From the latest trends in all things spicy from Kalsec and Ajinomoto's take on the 'sixth' taste kokumi, to what Coca-Cola is looking for from startups as part of the IFTNEXT program, check out part 2 of our gallery of highlights from the world's biggest food science symposium.
As the hot & spicy trend gains traction, customers are looking for more "spicy specificity" in that they want to build a marketing story around the source of the heat with a named pepper (ancho, ghost, serrano, green hatch, habanero), said Gary Augustine, executive director, market development at Kalsec.
They are are also looking for complexity as well as heat, "not just something that will blow your head off," he added.
Sweet and heat combinations continue to trend, particularly in snacks, said Augustine, who showcased pretzels with chocolate, citrus, and cardamon at the show.
Kalsec is also seeing growing interest in Middle Eastern and African flavors in the US, prompting growing demand for the spice blends za'atar (popular in Lebanese cuisine) and baharat (popular in Jordan, Israel, Lebanon and Syria); the spicy North African paste harissa (made from dried chilies, salt, oil and other seasonings); Ethiopian berbere (earthy notes characterized by paprika, onion and ginger with hints of fenugreek, coriander and nutmeg); and bezar (popular in the United Arab Emirates - similar to garam masala).
Kalsec is also seeing growing demand for its 'zero degrees' line of heat-free peppers that deliver complex fruit flavors, without pungency/heat, said Augustine.
Ajinomoto delighted visitors to its booth with novel applications for kokumi (glutathione), a taste enhancer discovered in the late 1980s that has recently gained in popularity, said Chef Chris Koetke. "It's a peptide that has no texture, but delivers a textural impression, body, roundness, and complexity. It brings all the flavors in a dish together... it's quite remarkable."
The FDA’s move to include potassium as one of the nutrients that must be listed on the Nutrition Facts panel (it is also raising the DRV for potassium from 3,500mg to an RDI of 4,700mg) - coupled with its new sodium reduction targets - have focused attention on potassium chloride (KCL), a leading salt replacer, says Cargill.
It is also seeing growing demand for its Alberger hollow-pyramid-shaped salt crystals, which deliver more salty bang for their buck owing to their high surface area to volume ratio and low bulk density, providing superior adherence, blendability and solubility vs regular cube-shaped granulated salt.
The FDA’s decision to exclude allulose from the total and added sugars declarations on the Nutrition Facts panel has removed a significant barrier to uptake of the rare sugar, which has virtually no calories and no impact on blood sugar, said Ingredion, which has been working on applications in ice cream, beverages, yogurt fruit preparations, baked goods and bars.
The US edible insects industry has not attracted the same level of investment as other sources of 'alternate protein,' but continues to hold distinct promise given insects' strong nutritional profile and sustainability credentials, said Aspire Food Group COO Gabe Mott. Check out our video with Gabe next week!
A healthy gut is one with low inflammation and good barrier function, said Professor Bruce Hamaker, director of the Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research at Purdue University during an education session at the show on Monday.
But what does that mean when it comes to microbial populations? We're often told that greater diversity in gut bacterial populations is always better, he said, but this is still an area that requires more research.
When it comes to fiber, meanwhile, he said, the health benefits are most apparent when you consume 25-29g/day, whereas most Americans only consume c.13-16g/day.
En Solución won the $25k prize in the IFTNEXT Food Disruption Challenge for its patent-pending environmentally friendly postharvest wash solution for packaged salads, which encapsulates ozone gas (to tackle pathogens) within water 'nanobubbles.'
Speaking at an event for startups as part of the IFTNEXT program, Jim Murphy, VP, Strategy and Venturing at Coca Cola, said he was looking for emerging brands with a great tasting and differentiated product, a great founder's story, and a brand/product that is defensible over time, "so you can maintain your competitive advantage."
While one obvious benefit of securing investment from Coca-Cola might be a distribution boost, said Murphy, "Everybody thinks that the road to heaven is on a big red [Coca Cola] truck that goes everywhere. But sometimes, that's not the case. You can't just shove everything into the mothership."
In some cases, he said, it might be more beneficial for an emerging brand to tap into Coca Cola's expertise when it comes to procurement, marketing strategy and R&D.
If you didn't get a chance to visit our booth, checkout our FOOD FOR KIDS summit in Chicago November 18-20, which features an incredible line up of speakers from Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, Ocean Spray, and Chobani, to AccelFoods, Yumble, Curion, Freeli Foods, The Clean Label Product, Mattson, Beansprouts, Fresh Bellies, Peekaboo Ice Cream, Ohio State University, William & Mary, Brainiac Kids, Raised Real, Euromonitor, SPINS, KRa, Yummy Spoonfuls, and Serendipity Kids: https://www.foodnavigatorusasummit.com/speakers/
