The variety of flavors emerging in the beverage sector is a good sign that the industry continues to evolve. Health and wellness manifests in flavor profiles, as some brands try to convey that their product has a lower sugar content, natural sweeteners, or a portion size or nutritional profile that gives consumers permission to partake.

Some products want to be perceived as better-for-you or natural and use flavor as a mechanism to communicate their intended position, even though many flavors aren’t relegated to a specific category or product type.

In the “sexier citrus” category, blood orange has become relatively mainstream, though we at Imbibe would still classify it as more dynamic and sexier than a traditional orange flavor. Flavors we are tracking (and you should be, too) in this grouping include yuzu (which has seen 49% growth as a Google search term in the past 18 months), key lime (49% growth), calamansi (49% growth) and kumquat (22% growth). Other true-to-fruit flavors on our radar because of increased sample requests and/or product launches include guava, persimmon and fig.

Botanical

Botanical flavors have surged in popularity because they give the perception that plants or herbs are present in a product—though that’s not always the case. They often deliver a pleasant accent to a more dominant flavor, thereby avoiding the alienation of consumers with overt obscurity. With the popularity of botanical flavors, it's no surprise that many companies have already launched or plan to launch drinks in this flavor category.

Evian's Sparkling Mind mineral water incorporates ginger, basil and mint into its magnesium- and zinc-fortified line. Ruby Hibiscus Water is a 2021 launch leaning heavily on hibiscus for both color and flavor. Better-for-you soda startup Culture Pop showcases rosemary as the tertiary flavor (following watermelon and lime) in one of its SKUs.

We expect the list to grow, especially for products that tout ginger and turmeric, as these flavors continue to prevail across categories, predominantly in juice, coffee, tea and cocktail mixers. While our botanical flavor library, driven by customer requests, includes the two frontrunners, it also contains flavors such as lemongrass, hibiscus, orange blossom, various types of mint, elderflower, chamomile, clove, basil, cardamom, rosemary and lavender.

Health and wellness as a macro trend was only accelerated and amplified by the pandemic, which is still not fully in the rearview mirror. Across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, consumers are looking to improve their health through lifestyle changes, and some of those changes may be achievable through identifying beverages that support their goals, quench their thirst, deliver the taste and texture they expect—and in some instances, make them feel like they're a part of a movement or community.

As we continue to design custom and trend-forward flavors, ingredients that support resonant nutritional profiles and commercially viable products that push the industry forward, we will keep our industry partners in mind and share what we know so that you can innovate, meet consumers where they’re at and give them experiences they didn’t know they were craving.

This piece is excerpted from a longer article, “The future of functional beverages: Botanicals, -biotics, barely-there sweeteners,” which can be read in full by clicking the link to the “Raise a glass: Innovation in healthy beverages” digital magazine.

Since joining Imbibe more than five years ago, senior marketing manager Ilana Orlofsky has led the charge for numerous marketing initiatives that have helped clarify and amplify the company’s voice and presence in the marketplace. She embodies the organization’s value of building bespoke products as she delivers custom presentations laden with market and consumer insights to inform innovation pipelines for beverage brands of all sizes, and at conferences. With a bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Orlofsky has continued her education through various marketing-specific certificate programs at DePaul, Harvard Business School and Cornell University.

The ongoing clean label trend—exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic but well underway even beforehand—has seen consumers eschewing artificial and “chemical-sounding” ingredients in droves. These consumers are soundly rejecting artificial flavors, colors and sweeteners in their food and beverage in favor of natural, recognizable ingredients. While the reasons for this shift are varied, the general belief that natural ingredients may be healthier than artificial ones is often at its core.

A recent study published in the journal Nutrition, Obesity, and Exercise may now provide consumers with yet another reason to ditch artificial sweeteners—in this case, sucralose. The study, published Sep. 28, indicated sucralose, when compared to sucrose (table sugar), may increase appetite and cravings in women and those considered obese (JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(9):e2126313).

For the study, researchers studied 74 participants who, over the course of three different trials, consumed 300 ml of either water or a drink sweetened with sucrose or sucralose, an artificial sweetener. Over the two hours immediately after consuming the drink, researchers measured activation of certain regions of the brain responsible for appetite and cravings in response to images of high-calorie foods. In addition, blood glucose level, insulin and other biomarkers in the blood were measured. Finally, a snack buffet was offered to the participants, with their consumption monitored.

The results showed, for both women and those considered obese, that brain activity was increased following sucralose consumption compared to sucrose; additionally, levels of hormones responsible for indicating a feeling of fullness were decreased in the sucralose group compared to the sucrose group. Finally, women (though not men) were found to eat more at the buffet after consuming sucralose than they did after consuming the sucrose drink.

“Our findings indicate that female individuals and those with obesity, and especially female individuals with obesity, might be particularly sensitive to greater neural responsivity elicited by sucralose compared with sucrose consumption,” the authors concluded. Or, put more simply, sucralose was found far less effective than table sugar in suppressing appetite and cravings in women and the obese.

Food & Beverage Insider insights

“These days, natural flavors can barely be considered a desired attribute in products; rather, not having natural flavors is a barrier to entry for new products,” Philip Caputo, marketing and consumer insights manager at Virginia Dare, recently told Food & Beverage Insider. The same goes for sweeteners, where even natural sucrose is often vilified; artificial sweeteners like sucralose are increasingly becoming nonstarters for many consumers.

Those consumers who do turn to artificial sweeteners often do so for their noncaloric quality. However, studies like this indicate that noncaloric benefit may quickly be cancelled out my increased appetite and cravings afterward; a zero-calorie, artificially sweetened beverage does little good if it leads a consumer to then eat more afterward to make up the caloric deficit. Formulators would be better served, if seeking to replace sugar in a formulation, by turning to natural sweeteners to enhance the nutritional quality of their beverages.

Research and Markets reported the global functional beverage market reached nearly US$130 billion in 2019. Clean label sweeteners are a huge factor in the success of such beverages. With COVID-19 only serving to make consumers even more conscious of the ingredients that go into their food and beverage, artificial sweeteners should continue to trend down.

The findings, published in the journal Nutrients, found yogurt containing the probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 (from Chr. Hansen) worked better than a placebo at maintaining the community of bacteria in the colon. The findings were so positive that the NIH funded an additional follow-up study.

“This finding provides important new insights into the mechanisms by which the probiotic, BB-12, may protect against antibiotic-associated diarrhea,” said study co-leader Claire Fraser, Ph.D., professor of medicine and Dean’s Endowed Professor of UMSOM and director of the UMSOM Institute for Genome Sciences. “The new insights that we obtained regarding BB-12 reflect the multi-omics approach that we used in our study. This was possible only because of the different expertise that each of the principal investigators brought to this collaboration.”

Related: Probiotics may offer benefits for autistic children, study says

For the study, 42 healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to consume a daily serving-size container of yogurt containing BB-12 along with a standard week-long regimen of the antibiotic amoxicillin clavulanate. They continued to consume the yogurt every day for a week after finishing the antibiotic. An additional 20 participants served as the control group and were randomly assigned to consume a daily yogurt without the probiotic for two weeks while also taking the same antibiotic regimen.

Researchers found levels of the short chain fatty acid acetate, a beneficial metabolite produced by the microbiota, were reduced in all subjects after taking the antibiotic; however, the reduction in acetate was significantly greater in subjects receiving the placebo yogurt as compared with BB-12 supplemented yogurt. Acetate levels in subjects who received BB-12 also returned to baseline levels by 30 days, while they remained below baseline in subjects receiving the placebo.

About 1 in 5 people who take antibiotics develop antibiotic-associated diarrhea due to the drugs disrupting the healthy gut microbiome. Patients may stop taking their medications early after developing diarrhea, which could cause their original infection to persist. A small percentage may develop a life-threatening infection with the bacteria C. difficile, which can reside in the gut but is usually kept in check by good bacteria in the microbiome.

“An important reason why our study may have demonstrated positive results may be the timing of the probiotic administration on the day antibiotics were initiated by the study volunteers,” said study co-leader Daniel Merenstein, M.D., professor of family medicine and director of research programs for the Department of Family Medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine. “Starting the probiotic as early as possible, before the antibiotic symptoms have progressed, may result in a greater opportunity for the probiotic mechanisms to be expressed and may ultimately lead to more beneficial clinical outcomes.”

The clinical trial was led by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Maryland (UMSOM), the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP) and Georgetown University Medical Center.

Nestlé USA Inc. recently recalled nearly 28,000 pounds of frozen pizza due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, according to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The frozen DiGiorno Crispy Pan Crust pepperoni pizza may contain frozen three meat pizza, which contains textured soy protein, a known allergen not declared on the label, FSIS said in a Sept. 26 announcement.

“People who are allergic to soy could have an allergic reaction and should not consume the product,” Nestlé cautioned in a separate news release announcing the recall.

Nestlé said it discovered the problem after a consumer contacted the firm. “A limited quantity of the product with mismatched packaging was distributed to retailers in the U.S., only,” the company explained, adding the recall does not impact any other DiGiorno products.

FSIS and Nestlé said there are no verified reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of the products, which were shipped nationwide to retail locations and distribution centers.

Nestlé recommended consumers contact a healthcare provider if they are concerned about an allergic reaction, illness or injury.

The products subject to recall bear inside the USDA mark of inspection establishment number “EST. 1682A,” which is a Nestlé-owned business called Nation Pizza Products Ltd, according to FSIS’s announcement.

Nestlé produced the pizza products on June 30, and they feature a “best by” date of March 2022. FSIS urged consumers who may have stored the products in their freezers not to consume them and to either discard the products or return them to the place of purchase. But Nestlé said the products don’t pose any safety concerns to consumers who are not allergic to soy.

“The quality, safety and integrity of Nestlé USA and DiGiorno products remain our number one priority,” Nestlé said in its press release. “We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this action represents to both our consumers and retail customers.”

Over the last several years, plant-based eating has skyrocketed; what was once a niche market has become mainstream as plant-based meats and milks have become mainstays in grocery stores and in food service. However, this increased consumer interest in plant-based doesn’t mean traditional meat and milk are going anywhere anytime soon, nor does it mean such products can’t be consumed in a healthy way.

While the plant-based milk market continues to see exciting growth—Global Market Insights, Inc. predicts the market to reach US$21 billion by 2026—traditional dairy still reigns supreme. For comparison, Grand View Research predicts the dairy market to reach $586 billion in 2027, with about one-third of that ($195 billion) coming from milk.

The choice for consumers need not be between traditional dairy or a healthier alternative, and a recent Swedish study has indicated those who consume more traditional dairy fats may find themselves at lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than those with lower intakes (PLOS Medicine 18(9): e1003763).

For the study, 4,150 Swedish 60-year-olds were studied, with their dairy consumption measured by checking levels of pentadecanoic acid, a biomarker of dairy fat intake. Those individuals were then followed for an average of 16 years “to observe how many had heart attacks, strokes and other serious circulatory events, and how many of them died.”

The study authors found, “In multivariable-adjusted models, higher [pentadecanoic acid] was associated with lower incident CVD risk in a linear dose–response manner. The authors also found this trend in 17 other studies, noting, “in a meta-analysis of 18 observational studies including our new cohort study, higher levels of [pentadecanoic acid] and [heptadecanoic acid, another dairy fat biomarker] were associated with lower CVD risk.” These outcomes were also adjusted for other known CVD risks, including age, income and other dietary factors.

“While the findings may be partly influenced by factors other than dairy fat, our study does not suggest any harm of dairy fat per se," said Matti Marklund, Ph.D., joint senior author of the study, in a statement.

“Our study suggests that cutting down on dairy fat or avoiding dairy altogether might not be the best choice for heart health," added Kathy Trieu, Ph.D., lead author. "It is important to remember that although dairy foods can be rich in saturated fat, they are also rich in many other nutrients and can be a part of a healthy diet.”

Specialty diets have reached mainstream proliferation and carry a health halo that appeals to consumers across the board. Baked goods are no exception, and ingredient suppliers are offering new solutions to meet demand.

Brands can expect continued interest in gluten-free claims, with Mordor Intelligence projecting sales of gluten-free baked goods to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.24% between 2019 and 2024. Drivers include the health halo that surrounds gluten-free eating, as well as the number of consumers who are turning to a gluten-free diet to manage weight. What’s most important for formulators, pointed out Steven Gumeny, product manager for rice ingredients at BENEO Inc., is that these products match the texture found in conventional baked goods.

At BENEO, rice starch is the solution of choice for gluten-free baking, since it can prevent breakage in biscuits and serve as a partial substitute for wheat flour in cakes and breads. What makes rice starch and flours particularly beneficial for soft gluten-free baked goods like cakes, cookies and bars is that they promote water retention during the baking process, Gumeny explained, leading to enhanced crumb structure, volume and moistness. “Unlike other food starches commonly used in the food industry,” he added, “rice starch is unique in its small starch granule size, making it an ideal starch when it comes to improving dough workability and crumb structure in gluten-free bakery items.” Plus, he elaborated, micronized rice flour can provide more available starch compared to dry milled flour, which can improve oven spring and volume in cakes. It also has excellent stability, thanks to its unique molecular structure of both amylose and amylopectin polymers, which can come in handy for applications where shelf life or freeze-thaw stability are important.

Beyond rice products, corn, oat, almond, coconut, hemp seed, chickpeas and sweet potatoes are emerging ingredients for gluten-free bakers, said Eugenia Erlij, vice president of marketing and communications for Innophos. “Gluten-free products may also be positioned as keto or paleo,” she reminded, opening the door for cross-marketing with other trending diets.

The biggest challenge bakeries will face in creating gluten-free offerings, of course, is that a key piece of the recipe is missing. “Without gluten, the dough could lose its viscoelastic structure, and it will have poor machinability, major handling issues and poor yield,” detailed Anita Srivastava, senior bakery technical services manager at Kemin—not to mention dry and brittle mouthfeel and a bitter aftertaste. At Kemin, hydrocolloids together with plant protein provide a suitable solution for dough texture challenges. For example, citrus fibers, bamboo fiber and other vegetable fibers used in conjunction with lentil proteins have been able to achieve similar structural integrity to conventional dough.

Tangential to the gluten-free trend is the keto trend, which can have a major impact on bakery since it calls for the elimination of many of the category’s key ingredients such as sugar, carbs and some fats.

Of these, low-sugar claims are going to be incredibly important for bakery brands going forward, as ADM Outside Voice research showed that 8 out of 10 consumers intentionally avoid or reduce sugar in their diets and, of those, 70% find sugar reduction to be most important for baked goods. At the same time, Kerry research showed that nostalgic and sweet flavors are trending. Peggy Dantuma, business development director of bakery at Kerry, recommended balancing these demands by offering “acceptable sweetness,” leveraging ingredients like banana, brown sugar, coconut sugar, dark chocolate, date, fig, honey and maple. At Cargill, a reduced-sugar corn or tapioca syrup might fit the bill if the goal is to reduce added sugars on a product’s label.

BENEO’s chicory root fiber can also reduce sugar as well as fat content, since it can stabilize water into a creamy structure to mimic fat (which is important for fillings), Gumeny said. “It is soluble and comes with a mild and natural taste, which enables smart sugar reduction while maintaining taste and texture and also increasing the fiber content,” he added.

As for the low-carb aspect of the keto trend, SPINS data indicated increased interest; sales of low-carb bread and baked goods grew about 26% since last year. The biggest challenge is that baked goods are traditionally high in carbs, and when bakers try to create low-carb or low-net-carb products, they are typically met with production challenges that require complete product reformulations or unacceptable changes to a product’s taste or texture.

After more than a decade of formulating, Ardent Mills recently introduced its new Low Net Carb Flour Blend, which can replace conventional flour without compromising taste, texture or functionality. Matthew Schueller, director of marketing insights and analytics at Ardent Mills, said it’s also made without the addition of nuts or nut flour, allowing food manufacturers to run on their current equipment without any changes. The blend is keto certified by the Paleo Foundation, non-GMO certified, dairy-free and vegan, has no added sugar and contains fiber.

The healthy fats component of the keto diet has driven interest in baked goods with less saturated fat and more mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Andrea Weis, scientist II at AAK USA Inc., suggested while soybean and sunflower oils offer greater levels of oleic acid and can improve ingredients panels, their usage also requires some additional formulation considerations, as liquid oil more efficiently coats the gluten strands and creates a more tender and fragile baked good. To meet demand, AAK developed a reduced saturated fat bakery shortening called Essence 8633, made from canola and palm oils. It contains just 24% saturated fat, representing a 50% reduction compared to traditional shortening. AAK also offers Cisao 82-85 Baker’s Margarine, formulated with a blend of palm and soybean oils, which contains just 49% saturated fat compared to butter’s 63% saturated fat, and can be used to substitute all or a portion of butter in a bakery product.

This excerpt is from a longer feature in the “Fresh baked: Blue ribbon strategies for the bakery aisle” digital magazine. Click the link to access the issue, and select “Expectations rising for center-of-store baked goods” on the TOC to read more.

Melissa Kvidahl Reilly is a freelance writer and editor with 10 years of experience covering news and trends in the natural, organic and supplement markets. She lives and works in New Jersey.

Givaudan launches new protein hub in Zurich

Givaudan expanded its global protein innovation network with a new Protein Hub at its flagship Zurich Innovation Centre in Kemptthal, Switzerland. The Protein Hub builds on Givaudan’s industry leading expertise in taste, texture, colors, proteins and ingredients, and provides the experts, technologies and equipment to help accelerate the development of alternative proteins.

Equipped with a state-of-the-art development kitchen and a pilot plant that includes a new high-moisture extrusion machine, the Protein Hub is an integral part of Givaudan’s global protein innovation network. Customers can utilize the hub to work on all types of applications and every aspect of the product development process, from initial ideation and consumer insights to hands on prototyping sessions—all with the aim of getting products to market quickly.

The opening of the ZIC Protein Hub follows the launch of Givaudan’s APAC Protein Innovation Centre in Singapore in April 2021. “Around the world, many consumers are shifting to plant-based options and other alternatives for health and ethical reasons,” said Louie D’Amico, President, Taste & Wellbeing. “The Protein Hub brings together customers, start-ups, academics, chefs and other partners to co-create protein experiences that not only taste great, but are good for body, mind and planet.”

Kerry completes Niacet acquisition

Kerry has completed its acquisition of Niacet, a global leader in conventional and clean label preservation solutions.

Niacet is a leader in the bakery sector and has cost-effective low-sodium preservation systems for meat and plant-based food applications. The deal strengthens Kerry’s portfolio of clean label food protection, preservation technologies and leadership position by the addition of complementary technologies while also accelerating its growth. The increased selection of preservation solutions and innovative food protection systems combined with the complete taste and nutrition offering will support Kerry and its broad global customer base to solve the world’s most complex food protection challenges.

Kerry will build upon the commercial reach of Niacet’s market-leading brands by adding the breadth and depth of its global network, innovation and application centers of excellence as well as its taste and nutrition expertise.

Prinova acquires The Ingredient House

Prinova Group LLC announced an agreement to acquire The Ingredient House LLC, a global player in the sweetener, polyol and specialty ingredient sectors. The deal represents another stride forward in Prinova’s history of growth in the ingredient distribution space.

The Ingredient House, a supplier of ingredients to the global food and beverage industry, has experienced substantial growth since its inception in 2006 through strategic partnerships with global branded customers and offshore manufacturers. Key to its success is the implementation of and adherence to improved quality standards to consistently deliver the global supply chain needs of its food and beverage customers.

Prinova has experienced substantial growth in flavor manufacturing, premix manufacturing, and its flagship ingredient distribution offering. The acquisition is an opportunity for Prinova to further leverage industry relationships and integrate The Ingredient House’s unique supply chain advantages into its existing business.

CP Kelco invests $50 million to expand citrus fiber production

CP Kelco is investing more than $50 million to add a second NUTRAVA citrus fiber production line at the company’s facility in Matão, Brazil. The expansion will increase total capacity to approximately 5,000 metric tons and establish CP Kelco as a leading citrus fiber supplier to food, beverage and consumer product manufacturers worldwide.

The new production line is expected to be complete and operational in 2023, with options to incrementally expand capacity in the future based on customer needs.

Launched in December 2019, NUTRAVA Citrus Fiber is a unique, next-generation ingredient made from sustainably sourced citrus peels, a byproduct of the juicing industry. Developed in response to continuing consumer demand for food and beverage products with less ingredients, less sugar and less fat, it can help brands meet clean label needs while achieving critical functionality that ensures desired taste and texture. Key applications include condiments, dressings, soups, fruit-flavored beverages, bakery goods, and dairy and alternative protein products.

GOOD Meat raises $267 million to expand cell-cultured meat operations

GOOD Meat, a division on Eat Just Inc., has secured an additional $97 in new funding, adding to its initial $170 million in funding in May 2021. The overall $267 million will be used to help GOOD Meat increase capacity and accelerate research and development for high-quality, real meat made directly from animal cells.

Good Meat also named Dan Glickman, who served as USDA secretary from March 1995 to January 2001, to its Advisory Board, and Jim Borel, former executive vice president of DuPont, to its Board of Directors.

The investment and additions of Glickman and Borel follow GOOD Meat’s announcement earlier this month that it plans to build the first-ever cultivated meat facility in the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) region through a partnership with Doha Venture Capital and Qatar Free Zones Authority. The QFZA and the Ministry of Public Health have indicated their intention to grant regulatory approval for GOOD Meat cultivated chicken soon.