Food Ingredients Europe: best in show preview

Join this month’s Food Ingredients Europe show to catch up on trends and new products on the market, says Gary Scattergood

Key points

With the global food ingredients market forecasted to grow by 2.7%, in 2013, the industry is flourishing as it strives to meet the requirements of ever-changing consumer trends.

Add into the mix global population growth and the increasing affluence of the developing world, and it is no surprise that the food ingredients industry has become an intensely dynamic landscape – as visitors to this year's Food Ingredients Europe (FiE) show will no doubt discover.

The show, now in its 26th year, takes place from November 19 to 21 in Frankfurt, Germany.

This year the event has an unrivalled line up of more than 1,300 world-class exhibitors, all offering solutions for innovative food and beverage applications.

Access a global market (Return to top)

Attracting a global audience of over 26,000 attendees from all aspects of the food industry, 92% of those who visited in 2011 said it led to new business for their companies.

Ahead of this year’s show, Dana Ruso, from FiE, lifted the lid on what will be new at this year’s events.

She says organisers have made great efforts to increase the innovation and learning opportunities for visitors.

“This year there will be 73% more educational features available onsite, and with 140 new exhibitors booked, you are sure to discover the ingredients and solutions you are looking for,” she says.

New for this year is the Industry Insight Theatre, which will offer “30-minute content-rich workshops and educational seminars” presenting the latest trends and innovations in the food and drink industry.

These workshops will be presented by leading associations, research companies and scholars such as NVC, Euromonitor, EAS, GOED, Canadean, Leatherhead Food Research (LFR) and Food Valley.

These will be held in addition to the returning 25-minute seminar sessions to inform visitors about the latest innovations and news.

“Key exhibitors will present new product applications, cutting-edge technology and practical insights. Alongside these, a variety of educational seminars will be provided by Mintel throughout the event,” says Ruso. Companies such as Euromonitor, Leatherhead and Mintel will also be offering one-to-one ask the ‘expert’ sessions.

Visitors who want to hear about the latest developments, research findings and academic activities can attend a three-day conference, which is being staged alongside the show. This year’s conference has been divided into 20 modules and addresses the most important issues faced by the food industry today.

Ruso says: “Each module will feature a line-up of expert speakers from leading food and beverage manufacturers, ingredients suppliers and research organisations. More than 70 speakers will present, including senior managers from Mars, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Marlow Foods, Marks & Spencer and Cocofina.

“The conferences will focus on the hottest topics within the industry and address key trends in dairy, beverages, botanicals, natural ingredients, functional foods and reformulation solutions,” adds Ruso.

New product zone (Return to top)

Elsewhere at the event, the new product zone will showcase 36 new products highlighting recent launches from exhibitors at the forefront of innovation in the industry.

“It is the perfect opportunity to give new products a proper introduction to the market for all to see,” adds Ruso.

Other attractions include Innova Market insights’ ‘Ingredients in Action’ application bar where visitors can use all five senses to explore how the latest ingredients are being applied to finished food products and learn about trends driving new product development today.

In addition, the experts from NutriMarketing will be conducting guided Innovation Tours on the show floor, highlighting to visitors how exhibitors are responding to key trends with innovation, while new ‘Safari Tours’ have been designed by staff at LFR for visitors to follow developments in a specific trend at their own pace.

With so much going on, it can be hard to keep on top of where you should be next. With this in mind, organisers have again produced an FiE mobile app to help visitors schedule meetings, navigate the venue, network with others in their field of expertise, rate the show and provide live feedback.

Of course all of the attractions outlined above are in addition to the stands from all of the world’s leading ingredients manufacturers.

Extending over three halls, the exhibition will showcase the latest product developments and innovations from the likes of Döhler, Roquette, Cargill, Brenntag, Tate & Lyle, ADM, FrieslandCampina, Barry Callebaut, DSM, Naturex, BASF, CNI, Fortitech, Rousselot and Beneo.

Below, we take a look at some of the products that will be on display from a range of businesses.

Gelatines and collagens (Return to top)

Rousselot will present its four recently launched Synergy Systems gelatines at this year's show. Composed of different types of gelatine, or specific gelatine and other ingredients (pectin, for example) they work synergistically so the functionality of each gelatine and each other ingredient is boosted when they are combined. As a result, manufacturers can create products with new or additional benefits from improved stability and emulsification to enhanced taste and texture.

On its stand, visitors will be able to see the Synergy Systems in action and taste acid marshmallows produced with AcidoGel, heat resistant gummies with ResistaGel, mint and savoury marshmallows with NeutralGel and mayonnaise with EmulsiGel.

Meanwhile Peptan, Rousselot’s high-purity bioactive collagen peptides, looks set to generate significant interest. These have been produced using a rigorously controlled process, which obtains a precise degree of hydrolysis and optimal molecular weight, to ensure optimum performance and ease-of-application. Extensive research has proven Peptan's ability to support healthy ageing and mobility as well as beauty where it rejuvenates skin collagen structure.

Rousselot will be presenting the 2013 clinical study, which focuses on Peptan and its positive impact on joint health – the findings have shown that Peptan can help reduce joint pain. Rousselot will present Peptan in a host of sample formats. These include beauty almond cookies containing Peptan F (fish collagen peptides), chewable tablets made with Peptan B (bovine collagen peptides) plus peach-flavoured mobility sticks. These also contain Peptan B and have been developed in partnership with Laboratoire PYC.

Expertise in cocoa (Return to top)

ADM Cocoa will be highlighting its expertise in chocolate with a range of high-quality chocolates, cocoa butters, cocoa liquors and cocoa powders. The deZaan D11SQ, an intensely flavoured, dark red-brown cocoa powder will be showcased. Conferring a novel, rich cocoa flavour in low dosage, D11SQ is suitable for use in a wide range of applications, including fine bakery products, beverages, desserts and ice creams. ADM Cocoa will also be unveiling D-00-ZR, a reduced-fat cocoa powder with only 0.5% fat. D-00-ZR is able to provide the desired depth of chocolate flavour to products that are formulated to be low in calories or very low in total fat content.

For its part, Barry Callebaut will be promoting the health claim recently approved for Acticoa cocoa and chocolate namely that, ‘cocoa flavanols help maintain the elasticity of blood vessels, which contributes to normal blood flow.’ The firm will also be displaying its Cocoart collection, a new range of E-number free cocoa decorations and a new look for its Bensdorp cocoa range.

Protein preview (Return to top)

ADM's newly established business unit, Foods & Wellness, will preview the newest additions to its growing portfolio of Arcon functional soya protein concentrates, including Arcon F, Arcon G, Arcon FS and Arcon T Crumbles. Examples of food products containing Arcon T Crumbles, a new concentrate specially suited to improving the texture of vegetarian products, will be available for sampling on the stand.

The Foods & Wellness business will be expanding the proven Clarisoy range following the success of Clarisoy 100 and 150. The world’s first vegetable-based protein offering clarity and high-quality protein nutrition, the Clarisoy line has been specifically designed for use in low-pH beverage applications such as sports and recovery drinks. The latest addition to the company's portfolio will be unveiled at the show.

Glanbia Nutritionals will showcase its next generation proteins for healthier-branded foods, sports nutrition and performance beverage innovations. A Pre-workout Primer RTM beverage prototype powered by new CFM Nitro P, a patent-pending whey-peptide-derived nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activator to prime the athlete for sports activity will be featured at the stand. Combined with speciality premixes L-arginine and B vitamin complex, beverages fortified with CFM Nitro P offer manufacturers a new approach to innovation in energising and hydrating drinks.

Baking benefits (Return to top)

Kampffmeyer Food Innovation will focus on innovative product solutions for the bakery sector. The functional flour Optigrain Snow Wheat provides whole grain benefits while offering the taste experience of conventional wheat flour products. Purafarin HydroSoft can replace emulsifiers, thickeners and technical enzymes.

Baked goods containing the new Purafarin ingredient are characterised by a high-volume, prolonged freshness and a soft texture. Slow Milling Ferment'tic, a fermented wheatflour, enables manufacturers to produce premium bakery goods extremely time efficiently.

Meanwhile, visitors to the ADM stand can learn about the latest ingredients from ADM Milling. Featuring high-quality baking ingredients, the company is showcasing white, wholemeal and speciality flours, as well as its versatile range of premixes and concentrates. ADM Milling is also highlighting its latest confectionery and baked goods lines, which feature innovative muffin mixes.

Vegetable fats (Return to top)

ADM-SIO will highlight its range of high-melt flaked vegetable fats and speciality oils. These vegetable oils have a very high melting point and are excellent alternatives to microcrystalline waxes in chewing gum products, and in coating applications for animal feed, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Texturised oils have particular application in marinades, and can also be used as palm-oil-free alternatives in a wide range of food applications.

Elsewhere, Roquette will be featuring its microalgae high lipid algal flour muffin which improves the lipid profile, calorie reduction, fibre and protein enrichment and the elimination of major allergens.

Functionality in dairy (Return to top)

Sensient will be promoting the natural functional flavours from the DairyBoost range, which is designed to reduce fat content in dairy products by up to 30% without having any negative impact on texture, mouthfeel or taste.

Roquette, meanwhile, will focus on one of the starches in the Cleargum range to highlight a cheese analogue concept. Produced from various botanical sources (maize, pea and potato), Cleargum starches offer a complete range of functionalities to accompany the desired type of cheese texture.

DSM will also be active in this area, showcasing its DelvoCheese dairy cultures for cottage cheese manufacturing that allow protein to be retained more efficiently in the curd. This means more cottage cheese can be produced with less milk.

Healthy Beverages (Return to top)

LycoRed will introduce a new natural beta-carotene colourants line and new application concepts for vitamin and mineral premixes designed for use in healthy and functional beverages. The vitamin and mineral premix applications are newly designed for use in beverages, including progressive concepts for energy and sport drinks.

LycoRed has formulated premix applications without typical vitamin off flavoursespecially for B vitamins (common sources of negative flavour notes)and inclusive of their inherent natural colourants.

The new beta-carotene colourant formulations are available in both natural and nature-identical sources, free of DCM (dichloromethane) and four-times more colour-intense than the existing colourant formulations available. They can be used in clear beverages as well as in cloudy beverages, with a wide yellow to orange spectrum depending on the desired colour required.

Meanwhile, at Sensient's stand, natural energy drinks and creamy liqueurs based on low-fat dairy ingredients, and speciality flavoured teas will be available to sample, while Arla Foods Ingredients is set to unveil a new Protein Water beverage concept to demonstrate to soft drinks companies the potential for incorporating high-quality whey protein isolate.

Each 500ml bottle of Protein Water contains 25% of the recommended daily allowance of protein sufficient to make a nutrition claim on the label.

Low Glycaemic (Return to top)

Taura Natural Ingredients will show its low glycaemic index (GI) URC fruit pieces, highlighting the opportunities they offer for creating snacks that provide slow release energy.

Taura's representatives will be on hand to discuss the results of independent GI testing conducted recently on two of its biggest selling URC fruit products – JusFruit URC Apple Strawberry and JusFruit URC Mixed Berry. The tests confirmed conclusively that both registered as low GI – a measure indicating that they release energy slowly into the bloodstream, which can help to keep hunger at bay and assist in controlling blood glucose levels.

The results open the door to the use of health claims on products made from Taura’s URC fruit pieces.

The European Commission recently adopted into law an EFSA-approved health claim that 'Consumption of foods containing fructose leads to a lower blood glucose rise compared to foods containing sucrose or glucose.' A condition of using the claim is that the sucrose or glucose content in the product in question should be at least 30% lower than in a comparative product an outcome that is achievable using Taura's URC fructose-rich fruit ingredients.

Healthy ageing (Return to top)

Fortitech is hailing the return of its market-ready powdered beverage solution as an ready to drink Peach Tea – an all natural, zero-calorie sweetener and flavour combined with nutrients such as resveratrol, CoQ10, zinc, chromium and B-vitamins to support healthy ageing.

The company – which is part of DSM will also be showcasing its ‘brain-boosting biscotti’, which has been formulated with DHA omega-3, phosphatidylserine, choline, calcium and vitamins A, C, E and D3 in order to support enhanced cognitive function.

Sweeteners (Return to top)

Tate & Lyle will showcase its new Splenda sucralose plus programme: a customisable concept-to-lab-to-market service that helps food and drink firms identify opportunities, improve processes and bring new and better products to market. Visitors will also learn more about ‘Drop by Drop,’ made with Splenda sucralose – an innovative new beverage concentrate that can be added to water to produce a nice-tasting zero-calorie sweetened drink.

Confectionery (Return to top)

Visitors in the confectionery space are being promised by Roquette that they will discover ‘some astonishing tablets’ and on-the-go coffee, a peanut without nutritional and allergenic disadvantages and some sparkling effect texture products.

Glanbia Nutritionals will be highlighting a range of fortified sweets with the potential for personalised nutrition in confectionery, with varieties targeting health benefits including immune health, bone health and antioxidant benefits.

The firm will also display a confectionery-style meal replacement bar prototype that features new BarPro 585: a protein texture system that brings an appealing whipped mousse-style consistency more commonly found in confectionery to medium protein bars for weight management applications. The bar also features a customised mix of vitamins and minerals that meet legislative requirements for meal replacement systems without having an adverse effect on taste.

Enzymes (Return to top)

Biocatalysts will display four new enzyme products on its stand. Pectinase 872L is a fruit-firming enzyme, designed to solve the problem of soft fruit and vegetables breaking down or becoming damaged during processing operations.

Promod 950L is a microbial protease preparation with broad substrate specificity.

It is efficient at hydrolysing vegetable, animal and fish proteins to increase solubility, reduce viscosity and produce specific flavours. Promod 782MDP is another enzyme that can be used for the modification and hydrolysis of food protein. It is actively used to decrease bitterness and produce bland-tasting whey protein hydrolysates.

The last new enzyme on the Biocatalysts stand will be Flavorpro 937MDP, which is a high-performance exopeptidase preparation from a fungal source with low levels of endopeptidase activity. It reduces bitterness in enzyme-modified cheese.

DSM will also be showcasing products in this area with MaxiPro an innovative enzyme technology that can be re-applied further downstream during processed meat manufacture. Used for the decolouration of blood in meat products, MaxiPro reduces waste, protects profit and conveys functional benefits such as neutral aroma and increased protein concentration.