Eating for well-being: Functional ingredients and digestive health drive F&B innovations

31 Jul 2024 --- The line between nourishment and nutritious F&B solutions is increasingly blurred, with consumers taking well-being into their own hands. As a result, companies are responding to consumer calls for convenient products that cater to specific needs such as gut health, cognition and immunity enhancement, stress management and a more “wholesome” sense of wellness. 

Generally, staying healthy and having the energy to perform daily work and life tasks translates to well-being. Consumers are interested in foods that make these easier to manage.

Food Ingredients First speaks to leading players and industry experts, including ADM, Layn Natural Ingredients, IFF and Brenntag, about the emerging trends in the eating for well-being space.

“Consumers today are placing greater emphasis on wellness, recognizing the need to prioritize not only their physical and mental health but also extended health aspects (social, emotional, sexual and financial),” says Sonia Huppert, innovation marketing leader of Re-Imagine Wellness at IFF.

“At the same time, they are adopting a pragmatic outlook to health, focusing on smarter ways to optimize their health and enhance how they look and feel.”

This has culminated in a preventive approach and healthy aging, where diet and exercise play a key role and personalized nutrition is gaining momentum.

“It is not just about living longer, but about living longer and better. This is driving the demand for F&B offerings tailored to an older population, who want to enjoy a more active and independent life, as well as to consumers of all age groups keen to focus on their health.”

Natural and practical options that “deliver an instant feeling of well-being and clinically demonstrated benefits, relying on the latest scientific and technological advancements to achieve the desired results” are also part of a greater focus on health and well-being.

‘Hero’ ingredients
Experts observe functional ingredients, such as micronutrients, fiber and pro- and postbiotics, dominating the well-being category of food products and applications.

Thomas Fanzlau, innovation manager EMEA for Food & Nutrition EMEA at Brenntag.Thomas Fanzlau, innovation manager EMEA for Food & Nutrition EMEA at Brenntag, says consumers are ditching the pill and embracing foods that make them feel nourished.

“We are already seeing a huge shift in functional ingredients moving from food supplements to food and beverage. For consumers, convenience plays a significant role in this shift. People do not want to take pills daily but care more about health and well-being than ever.”

“Adding functional ingredients to food and beverages makes them easy to consume, tastier and more versatile. Like food supplements, they should also offer health benefits,” he adds.

While boosting immunity and shortening recovery time are prime consumer needs, James Roza, chief scientific officer at Layn Natural Ingredients, says people want “convenient, easy to use and experiential” products.

“Polyphenols and other bioactives from tea such as theanine, theaflavin and ellagic acid exemplify some of the more compelling compounds found in the beverage that have been researched extensively and check all those boxes.”

“We extract theanine from high-quality, renewable, and sustainable Camellia sinensis using green technology. Our theanine is rigorously tested for authenticity, ensuring it meets all-natural consumer preferences by being 100% tea-derived.”

The ingredient offers “great water solubility, no taste, no color or sensory impact,” making it an “ideal addition to various products without affecting their flavor or appearance.”

For ADM, the gut microbiome is “a key piece to the puzzle with ongoing research connecting the gut to other aspects of well-being,” reveals Paula Limena, VP of global marketing, health & wellness.

“Prebiotic fiber continues to be the number one ingredient consumers want in their diets for digestive support, weight management and satiety, all of which are top-of-mind due to the influence of GLP-1 agonists.”

“ADM/Matsutani Fibersol may support factors related to gut and digestive health, with clinical studies showing it promotes the growth of microbes in the gut that are positively associated with health,” she notes.

James Roza, chief scientific officer at Layn Natural Ingredients (Image credit: Layn Natural Ingredients).Prioritizing transparency
Consumers worldwide are taking a proactive approach to health to focus on prevention, with many shifting their diets and lifestyles to be more holistic and balanced.

The clean label movement has gained significant ground in wellness, with consumers wanting “complete transparency” about what they eat, according to Roza.

“Clean label preservatives present a nuanced landscape, with definitions varying across regions, food categories, and other contextual factors. At IFF, we offer ingredient names that consumers can easily comprehend,” says Ksenija Uroic, the company’s global product marketing lead for Food Protection.

“We prioritize developing multifunctional solutions, streamlining the need for lengthy ingredient lists on labels.”

Layn’s focus is on developing “all-natural, next-generation antioxidants” that do not affect the taste or sensory experience of the finished product while maintaining clean label standards.

“We do rigorous scientific studies to ensure our preservatives are effective and safe. Additionally, we offer single botanical preservative ingredients, using our advanced extraction capabilities to provide natural solutions without compromising taste or quality,” adds Roza.

Sweet without sugar
Sugar has close ties to consumer perception and wellness goals. Therefore, sugar reduction remains a compelling trend for food and beverage brands worldwide.

Experts note that sugar consumption has close ties to consumer perception and wellness goals.“Driven by the ‘healthy indulgence’ trend, products must taste good and promote well-being. Additional factors motivating the development of sugar-reduced products include economic considerations (such as sugar taxes) and regional traffic light systems that negatively label high-sugar items. We anticipate significant progress in this field, with plenty of delicious and innovative products on the horizon,” notes Fanzlau of Brenntag.

According to Limena, one category poised to benefit is “closer-to-nature sweetening solutions such as agave, stevia or sweeteners from fruit, with more consumers monitoring their blood glucose levels as they want to lead healthier lifestyles.”

However, changing formulations to accommodate such trends poses challenges that require technical know-how.

“For example, by taking sugar out of a product, the acidity will increase or off notes [will] need to be balanced with masking technologies. The body, mouthfeel and flavor of the product will be impacted,” explains Huppert.

IFF’s FlavorFit range of flavor modulation tools meets the commonly recognized definition of “natural flavors.” It gives consumers a “superior” taste experience and staves off cravings with low or non-sugar added, high proteins or low salt products.

Exploring hybrids
Eating for well-being is significant in the plant-based segment, with growing consumer calls for protein diversification and reducing animal-based food products in F&B offerings. Experts note that this trend drives the market to innovate products using plant-derived proteins.

Paula Limena, VP of Global Marketing, Health and Wellness at ADM (Image credit: ADM).“ADM’s research shows that plant-forward consumers (flexitarians, vegetarians or vegans) are more open to trying different protein options. This enables opportunities to bring together multiple protein sources through hybrids or blends,” says Limena.

“Additionally, consumers want to know and understand how their food is made and produced. Hybrids can help bridge this gap, bringing together familiar plant protein sources with novel technologies, such as precision fermentation or cell cultivation.”

Similarly, for IFF, recognizing additional barriers beyond the proliferation of plant-based diets has culminated in the Cuisine Redefined by Greenfield Design initiative.

“Our customers can interact with metahuman consumer personas and explore an interactive menu of plant-based concepts from around the world, going beyond traditional dishes. These offerings cater to consumers’ desires for global flavors, elevated nutrition, affordability, and variety — fitting seamlessly into every meal, every day,” adds Uroic.

Meanwhile, Fanzlau predicts the ongoing innovation in the plant-based segment to eventually lead to its mainstreaming, where “consumers will find an array of tasty plant-based options on store shelves, without the need to replace existing products.”

By Anvisha Manral