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2015 Review: The Key Ingredient Launches

Dec 2015

2015 was characterized by a fall in commodity prices after several uninterrupted years of rising prices. In Europe, the end of the EU milk quota system, coupled with various other market factors have led to a well-documented oversupply of milk and a subsequent fall in prices. Sugar intake has been an important topic for years, but 2015 was yet another major year with anti-sugar movements increasing. In the US, the big regulatory news of 2015 was the FDA’s final determination on partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), which requires manufacturers to stop using them by June 18, 2018, or submit a food additive petition for the safe use of PHOs. Overall, it was clear this year that clear label and free from foods have now truly entered the mainstream, while consumers who are regularly reduce their meat consumption rather than forgoing it altogether are also shaping new product development efforts. Key themes in ingredient development this year therefore included: clean label, vegetarian options, cost reduction, sodium replacement, protein enrichment with alternative proteins and vegetable fortification. Our 2015 review looks at some of this year’s supplier highlights.   


58/64

Carotenoid supplier Lycored has overcome the most common technical problems with natural colors to develop a range of vibrant reds, oranges and yellows that make it easy for food and beverage manufacturers to ditch artificial ingredients for good. Natural colors from Lycored are certified Kosher and Halal, non-GMO, vegetarian and are heat, light and pH stable. They give an authentic appearance to a wide range of products time after time – but not at the expense of a clean label. Tomat-O-Red and Lyc-O-Beta offer specific application benefits. In beverages, they are light-stable and stable alongside added healthy ingredients such as vitamin C. They are perfect for dairy products because they are stable in pasteurization and most UHT processes, and when used in fruit yogurts they will not bleed into the white mass. In confectionery, meanwhile, they offer a safe, natural and visually appealing color that will delight children.