages, gravy, seasonings, soups, sauces, extruded snacks and cereals, and pet food. DDW “The Color House,” ddwcolor.com, Booth 1870

CAMLIN FINE SCIENCES, a specialist in the antioxidant industry for more than 25 years, will highlight ingredients from another category in which it has expertise—aroma ingredients. The company’s Vanesse pure vanillin and Evanil ethyl vanillin ingredients are commonly used in multiple applications, including flavors and fragrances, baked goods, confectionery, chocolate, beverages, ice cream, incense, perfume, pharmaceuticals, and animal nutrition. The company produces catechol, the basic ingredient used to make pure vanillin and ethyl vanillin, using an environmentally friendly, clean method. Its in-house facilities also produce guaiacol in addition to catechol. This allows for complete traceability. According to the company, Vanesse offers a rich and full flavor profile, imparting sweet and creamy vanilla flavor notes. It is produced via the catechol-guaiacol-vanillin route. Evanil is three times more potent than pure vanillin and offers a more concentrated flavor profile, which is an advantage for certain market segments and applications. During the manufacturing process, Camlin Fine Sciences' food flavorists ensure consistency in the desired aromatic notes through testing of each batch. Evanil is manufactured via the catechol-guethol-ethyl vanillin route. Camlin Fine Sciences, camlinfs.com, Booth 2436

CHECK OUT EMOJI Edible Glitter on a cookie and learn how emojis are becoming a growing part of brand communications and how to use them on food and beverage products to engage and delight consumers. Watson will also showcase its Edible Glitter made with natural colors and distribute a 20-page guide on the history and psychology of color in food and the use of natural colors. Watson, watson-inc.com, Booth 658

BIOSPRINGER IS A global producer of natural flavor bases and flavor building blocks. With more than 160 years of expertise, the company provides food producers with a comprehensive yeast-derived product range, including yeast extracts, dried food yeasts, and natural flavors. At IFT’s food expo, Biospringer will be launching a new gluten-free baker’s yeast extract under its Springer line, which was developed to enhance cheese notes in food products that traditionally have used gluten-containing brewer’s yeast extracts. At the show, Biospringer will sample a cheese sauce that has been enhanced with the new ingredient. Baker’s yeast extracts are a natural way to enhance cheese notes while bringing in specific savory and fermented flavor profiles to add dimension to cheese flavor profiles. Springer baker’s yeast extracts can also be a key tool in sodium reduction and can be labeled as “baker’s yeast extract” to meet the consumer demand for clean label; the ingredient is also Non-GMO Project Verified. Biospringer, biospringer-na.com, Booth 1644

A TRADEMARKED TECHNOLOGY developed by Bell Flavors & Fragrances for food scientists, Sweetech reduces the amount of sugar used by 30% in finished products without affecting the sensation and perception of sweetness. This technology can be used for, but is not limited to, dairy products, flavored milk, fruit preps and jam, bakery goods, cookies, confectionery candies, and ready-to-drink fruit juice beverages.

Sweetech provides an enhanced sweetness profile similar to sucrose or high fructose corn syrup. Unlike the traditional sweeteners, Bell’s Sweetech technology doesn’t contribute to any of the negative attributes that are typically associated with many sweeteners while maintaining a clean label. Contact the company for a free sample of Sweetech. Bell Flavors & Fragrances, bellff.com, Booth 3046

CHOOSE FROM A range of cheese flavors in a new line of Dairy-Free Cheese Flavors from Gold Coast Ingredients. The kosher and heat-stable flavors come in Cheddar, blue cheese, Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Swiss, Gruyère, Gouda, manchego, pecorino Romano, and goat cheese varieties. The company sells organic, natural, non-GM, allergen-free, and other flavors available as liquids, powders, powder encapsulations, emulsions, and advanced extractions that are compatible with any product requirement. In addition to being a wholesale flavor manufacturer, the privately held and operated company also manufactures color ingredients. Gold Coast Ingredients, goldcoastinc.com, Booth 457

AT THIS YEAR’S food expo, Allied Biotech Corp. will present its comprehensive range of carotenoid formulations, which now includes beta-carotene, apocarotenal, lycopene, lutein, and canthaxanthin. Carotenoids provide powerful, stable, and bright yellow-red colors and are excellent alternatives to many artificial colorants that food and beverage manufacturers are trying to replace. Adding carotenoids instead of artificial colorants to food and beverages can help manufacturers clean up labels while in some cases also providing extra nutritional benefits such as provitamin A and/or antioxidant effects.

The company’s portfolio includes cold-water-dispersible powders, tablet-grade powders, emulsions, oil suspensions, and solutions, which allow these versatile ingredients to be added to any food, beverage, or supplement application. In response to an increasingly important concern in the industry, Allied Biotech also offers palm-free versions of these ingredients. Allied Biotech Corp., altratene.com, Booth 3826

SOURCING AND PROCESSING extracts through its Taste Foundations platform, Virginia Dare manufactures vanilla, tea, coffee, and cocoa extracts. Its long-term relationships with growers are deep, which allows the company to uphold standards, while its market expertise lets it build strategic value for its partners. Consumers want products that offer health benefits without compromising taste, and Virginia Dare’s Taste Collaborations platform draws on the expertise of its technical team to use flavors and systems for taste enhancement and modulation to promote preferred taste in healthy and clean label products. One category of ingredients that presents flavor challenges is plant-based proteins. Manufacturers that wish to launch a new product formulated with plant protein can draw on Virginia Dare’s extensive library of taste-masking solutions to conceal the off-notes of the protein and deliver preferred taste. The company has produced a new white paper on flavor solutions for working with challenging plant-based proteins. Virginia Dare, virginiadare.com, Booth 2757

A WIDE RANGE of flavors for beverage, bakery, ice cream, marinade, and sauce applications is available from Carmi Flavor & Fragrance Co. The diverse assortment of flavor offerings ranges from caramel, marshmallow, bubble gum, and passion fruit to bacon, smoke, gravy, and pepperoni. The company has been a supplier of flavors to the entire food industry since 1979. Carmi Flavor & Fragrance Co., carmiflavors.com, Booth 3062

A TECHNOLOGICAL, ECONOMICAL, and consumer-preferred alternative to natural vanillin is specially designed for use in high-fat systems and products that undergo high baking temperatures. The use level of NATURAL PROVANIL-US7 from Prova is the same or even lower than that of natural vanillin. Along with this cost-in-use advantage, the company reports that there are technical benefits. The finer crystals that make up NATURAL PROVANIL-US7 allow for a higher degree of dispersion without predilution, resulting in a better flavoring yield while improving fat solubility and contributing to better heat resistance. The ingredient can also meet manufacturer and consumer demands for clean labels and naturally derived ingredients. Use it in chocolate, compound coatings, bakery, biscuit dough, fat fillings, cereals, and other applications. Using the ingredient is easy; a member of Prova’s technical team will work side-by-side with product developers when NATURAL PROVANIL-US7 is used as a naturally derived vanillin alternative. Prova, prova.fr, Booth 4244

COLORMAKER DEVELOPS SHELF-STABLE custom natural color blends. Its full-service lab allows the company to formulate color blends and test them in prototypes of the manufacturer’s product. The company mixes a variety of naturally derived components to create the perfect color for the desired application, whether by combining carmine, paprika, and caramel color to create a red hue in pasta or by pairing turmeric with caramel color to produce a bright yellow for extruded cereals. ColorMaker, colormaker.com, Booth 4733

NEW CLEAN LABEL protein ingredients add flavor to a variety of food products and appeal to manufacturers who are formulating products that meet the needs of consumers. Essentia Protein Solutions recently expanded its ingredient portfolio to include USDA-certified organic beef broth ingredients and organic chicken ingredients.

Retail sales of organic meat have outpaced sales of the overall meat market, which has led to the need for new ingredients, according to the company. Essentia’s new and existing beef ingredients contain no added MSG, are nonallergenic, and add flavor to foods. Its organic chicken ingredients are new additions to its ProBase line. “The launch of organic chicken, combined with our recent launch of ‘no antibiotic ever’ chicken and turkey, positions us as the supplier of choice for clean label protein ingredients,” says Corey Jansen, president. Like the organic beef ingredients, the organic chicken ingredients do not contain MSG and are nonallergenic. Manufacturers can use the chicken ingredients to add flavor to cooked poultry products, soups, sauces, gravies, marinades, and side dishes, and they can serve as a base for complex food flavors. Essentia Protein Solutions, essentiaproteins.com, Booth 1447

“MADE BY NATURE, powered by science” is Lycored’s motto, and the company has taken that statement to heart since its founding in 1995 to specialize in the research and development of carotenoid-based products. Lycored offers a variety of products, including those for flavor and texture. Derived from tomatoes, SANTE enhances taste, reduces the need for salt, and can stand in place of other artificial flavoring agents, while LycoFibers, another tomato-derived ingredient, helps stabilize texture for a uniform, pleasing consistency. Lycored’s colorant family, meanwhile, includes carotenoids sourced from tomatoes and beta-carotene derived from Blakeslea trispora. Tomat-O-Red and Lyc-O-Beta deliver a range of vegetarian-friendly yellows, oranges, pinks, and reds that are certified kosher and halal, are non-GM, and are heat, light, and pH stable. Lycored, lycored.com, Booth 1891  

TEXTURE AND STABILITY
Starches, gums, and emulsifiers can be used singularly or in combination to create an array of texture styles in foods and beverages. Texture is such an important quality of food and beverage products that many manufacturers even call out a texture attribute on packaging or in a product’s name. The ingredients also stabilize other ingredients to prevent separation and syneresis. One of the biggest trends affecting this ingredient category is the demand by some consumers for products made with “label-friendly” ingredients. To that end, ingredient manufacturers have developed texturizers and stabilizers from naturally derived sources or are educating consumers on the sourcing of ingredients.

THE LATEST CATCHPHRASE circulating throughout the food industry is “label-friendly.” With self-ordained nutritionists and ingredient “watchdogs” now using social media to advise consumers about “what is good for you,” food formulators are unveiling new products containing ingredients that may be perceived as clean label, according to Ingredients Solutions. The company emphasizes the word perceived because it reports that perception tends to ignore hard science and plays a significant role in consumer purchasing decisions. It also states, “As a result, several common food additives have become blacklisted as dangerous and consumers are advised to avoid [them].”

However, the company points out that some food additives are actually benefitting from renewed interest, and preference for them stems from name recognition as well as consumer perception. Stabilizers such as pectin and native starch have always enjoyed label-friendly status.

A newcomer to the list of stabilizers enjoying favored status is gellan gum, which is classified as a fermentation gum derived from the bacterium Sphingomonas elodea. Gellan gum has found a niche in the stabilization of dairy and nondairy beverages and desserts, where it provides both stability and suspension of solids in either HTST or UHT processing. The company’s Gellan GD is an unstandardized gellan that stabilizes flavored soy and nut milk beverages at extremely low use levels. Flavor release is exceptional. The HA type is favored for dairy; however, blends of HA and LA gellan gums may also be tailored to specific applications. Ingredients Solutions, isi.us.com, Booth 2123

A REFRESHING FRUIT-FLAVORED beverage will feature new MALTRIN tapioca maltodextrin, part of the MALTRIN T-Series from Grain Processing Corp. The ingredient, which has a neutral flavor, disperses quickly in beverages to add body and build mouthfeel. The other ingredient that is part of the MALTRIN T-Series is tapioca syrup solids. Both the maltodextrin and tapioca syrup solids are sourced from 100% tapioca, are non-GM, and are available in a range of dextrose equivalences. The company uses an all-enzyme, demineralized process to manufacture the ingredients. This means that the ingredients can meet Infant Grade quality standards and help with clean label product development.

Food expo attendees can learn more about Grain Processing Corp.’s other ingredients as well and try product concepts formulated with them. A savory, warm waffle snack will demonstrate the functionality of specialty starches INSCOSITY instant modified starch, which extends shelf life and maintains product quality through extended freeze/thaw conditions, and INSTANT PURE-COTE coating/film-forming starch, which provides crispness. A crunchy bananas foster–flavored popcorn snack will highlight the binding properties of MALTRIN maltodextrin. Grain Processing Corp., grainprocessing.com, Booth 3040

AS THE DEMAND for vegan confectionery products like gummies, foamed jellies, and multilayered candy increases, manufacturers need a non-animal-based gelatin that does not sacrifice on taste or texture. Avebe will showcase Perfectasol, a plant-based ingredient made from potato starch and potato protein. The ingredient is said to mimic the texturizing functionality of gelatin, both foaming and gelling. Another functionality that it offers is its ability to produce a wide variety of textures, from elastic to very short and from gummy to aerated. The company also notes that tasting studies have shown that there were no differences between taste and texture with using Perfectasol instead of animal-based gelatin. Avebe, avebe.com, Booth 1683

PALSGAARD DEVELOPED THE world’s first commercial emulsifier a century ago and it continues to innovate to this day. The company manufactures emulsifiers and emulsifier/stabilizer ingredients for bakery, confectionery, ice cream, margarine, mayonnaise, and dressings. The ingredients can provide improvements to structure and stability, shelf life, mouthfeel, spreadability, texture, and viscosity. Palsgaard, palsgaard.com, Booth 2450

SEVERAL NEW INGREDIENTS promise to improve or enhance the texture and bring additional functionalities to many different food and beverage products. At IFT’s food expo, TIC Gums will showcase two of its newest ingredients, Ticaloid PRO 192 AGD stabilizer system (gum acacia and gellan gum) and GuarNT USA guar gum. In beverages made with added protein ingredients, minerals, and vitamins, Ticaloid PRO 192 AGD provides stability to minimize separation, suppresses gelation that is often seen in dairy-based beverages, and emulsifies the system, allowing manufacturers to remove lecithin from the formulation. The other ingredient, GuarNT USA, helps build viscosity and control water migration in instant beverages, sauces, ice cream, baked goods, fruit preparations, and syrups. TIC Gums, ticgums.com, Booth 1050  

QUALITY AND SAFETY
Producing safe, high-quality products that retain their flavor over time is probably the No. 1 goal of any manufacturer. Today’s safety and quality solutions help prevent premature staling, mold and microbial growth, and flavor degradation so that manufacturers can present consistent, stable products again and again. For a closer look at the functions of phosphates and conventional antimicrobials and the search for clean label alternatives, make a point to attend Session 101, “Taking the ‘Ates’ Out of Meat Products While Delivering on Quality and Food Safety,” from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 28.

HAWKINS’ FOOD INGREDIENTS Group brings shelf-life science innovation by providing functional blends, flavors, and antimicrobials that address the overall challenges surrounding shelf life. The group’s specialties include clean label options, custom solutions, and functional and natural blends. Its ingredient solutions include natural, clean label antimicrobials in the form of vinegar and dry vinegar, as well the BindTite and NatBind families of blends. BindTite’s functional blends address color and flavor oxidation suppression, microbial and pathogen control, starch and hydrocolloid systems, starch systems for multistep processing, specialty protein products, functional flavors, and meat curing. The NatBind family of natural blends, meanwhile, is composed of phosphate alternatives that improve texture, improve moisture retention and fat stability, and slow the rate of oxidation.

Stauber Performance Ingredients was recently integrated into the Hawkins family. Stauber offers high-quality ingredients for the nutritional, food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and pet-care industries. Its product categories include amino acids, excipients, minerals, bioflavonoids, greens/extracts, carotenoids, enzymes, ingredients for joint health, oils/oil powders, proteins/fibers, sweeteners, and natural and synthetic vitamins. Hawkins, hawkinsinc.com/groups/food-ingredients, Booth 1626

IN TODAY’S HIGHLY competitive marketplace, Kemin provides food processors, manufacturers, and formulators with the ability to reduce costs, control inventory, and meet demand, all while providing the visual appeal and flavor protection consumers demand. Kemin invites IFT17 attendees to stop by its booth to find out how manufacturers can now keep food and beverage products “fresher, safer, longer” with Kemin solutions. Kemin offers both synthetic and naturally sourced antioxidant, food safety, and shelf-stability solutions.

Plant-derived extracts and synthetic antioxidants can preserve the color and flavor of food products, including the FORTIUM, NaturFORT, and GT-FORT line of plant extracts and synergistic blends that provide label-friendly protection to a variety of food matrices with no negative sensory impact. The EN-HANCE synthetic antioxidants, meanwhile, are proven to protect foods containing fats and oils, such as baking mixes, meat products, nuts, potato chips, oils, cookies, sausages, and cereals.

On the food safety side, antimicrobial technology from Kemin uses well-known, accepted, and effective organic acids to provide consistent protection, including the SHIELD line of liquid mold inhibitors for bakery and tortilla products. BactoCEASE, meanwhile, is a line of food safety solutions that extend the shelf life of ready-to-eat meats and fresh meat, fish, and poultry products by protecting against foodborne pathogens and spoilage bacteria. Label-friendly and synthetic options are available. Kemin, kemin.com/keminfoods, Booth 3845

CORBION PLANS TO demonstrate the company’s latest enhancements to its modeling tools and showcase its newest ingredient solutions for sweet goods and ready-to-eat and fresh meat and poultry products. These ingredients promise to provide functional benefits to manufacturers’ products and help them accelerate and enhance their innovation and product development processes. Corbion invites attendees to stop by its booth to learn how they can partner with the company to produce fresher, tastier, simpler, and cleaner products. Corbion hopes to show visitors how its newest ingredient products can help improve quality and consistency in sweet goods; meet the demands for cleaner labels with label-friendly, natural solutions for ready-to-eat and fresh meat and poultry products; deliver superior sourness in soft-panned candy while maintaining stability; create a sugar-free beverage without compromising on mouthfeel and taste; and meet a wide range of challenges in dairy products, from acidification and fortification to preservation and shelf-life extension. Corbion, corbion.com/food, Booth 1256

ALREADY MASTERS IN the natural preservation of color and taste in meat products, Naturex’s experts have recently developed new solutions for tackling the growth of pathogenic bacteria. The company’s new Cleanatis range of anti-microbials is designed to address the demanding needs of the meat industry for safe natural products that last. The range includes two synergistic blends of natural extracts that prevent the development of major pathogens such as Listeria and Salmonella, offering overall protection of the food matrix. With no impact on product taste, the blends can help meat manufacturers make a smooth transition to natural. Naturex, naturex.com, Booth 2457

SINCE 1986, GERMAN company Bavaria Corp. International has produced naturally derived food additives for use in marinades, injections, seasoning mixes, and other applications for meat, poultry, and seafood companies. Its Biotecta 200 P ingredient goes through a triple fermentation process using wheat and probiotic bacteria cultures to increase the shelf life of wheat- and gluten-containing breads without using chemical intervention. Biotecta Pro D, meanwhile, can be used to replace chemical intervention in any application to improve shelf life where milk and dairy are present. The Bafos line includes Bafos Veg, a 2016 IFT Innovation Award winner that eliminates chemical nitrates and nitrites or celery powder in cured-like meat products. Bafos Flavor Plus, meanwhile, draws on natural, plant-based herbs and spices to replace the flavor-enhancing capabilities of monosodium glutamate, and Bafos Red, a combination of dehydrated and concentrated natural spice and plant extracts, contributes a red color useful in soups, gravies, beverages, and other applications where a dark red color is desired. The heat-resistant ingredient holds up in canning and bottling while maintaining a long-lasting stable color in liquids and emulsions. Bavaria Corp. International, bavariacorp.com, Booth 1847  

SAUCES AND SEASONINGS
From single-origin spices and custom blends to fresh-tasting herbs and infused oils, sauces and seasonings can add the bold flavor consumers crave to set a product apart in a crowded marketplace. Salt is a key seasoning ingredient in foods, and attendees will have a chance to learn from salt experts how to choose the perfect salt for any application. They’ll also have the chance to sample the flavors of different types of sauces and seasonings and learn how they add new flavor and aroma dimensions to food products.

MORTON SALT INVITES IFT17 attendees to stop by its booth and let the team show them that no one knows salt like they do. At the booth, visitors will experience a complete line of salt grades and salt-related products, including Morton’s newly expanded sea salt portfolio offerings. Attendees can also explore a broad range of Morton’s innovative products at the Salt Inspiration Station and taste them in several flavorful creations. Morton’s ingredient offerings include the unique Star Flake Dendritic, which offers unmatched adherence, superior blendability, and a quick salty sensation, as well as PureSun Culinary Crystals that work great in a wide range of applications. Morton’s team of experts are ready to help customers determine the perfect salt to fit their needs. Since 1848, Morton has been committed to safety, quality, service, and the communities in which it operates. Morton Salt, mortonsalt.com, Booth 766

ISRAEL-BASED SALT of the Earth has been producing sustainable sea salt solutions for the global food industry since 1922. At IFT17, it will highlight its flagship ingredient, Mediterranean Umami, in a selection of chef-driven applications prepared by Chef Osher Edelman, an expert in healthy foods, to highlight the rich umami flavor and sodium-reduction ability of this all-natural product. Mediterranean Umami, which is made from a blend of consumer-friendly ingredients, including vegetable extracts, and sea salt, allows for up to a 45% reduction in sodium in a wide range of foods, such as meats, dips and dressings, soups, sauces, and ready-to-eat meals. The ingredient can help manufacturers address any regulations around sodium as well as consumer desires for healthier foods. Salt of the Earth, saltoftheearthltd.com, Booth 5019

KIKKOMAN, A GLOBAL soy sauce manufacturer, will demonstrate how it meets consumer demand for clean label, gluten-free, and non-GM products. Visit the Kikkoman booth to learn more about products recently earning Non-GMO Project Verification and sample innovative applications using Kikkoman Gluten-Free Tamari Soy Sauce, Kikkoman Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce, and Kikkoman Thai-Style Chili Sauce. Kikkoman Sales USA, kikkomanusa.com/foodmanufacturers, Booth 2654

OHLY’S THEME FOR IFT’s food expo is taste. At its booth, the company will be presenting a demo from its ProDry range featuring the launch of Non-GMO Project–compliant Cayenne Pepper Sauce powder. The ProDry range combines a full flavor profile with the benefits of a free-flowing dry powder in the form of a ready-to-use seasoning. Part of ABF Ingredients group, Ohly supplies yeast extracts, yeast-based flavors, and specialty powders for the food, fermentation, health, and animal feed markets globally. Ohly offers a wide range of products, such as inactive dry yeast; special vitamin yeast; yeast cell-wall derivatives; probiotic yeast; and autolyzed yeast based on baker’s, torula, and wine yeast; specialty powders; and starter cultures. Ohly, ohly.com, Booth 2430

MCILHENNY CO. SUPPLIES food manufacturers with bold TABASCO brand Original Red Sauce flavor in a range of forms, including liquid, intermediate moisture, and dry. Three different intermediate moisture formulations can meet the needs of a variety of food processing environments, while spray-dry flavoring, an easy-to-use, free-flowing powder that is light orange to red in color, is ideal for seasoning blends, beverages, and baked goods. Liquid ingredients are also available in a range of other flavors, such as Green Jalapeño, Chipotle, Habanero, Buffalo Style, and Garlic. In addition, the company offers formulators creation inspiration in the form of several test formulas, which show how Tabasco ingredients can enhance the flavor and profitability of their products. Ideas include Creole Catsup with liquid formulations, Sweet and Hot Pepper Corn Relish made with intermediate moisture ingredients, and Ragin’ Roasted Onion Remoulade made with dry formulations. Tabasco Brands/McIlhenny Co., tabascoingredients.com, Booth 1450

ACCORDING TO WOODLAND Foods, consumers are searching for bigger, bolder, more authentic flavors, and the company has answered this call with its collection of globally inspired spice blends and seasonings. Inspired by culinary traditions from around the world, the specialty ingredient company will feature an exciting array of their newest spice blends at IFT17, each capturing a unique component of classic Korean cuisine. Woodland Foods offers an extensive collection of diverse, culturally authentic spice blends and seasonings. From fiery Portuguese piri sauce to savory and sweet Korean bulgogi, each blend represents a unique, trending global flavor.

At its booth, Woodland will highlight its bulgogi seasoning, which is crafted to re-create the savory-sweet flavor of the Korean barbecue favorite. It balances soy sauce and garlic with brown sugar, piquant red chile flakes, and zesty ginger—all classic components of the dish’s unique marinade. Woodland will also showcase gochujang powder—which captures the heat and spice of traditional gochujang paste, blending piquant gochugaru chiles with savory soy sauce, miso, and subtly sweet black garlic—and kimchi spice, a fiery blend of gochugaru chiles, garlic, onions, and a unique combination of herbs and spices. Woodland Foods invites attendees to stop by the booth to pick up a sample of these new spice blends and discuss ways to introduce these and other flavors into new products. Woodland Foods, woodlandfoods.com, Booth 4014

FRENCH’S FLAVOR INGREDIENTS’ dry flavors can help formulators deliver intensely flavored foods without adding moisture that deliver on what the company calls the “Big Four Consumer Flavors”: buffalo, barbecue, Caesar, and Cajun. Available in FRENCH’s Classic Yellow Mustard, FRANK’s RedHot Cayenne Pepper Sauce, FRENCH’s Dijon Mustard, and FRANK’s RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce, the kosher/pareve–certified ingredients are easily reconstituted with water and provide multiple applications with one product. French’s Flavor Ingredients, frenchsflavoringredients.com, Booth 4273  

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
Adding fruits and vegetables to meals, snacks, and beverages alike indicates to consumers that these products are good for them. In addition to the health halo that fruits and vegetables give to products, they also add color, flavor, and texture. Ingredient suppliers can provide these ingredients in a wide range of forms and varieties, from juices and purees to individually quick frozen and freeze-dried. Attendees will have a chance to taste and touch many of these fruit and vegetable ingredients and sample a variety of product concepts that feature them. Also, take the opportunity to ask the ingredient suppliers about fruits and vegetable trends, such as the growing popularity of tropical fruits, how to incorporate vegetable ingredients into sweet applications, and which fruit and vegetable combinations are perfect for beverages.

A RELIABLE SUPPLIER of fruit and vegetable ingredients, Kerr Concentrates is dedicated to formulating ingredient solutions that fit its customers’ needs and providing an extensive portfolio of fruit and vegetable ingredients for clean and simple nutrition, vibrant color, and supreme new flavors. That may range from offering simple fruit and vegetable ingredients to create value-added foods and beverages to offering quality and processing capabilities unique to the application to developing customized blends to bring new and exciting tastes to consumers.

At its booth, the company will showcase the latest fad in sugar reduction: Sweet Squash, a proprietary blend of vegetable juice concentrates that provides the sweetness of sugar with fewer calories. Neutral in flavor and color, it can be masked in multiple finished product applications. The vegetable-based ingredient is also appealing for clean label development.

Kerr Concentrates also offers more than sweet ingredients; its savory line of vegetable juice concentrates can be custom-blended for dressings, sauces, marinades, soup bases, and more. Kerr invites attendees to sample the newest vegetable ingredient in its portfolio: it tastes like a cross between an apple and a potato, is clear to white in color, and is on trend in 2017. Stop by the booth to see if you guess correctly. Kerr Concentrates, kerrconcentrates.com, Booth 3091

GRACELAND FRUIT BELIEVES that everyone should have access to the taste and wholesomeness of fresh fruit all year long. The company has been perfecting the art of drying fruit since 1973, and the team is passionate about its craft. Graceland says its premium-quality dried fruits are valued by some the largest and most prestigious food manufacturers in more than 50 countries worldwide. Graceland Fruit, gracelandfruit.com, Booth 1819

JULY IS NATIONAL Blueberry Month, and visitors to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council’s booth will come away with knowledge about the berries just in time to celebrate them right after IFT’s food expo ends. Blueberries are available in a variety of formats year-round, and according to the council, the inclusion of real blueberries arms product developers with a way to add clean label texture, color, and flavor as well as provide a health halo. Virtually fat-free and low in sodium, carbohydrates, and cholesterol, blueberries are also a source of antioxidants, minerals, folate, and vitamins.

Blueberries’ natural sweetness also allows for reductions in sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or other sweeteners, and recent products using blueberries for sweetness include organic fruit smoothies, herbal teas, blueberry frozen desserts, yogurts, cheeses, sauces, and dressings. Blueberries also combine well with spices, botanicals, florals, and citrus, complementing, enhancing, and balancing flavors. Blueberries pair nicely with ingredients such as cayenne, garlic, mustard, tamarind, wasabi, tarragon, and mint, and the fruitiness of blueberries shines in chocolate-based treats and snacks.

At the booth, attendees will taste blueberry treats and discover how blueberries feed product development throughout the food and beverage industry. U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, blueberrytech.org, Booth 1566

SINCE 1956, MILNE Fruit Products has focused on creating fruit juices, concentrates, and purees from Concord grapes, expanding its product line to include more than 25 different fruit and vegetable varieties and more than 50 ingredient products. Milne’s ingredient offerings include the MicroDried line of 100% all-natural, high-quality dried fruit and vegetables, which are processed using vacuum microwave dehydration technology that gently heats each piece of produce to reduce the microbial load and retain higher levels of polyphenols than with other commercial drying processes. The process also retains the produce’s color and flavor and offers a minimum two-year shelf life when properly stored. The company’s other offerings include IQF frozen berries, low-moisture whole fruit and vegetable powders and Concord grape extract powders, and a wide variety of juices, concentrates, and purees. Milne Fruit Products, milnefruit.com, Booth 1466

ACCORDING TO BAKERSFIELD, Calif.–based The Garlic Co., a vertically integrated producer of high-quality garlic, this year’s central California garlic crop is looking good. From seed to formula-ready garlic products, The Garlic Co. takes the utmost care with product quality, providing the processes, on-site testing, and traceability its customers expect. The Garlic Co. offers a complete line of the highest-quality garlic products in an array of forms, including fresh (whole peeled, diced, crushed), frozen (diced, pureed), shelf-stable, brined, and juice. Garlic can add flavor to products such as sauces, salsas, dressings, soups, and frozen entrées, and products made with The Garlic Co.’s ingredients can include the claim “made with fresh garlic” or “made with California garlic” on the label. The Garlic Co. offers quick lead times and can usually send product samples out within 24 hours of a request. The Garlic Co., thegarliccompany.com, Booth 2530

ESTABLISHED IN 1980, Citrojugo is the largest producer and exporter of processed goods derived from limes. Based in Mexico, the company operates facilities in Colima and Michoacán in order to export essential oils, juices, and other industrial products across the globe.

Citrojugo is a fully integrated company, managing its own nursing trees, plantations, packing houses, processing plants, transportation, and distribution centers.

Citrojugo offers a range of key lime, Persian lime, and lemon ingredients, including not-from-concentrate juices, cloudy and clarified concentrates, essential oils, and dried lime peel. Citrojugo, citrojugo.com.mx, Booth 3379  

COFFEE AND TEA
Coffee and tea and the ingredients derived from them are found in smoothies, sweet baked goods, sauces, confections, ice cream and frozen novelties, seasoning blends, and beer. Coffee beans and tea leaves are processed into stand-alone beverages. In fact, these beverages are two of the most consumed beverages around the world. The raw ingredients are also processed into flavors, extracts, concentrates, and other ingredients. People enjoy the flavor of coffee and tea, so it’s no wonder that manufacturers are using coffee and tea flavors, extracts, and more in their food formulating efforts.

TEA AND COFFEE product concepts will showcase the brewing and formulation expertise of Amelia Bay. Stop by the booth to try organic matcha green tea with pineapple and mango, premium brewed organic sweet black tea, premium brewed organic unsweetened tea, and organic cold brew coffee with mocha.

For manufacturers creating a new beverage brand or who are simply trying to reformulate for a cleaner label and more balanced flavor profile, Amelia Bay is a one-stop shop that can work with all manufacturers from small to mid-sized new brands to national brands with a large established footprint. For those manufacturers who want to move their brand to multiple packing facilities, the company offers brewed liquid extracts to give consistency from batch to batch across geographic regions. Amelia Bay was founded in 1989 to develop new manufacturing technology to capture the true essence and taste of brewed tea and coffee. Today, the company’s commercial-scale premium brewed teas reflect the key ingredients and compounds contained in tea and coffee. Amelia Bay, ameliabay.com, Booth 1826

AIYA IS A leading producer of matcha green tea since 1888. The company’s mission is to share information about matcha and its health benefits through global education. It is a key supplier of matcha green tea ingredients to the world’s largest beverage and confectionery manufacturers and café chains. Aiya America, aiya-america.com, Booth 4423

COLD BREW COFFEE is one of the fastest-growing new beverages in foodservice because it delivers a pure coffee flavor that is perfectly balanced, distinctly smooth, and subtly sweet. But cold brew can be difficult to make. S&D Coffee & Tea recently developed an ingredient solution to address this challenge. Its new TODDY cold brew coffee concentrates, which leverage its proprietary commercial extraction process, deliver craft cold brew coffee taste with ease.

TODDY is the “original” cold brew, with more than 50 years of heritage, according to the company. The proprietary process and filtration system results in richer cold brew coffee flavor with no bitterness that comes from steeping. “Our TODDY cold brew concentrates alleviate the hassle of measuring, steeping, and filtering out coffee grounds when operators try to make cold brew at the store level,” says John Buckner, vice-president of marketing. “With our product you get authentic cold brew in minutes by the batch or by the glass, and you don’t have to worry about running out by midmorning.”

Two shelf-stable concentrates are available. TODDY Cold Brew Black Label Concentrate is a 4:1 cold brew concentrate that delivers a perfectly balanced cold brew coffee and can be enjoyed pure black or customized to a customer’s preference. TODDY Cold Brew Coffee White Label Concentrate is a 24:1 cold brew concentrate that is formulated with a more pronounced cold brew coffee flavor for mixing with dairy in traditional iced coffees or frozen coffee drinks. S&D Coffee & Tea, sdcoffeetea.com, Booth 1417  

FATS AND OILS
The clock is ticking: U.S. food manufacturers have until 2018 to remove partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) from their products, meaning it’s more important than ever for companies to find ways to replace trans fats in their products. Of course, fats and oils play a big role across all sorts of foods in a variety of functions, and many companies are focusing on highlighting the usefulness and uniqueness of some of these ingredients.

RICHARDSON OILSEED INGREDIENTS are free of PHOs and are the core of the company’s portfolio of canola-based oils, shortenings, and margarines. The company’s development of PHO-free products started more than a decade ago with the label requirement for trans fat. Richardson Oilseed’s products have been proven in a wide array of commercial applications like high-speed laminated doughs, donuts, pie crusts, cakes, and icing. Innovation continues with changing consumer demand, and the company is pleased to offer a range of products with no preservatives or artificial flavors as well as non-GM products. Richardson International, richardson.ca, Booth 145

QUALISOY INVITES ATTENDEES to meet their frying and baking needs with drop-in PHO replacements. At its booth, QUALISOY will provide information about U.S.-grown, soy-based PHO alternatives. This year, QUALISOY is premiering a virtual reality video to let attendees experience the story of U.S.-grown soybeans and the industry’s sustainable farming practices firsthand.

Watch Food Network star Chef Emily Ellyn fry doughnuts in interesterified high oleic soybean shortening and serve mini cupcakes made with the shortening. Oils experts Frank Flider and Richard Galloway will be at the booth to answer questions and discuss the benefits of soy-based PHO replacements. These ingredients can provide a more stable fat with structure and customizable melt points by using interesterification with domestically produced conventional and high oleic soybean oils. High oleic soybean oil is a functionally superior liquid oil that offers high stability, increased fry life, longer shelf life, and a neutral flavor profile without contributing trans fats. In addition, the company can create high-stability shortenings by blending fully hydrogenated soybean oil (a solid fat that contributes no trans fat) with conventional soybean oil, high oleic soybean oil, or alternative vegetable oils.

QUALISOY will present the session “Health Impacts of High Stability Oils” on Tuesday, June 27, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Panelists will share information on how high oleic oils, when added to the diet at expected levels, affect health markers in comparison to other oils. Panelists will also discuss sustainably grown PHO replacements. QUALISOY, qualisoy.com, Booth 2053

IOI LODERS CROKLAAN invites attendees to experience its Creative Studio–branded innovation center at IFT17. The Creative Studio offers customers a stimulating environment to develop new formulations, prepare them on an artisanal level, and translate them into industrial formulations, all in a very efficient manner. Sample bakery and confectionery treats made with some of the company’s newest and specialty fats and oils technologies, including SansTrans Roll-Rite Puff, which is designed for use in puff pastry applications. This ingredient provides excellent lift and expansion properties, creates uniform maximum lift, and maintains proper consistency during lamination. IOI Loders Croklaan USA, ioiloders.com, Booth 1662

CATANIA OILS IS a provider of conventional, Non-GMO Project Verified, and organic oils to the ingredients, foodservice, and retail markets. Its portfolio includes oils for a wide range of uses, including frying oil, release agents, shortenings, and specialty oils. Oil varieties include sesame, almond, avocado, sunflower, palm, peanut, jojoba, corn, and macadamia nut. All oils are available in drums, totes, or tank wagons, enabling Catania to provide solutions to start-ups and large-scale facilities alike. Catania-Spagna Corp., cataniaoils.com, Booth 4370

PAR-WAY TRYSON supplies a variety of ingredients designed to make manufacturers’ lives easier, providing release agents intended for a range of applications, including bread, cakes, and meats. In addition, its processing agents offer nonstick solutions for any food processing applications. It also offers glazes and adherents such as Bake-Sheen Glaze Adherent, a water-based emulsion egg-wash substitute that can add shine to baked goods. The company’s seasoning oils can add the flavor of butter, garlic, or olive oil to a variety of products, such as in breading, atop pizza dough, and on meat and seafood. The company also offers a range of ingredients for foodservice, such as its Vegalene food release and seasoning sprays, Bak-Klene bakery sprays, and Saragosa olive oils. Par-Way Tryson, parwaytryson.com, Booth 3772

RIVERINA NATURAL OILS supplies non-GM, expeller-pressed canola and high oleic sunflower oils that have been crushed, refined, bleached, and deodorized in a new state-of-the-art environmentally friendly vegetable oil processing plant designed by Desmet Ballestra, an international leader in vegetable oils and fats technology. The zero-discharge plant reuses waste water and contributes one-third of the emission levels of any existing canola-seed crushing plant. Riverina’s Non-GMO Project Verified expeller-pressed canola oil provides the lowest saturated fat level of all vegetable oils, according to the company, and performs well in a variety of food applications, including salad dressings, sauces, marinades, baking, roasting, stir-fries, and frying. Its Non-GMO Project Verified, expeller-pressed high oleic sunflower oil, meanwhile, offers outstanding performance in all high-temperature applications. Riverina Natural Oils, riverinaoils.com, Booth V115

AAK, A MANUFACTURER of high-value-adding specialty vegetable fats and oils, invites IFT17 attendees to visit its booth to sample a few of the company’s newest bakery and confectionery prototypes. Each prototype showcases some of the latest solutions AAK has developed for the industry’s current formulation challenges and will include AAK’s brands of multifunctional fats that are nonhydrogenated, zero trans, and low in saturated fat. AAK will also hold live demo events each day of the expo.

AAK’s team provides customers with 140 years of experience in the fats and oils industry, making them experts in applying these ingredients within food applications. Their knowledge of a wide range of raw materials and ability to employ broad process capabilities enables them to develop innovative and value-adding solutions across many industries, including bakery, chocolate and confectionery, dairy, special nutrition, and foodservice. AAK works with its customers to codevelop innovative and value-adding solutions to address formulation challenges of all kinds. The company offers a wide range of raw materials, including coconut, palm, palm kernel, soybean, cottonseed, canola, shea, high erucic-acid rapeseed, corn, Non-GMO Project Verified soy, high oleic sunflower, and high oleic safflower oils. AAK, betterwithaak.com, Booth 3840  

NUTS, SEEDS, AND LEGUMES
As nutrient powerhouses, nuts, seeds, and legumes are fast becoming go-to ingredients in food and beverage manufacturing. They serve as functional ingredients, particularly in the different forms and derivatives in which they are offered (i.e., ground, flour, oil, and protein). They contribute a variety of vitamins and minerals, and they are a plant-derived source of protein and healthy fat. Exhibiting companies in this category are ready to explain the versatility of nut oils or how pulse flour can add value and function to baked goods and pasta. Learn about how these ingredients fit into plant-based diets during Session 074, “The Plant-Based Diet Evolution: The Consumer, Scientific Evidence, and Food Formulation,” from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 28.

THE COMPLETE PORTFOLIO of soy protein isolates from CHS are now Non-GMO Project Verified. “CHS is meeting customer demand for high-quality, non-GM ingredients and is currently the only supplier to offer a full portfolio of Non-GMO Project Verified isolates,” says Kara VanKleek, director of marketing, processing, and food ingredients. Soy protein isolates are typically used to boost the protein content of meal and snack bars, sport and supplement beverages, and processed meats.

Other Non-GMO Project Verified ingredients that CHS offers are soybean meal, soybean salad oil, soybean crude oil, Honeysoy defatted 20-80 soy grits, Honeysoy soy flakes, Honeysoy soy flour, and soy protein isolates. Its Ultra-Soy unflavored textured soy protein is also available in non-GM versions. CHS has also earned non-GM certification from Cert ID on its soy protein isolates, Honeysoy soy flakes, Honeysoy soy flour, Honeysoy soy grits, soybean meal, and crude soybean oil. “Consumers across the country continue to be highly engaged in learning how their food is grown and manufactured,” says VanKleek. “As a farmer-owned business, CHS has a direct connection to America’s soybean growers, which was important to meeting all requirements of the stringent non-GM certifications.” CHS, chsinc.com, Booth 1053

FROM HIGH-PROTEIN, LOW-FAT roasted peanut flours to roasted aromatic peanut oils, the range of specialty ingredients available from Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts offers the plant-based protein, non-GM, gluten-free options that consumers are looking for. And these all-natural dry and liquid peanut ingredients give consumers the roasted peanut flavor they love. The peanut ingredients are kosher and halal certified, and some are available in organic versions. Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts, goldenpeanut.com, Booth 1250

AN ALMOND ORCHARD at IFT’s food expo? That’s what attendees can expect to experience at Blue Diamond Almonds’ booth. The almond processor and supplier will re-create the beauty of almond trees in bloom while showcasing almonds in all their forms. Visitors to the company’s booth will experience walking through an almond orchard, with opportunities to learn about the company’s R&D solutions, its versatile product offerings, and leadership in food safety and quality. Blue Diamond experts will be onsite to discuss the nutritional benefits of almonds and share tips for formulating with almonds in applications from cereals and confectionery treats to savory snacks and coatings. The company continues to expand its application development work in confectionery, cereals, bakery, dairy, and other product categories. In addition, Blue Diamond works closely with its customers’ research and development teams while continuing to develop creative new ways to use almonds as ingredients. Blue Diamond Almonds Global Ingredients Division, bdingredients.com, Booth 3830

WHEN CHOOSING A fiber, functionality, sensory impact, consumer preferences, structure and function claims, and regulatory approvals should be considered. Among the fiber ingredient options, pea hull fiber is gaining traction as a clean label, consumer-friendly ingredient that is nutrient dense, non-GM, naturally gluten-free, not a labeled allergen, and inherently sustainable. It also offers gastrointestinal benefits and reduces insulin resistance. Pea hull fiber is dry-milled from the seed coat or hulls of dried peas. It is significantly different, in terms of both chemical composition and functionality, from cotyledon or “inner” pea fiber, a by-product of wet fractionation used to produce pea protein and starch. It is an “intrinsic and intact” dietary fiber, permitted by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service for use in processed meat products, and approved by Health Canada as a novel fiber. Why do formulators chose pea hull fiber? First of all, it boosts the fiber and micronutrient content of gluten-free formulations, providing better structure and mouthfeel, and increases the dietary fiber content of nutraceuticals and beverages, with minimal effect on taste and mouthfeel. It replaces gums, corn starch, and soy protein isolate in batter and breadings and processed meat products. The moisture and oil binding properties improve baking yields and shelf life. Pea hull fiber functions as a nucleation agent to control starch expansion in extruded snacks. Finally, pea hull fiber is a label-friendly spice carrier and bulking agent. Best Cooking Pulses, bestcookingpulses.com, Booth 2232

FOR SNACKING INSIGHTS and more visit the Almond Board of California’s (ABC) booth. There, the board’s industry and culinary experts will address questions about California almonds, present the latest research, and conduct live demonstrations. Throughout the food expo, Chef Rob Corliss of All Things Epicurean will be available for individual or small-group California Almond Solution Sessions, offering a deep dive into the inspiration for this year’s product concepts and assistance with other almond-related inquiries. Visit ABC’s booth to schedule a meeting with Chef Rob any time during the expo or contact [email protected] to request an appointment.

And don’t miss two sessions of interest. Session 014, “Recent Developments in Pasteurization of Low-Moisture Foods,” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Monday, June 26, while Session 067, “Sound Off! Four Industries’ Success Stories for Environmental Monitoring, Food Safety Validation and Sanitation,” will take place from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 27. Almond Board of California, almonds.com/food-professionals, Booth 1462  

POTPOURRI
PGP INTERNATIONAL IS dedicated to providing high-quality food ingredients used to develop tasty and nutritional food products. PGPI specializes in developing a wide range of extruded ingredients, including cereal and protein crisps, as well as an assortment of high-quality rice-based flours and blends. Its selection includes cereal crisps and a range of various fiber and high-protein crisps formulated with hexane-free pea protein, rice protein, and soy protein for use in breakfast, energy, meal replacement, and nutritional bars.

At IFT’s food expo, PGPI will be showcasing its sugar-reduction capabilities in a Chocolate Almond Bar. The reduced-sugar cereal bar contains PAC-GEL, Crisp Rice, and Soy Protein Discs. PGP International offers an assortment of extruded crisps of various sizes, densities, and textures for the broad-based bar category.

As part of ABF Ingredients, a division of Associated British Foods, PGP International enjoys cooperative efforts with other ABF Ingredients companies. PGP International also has Global Food Safety Certification through BRC, gluten-free certification through GFCO, and organic certification through QAI. PGP International, pgpint.com, Booth 2430

THE INGREDIENT HOUSE is a global ingredient supplier whose portfolio covers sweeteners such as acesulfame K, aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, neotame, luo han guo, stevia, organic stevia, and organic agave syrup, as well as polyols, including erythritol, organic erythritol, xylitol, mannitol, maltitol, and sorbitol. The company can also supply hydrocolloids, such as carrageenan, cellulose gel/gum, tara gum, HPMC/MC, croscarmellose sodium, and alginates, and fibers including cellulose, oat, wheat, inulin, FOS, and polydextrose, as well as flavors and cultures. The team can also design a custom solution for its customers in any part of the world.

At the food expo, The Ingredient House will show its ingredients in a variety of applications. Attendees can sample the latest concepts in protein beverages, including beauty drinks, vegetable drinks, and dairy cereal drinks, as well as a full range of fountain drinks demonstrating several sweetener systems, including organic, no-calorie, and low-calorie. Visitors can also taste a sample of lactose-free yogurt and sour cream created using a culture that consumes lactose during fermentation. Finally, the company will be offering a caramel spoonable dessert containing 14% protein and no flavors or colorants and several types of kefir and chechil, a brined string cheese. The Ingredient House, theingredienthouse.com, Booth 4057

AS A SUPPLIER to the baking ingredients industry, AB Enzymes works with its customers to develop new enzyme solutions and introduce these to the market. As an international player, AB Enzymes has recognized the importance of developing enzymatic solutions for a wide range of applications, from biscuits to noodles to whole wheat flour systems.

The company offers a wide range of VERON baking enzymes for different cereal-based industries and application segments to give optimum baking results. Its ingredients range from food-grade enzymes to enzymes for animal feed and technical applications. AB Enzymes and its sister company, ROAL, have experience in research and development, production, and application of specialty baking enzymes. More than 30 years ago, they were one of the major explorers of the effect of xylanases in baking. AB Enzymes is part of ABF Ingredients group, a family of businesses that maintain strong market positions across various differentiated and value-adding ingredients, including enzymes, yeast extracts, specialty lipids, emulsifiers, and pharmaceuticals. AB Enzymes, abenzymes.com, Booth 2430

EGG INGREDIENTS SUPPLY formulators with functional, nutritious, readily available, and affordable protein-based solutions for concepts from appetizers through desserts. New application studies confirm the empirical evidence that has built eggs’ reputation as a trusted industry staple for decades.

This year at American Egg Board’s booth, attendees can taste fresh concepts and find sample formulations and the results of newly published application studies.

Research results were released last year detailing the functional and organoleptic properties of egg ingredients compared with replacements in ubiquitous baking applications, such as yellow batter cake, sponge cake, and brownies. This year additional application results are available relating to nougat, angel food cake, pasta, frozen custard, and pie filling. Shelly McKee and staff members will be on hand to answer technical or functional questions about egg ingredients’ 20-plus functional benefits.

Each day at the food expo attendees can sample one of three product concepts that highlight multiple functional properties of egg ingredients. This year’s samples include crisp Chocolate Almond Biscotti, decadent Flourless Chocolate Cake, and a Sponge Cake Mousse Trio. The samples use a variety of egg ingredients, such as liquid whole eggs, egg white, and egg yolks, highlighting the many ways egg ingredients can contribute to texture, mouthfeel, product appearance, structure, and shelf life. Each can be easily scaled up for an individual bakery or manufacturing operation. American Egg Board, aeb.org, Booth 1758

ENZYME DEVELOPMENT CORP., a supplier of enzymes to the food industry for more than 60 years, will showcase several new ingredients. These include an invertase with greater heat stability, a fructofuranosidase for FOS production, a beta glucanase for yeast cell wall hydrolysis, and a botanical protease, Cynzime, from the thistle flower, Cynara cardunculus.

The company’s “new” botanical protease actually has a long history of use in European cheesemaking. Cheesemakers in Spain and Portugal have traditionally used it in goat and sheep’s milk cheese production by making a tea with the flower and then adding it to the milk to clot it. The use of this flower for cheese production has been documented as far back as the time of the Roman Empire, and the enzyme from this flower has now been approved for use in the United States and Canada. It offers a true vegetarian, non-GM cheese clotting ingredient option for cheesemakers. Stop by the booth to talk about how enzymes might create new opportunities. Enzyme Development Corp., enzymedevelopment.com, Booth 3373

SINCE ITS FOUNDING in 1926 by I.C. Parker, creator of the famous “Drumstick” novelty, Parker Products has been dedicated to intriguing consumers with exciting new flavors, textures, and product characteristics. The company’s extensive line of specialty ingredients helps create innovative applications by promoting desirable qualities like mouthfeel, flavor, and appearance.

With a long history of creativity and service, Parker partners with food companies to create successful products through a diverse selection of ingredients, including non-GM and clean label, that are ideal for applications that include baking, dairy, beverage, confectionery, and snacks. Parker Products, parkerproducts.com, Booth 4926

AS AN EXPERT in the egg category, NestFresh works closely with each of its partners to develop a variety of products that are formulated to appeal to that customer’s specific needs. All NestFresh eggs are 100% cage-free and humanely raised. Its eggs—which are available non-GM, free range, pasture raised, and organic—can be sold under private label or branded in shell, liquid, frozen, dried, or hard-cooked forms. NestFresh hens are fed an all-vegetarian diet and are raised without hormones or antibiotics. In line with these quality standards, the company’s pasteurized liquid eggs also have fewer calories and none of the fat or cholesterol of commodity eggs. NestFresh Cage Free Hard-Cooked Eggs offer similar benefits as a convenient and easy meal solution with the farm fresh taste consumers crave. Its peeled, ready-to-eat hard-cooked eggs come from family farms committed to humane animal care and sustainable agriculture. Eggs are available in bulk to provide manufacturers and restaurants with humane alternatives to commodity eggs. NestFresh Eggs, nestfresh.com, Booth V228

ICL FOOD SPECIALTIES is focusing on protein innovation at IFT’s food expo, and prototypes at the booth will showcase protein management and other innovative product applications. The company will feature flexitarian/vegetarian meatless crumbles from the new ROVITARIS line. These deliver the taste and texture that consumers expect and work well in sauces, as toppings, and in formed meats. Attendees can wash the samples down with a powered-up tea containing BEKAPLUS BP 900; this clear whey protein solution provides unique functionality in high-acidity beverage applications. ICL Food Specialties continues to expand its reach and seek new protein sources and opportunities for differentiation for its customers to deliver unique and novel food applications. ICL Food Specialties, iclfood.com, Booth 3834

WITH A MOTTO of “Connecting Chemistry,” distributor Brenntag offers its customers high-quality specialty and basic ingredients and tailor-made supply-chain solutions. Brenntag draws on a broad global network to provide local expertise and is committed to connecting food producers and ingredient manufacturers. Brenntag, brenntag.com/north-america, Booth 2453

LALLEMAND/MACCO PROVIDES manufacturers with an extensive portfolio of products. Lallemand Bio-Ingredients produces yeast and yeast extracts for flavor and nutritional applications, while Macco Organiques supplies organic acid salts of acetates, benzoates, and propionates, as well as calcium, potassium, and magnesium chloride. Lallemand, meanwhile, develops, produces, and markets baker’s yeast, dough conditioners, and vitamin- and mineral-enriched yeast and probiotics. Lallemand/Macco, Lallemand Bio-Ingredients, bio-lallemand.com, Booth 3644

LAST YEAR, THRIVE Foods built a new state-of-the-art facility in Utah, the first full-scale freeze-dry facility in the state. Its freeze-dry operations allow the company to become vertically integrated for the retail brands it manages and supports. It also lets Thrive help other businesses that use freeze-dried products within their brands by building lasting relationships, being effective partners, and providing sound advice. The company produces freeze-dried proteins (meat, poultry, and eggs), vegetables, fruits, dairy (cheeses, yogurts, and ice cream), and fully freeze-dried meals. Thrive Foods also offers competitive turnkey solutions for finished goods manufacturing. Thrive Foods, thrivefoods.com/company, Booth V216

KUDOS BLENDS WILL focus on its ability to deliver nutritional benefits to its customers’ baked goods; the company believes that an ever-growing awareness of the need to maintain a healthy lifestyle means manufacturers of baked goods should take a proactive approach in helping the nation eat a more balanced diet. Rebalancing the intake of sodium and potassium, two key minerals in the diet, has been shown to have a significant positive effect on heart health by decreasing blood pressure, Kudos maintains. By replacing sodium bicarbonate in products such as cakes, muffins, and tortillas with the company’s KUDOS potassium bicarbonate, bakers can achieve up to 50% reduction in sodium without compromising the volume, texture, or taste of the end product. In addition, this ingredient contributes to the daily intake of potassium. Kudos Blends, kudosblends.com, Booth 2173

BASED IN SHANGHAI, Cotion distributes food ingredients and nutrients, including flavors, calcium carbonate, and high-quality sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and distilled glycerol monostearate under its trademark Codra that are obtained through exclusive supplier agreements. The company can provide products with different grades for a wide variety of applications, such as beverage, bakery, dairy products, and processed foods. Cotion, cotion.com, Booth 4501

GRAIN MILLERS IS a specialty grain processor of conventional, organic, and non-GM corn, oats, wheat, barley, rye, triticale, quinoa, chia, and gluten-free oats. It also specializes in certified intrinsic and intact oat fibers and natural hydrocolloids. Grain Millers, grainmillers.com, Booth 1850

 

Karen Nachay,
Senior Associate Editor
[email protected]

Melanie Zanoza Bartelme,
Associate Editor
[email protected]