Food‑tech leaders reveal why processing is essential for today’s fortified and nutrient‑dense products, and what it means for reformulation, functionality and the future of food.
The line between fortification and processed is blurry, marked by consumers’ growing awareness (and confusion) around ultra-processed foods and demand for nutrient-dense foods to support healthier eating.
While the term “processed” in food science spans a wide range of techniques – some ancient, like fermentation, and others as simple as baking or blending – the stigma around processing continues to deter consumers, despite ongoing reformulation efforts aimed at improving nutritional quality.
Reformulation often involves removing emulsifiers, artificial colors, certain sugars or salts while delivering neutral taste, flavor or color. But across categories, removing stigmatized ingredients requires more sophisticated processing, not less, experts noted during a panel discussion at Future Food-Tech San Francisco last month.
Consumers “don’t want ultra-processed, but then they want fortified ingredients. They want to have healthier products” – and that requires nutrient design, including fortification, explained Dager Florez, VP North America, Alianza – an ingredient company that develops and produces specialty oils and fats for food and cosmetics.
Processing as a prerequisite for nutrient design
Processing is foundational for adding nutrients, echoed Kathleen Alexander, co-founder and CEO of Savor, which uses elemental feedstocks like carbon and synthetic biology to develop fats and oils.
“The question has historically never been about how many steps it took to get a food on onto our plate,” but about “nutrition and toxicity,” she said.
The real issue, Alexander added is not chemistry but explaining to consumers that processing is required for reformulation, Alexander added.
“It wasn’t synthesis or chemistry that was at fault. It was accountability and trust,” she emphasized.
Why reformulation is a ‘Jenga’ tower
But reformulation is rarely straightforward.
A formula is a delicate balance of ingredients working together to create the desired product – like the game Jenga where “if you move one thing, you may topple the whole stack,” explained John Krzywicki, CEO, Checkerspot, a manufacturer of premium fats and oils.
“You have to be very thoughtful about what that [stack] is and have the right kind of ingredients in your portfolio to be able to make targeted interventions to get to the change you want,” he added.
This “food is physics” approach is common knowledge among food scientists.
“You can’t just start replacing ingredients and expect the stability or function or flavor delivery to remain the same,” according to David Lestage, SVP of R&D for Griffith Foods, which manufactures alternative proteins and functional seasonings, dressings and sauces.
Lestage summarized the functional roles of the most stigmatized ingredients: “Salt is responsible for hydration, water activity, browning reactions; fats are responsible for aroma release, satiety and mouthfeel; sugars impact stability and structure.”
Reframing the role of fats
Fats, for example, have come a long way in consumers’ minds as education around the difference between healthy unsaturated fats and saturated fats has sharpened their discernment on labels. But beyond the nutritional facts, fats serve multiple purpose in a formula
As a nutritional (and functional) tool, fats are “powerful” conduits to deliver on texture, flavor releasing, stability and satiety, according to Florez.
In fat design, the question becomes how fats can deliver nutrients consumers are looking for – especially for GLP-1 patients who may require smaller yet nutrient-packed portions, Florez said.
Ultimately, the final outcome of functionality in a product is more important to consumers, added Krzywicki.
Beyond nutrient density and toward molecular and emotional nutrition
Nutrition at the molecular level is the end game, echoed Alexander.
“Are the molecules we’re putting into our bodies the ones we need? … All solutions, whether ‘natural’ or ‘synthetic’ must be backed by people who share our values and integrity,” she said.
Yet, nutrient density alone isn’t the only design goal, Alexander added. “Is there a ‘joy density’ we can design for? Food is a source of joy – let’s make sure that stays part of the future food system,” she said.
