Univar Solutions unveils Foodology to accelerate ingredient formulations to market

20 Jun 2022 --- Ingredients distributor Univar Solutions has launched Foodology, an expert team focused on the distribution and technical innovation solutions of food and nutritional ingredients and acceleration of food products to market.

“Foodology is the expression of Univar Solutions’ commitment to shaping the “future of food” by providing global brands with access to the ingredients, formulations, necessary testing capabilities, regulatory expertise and the supply chain needed to feed a growing population,” says Nick Powell, president, ingredients and specialties, Univar Solutions in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.

One challenge that can be addressed for manufacturers is maintaining the same level of consistency among recipes.

Formulators often struggle with this as one recipe may differ from country to country. Therefore, tailoring product development to the demands and appetites of each market is essential.

Ingredient solutions gamechanger
Under the umbrella of Foodology, Univar Solutions will leverage its global network of food scientists, test kitchens and robust portfolio of diverse ingredients to create advanced application development solutions.

Brands and suppliers looking to develop clean label products or who want to respond to market and regulatory trends can benefit from the Foodology team’s specializations. It also facilitates testing food product labels with “free of” claims and can help bring products to market faster.Foodology helps brands respond to regulatory trends.

“These capabilities combine our distribution presence and technical knowledge of the food industry to design and deliver innovative solutions to every corner of the world,” Powell explains.

One of the newest clean label alternatives to traditional emulsifiers is citrus fiber, enzymes in oat flours, texture in plant-based milk and biodegradable packaging – all hot topics in clean label.

Univar touts citrus fiber, a by-product of the juice industry, as the ideal upcycling and environmental sustainability candidate to replace synthetic emulsifiers. It is also easily recognizable on the ingredients label by consumers. 

Many other natural emulsifiers are derived from eggs and soybean. Citrus fiber provides the added benefit of being allergen-free and works well in many F&B applications. 

Distribution network disruptor
Foodology combines distribution resources, a global network of food scientists and ingredient experts in the company’s global solutions centers, such as the food-focused development space within The Hatchery in Chicago, US.

Univar Solutions started collaborating with The Hatchery Chicago, a non-profit food business incubator, to foster F&B innovation, tipped as one of North America’s most extensive incubator facilities.

It is now home to Univar Solutions’ new Food Solution Center, part of a specialized international network of Solution Centers.

These centers include formulation labs, R&D centers and test kitchens. The idea is they will help deliver innovative solutions across a range of industries.

Edited by Inga de Jong