Expanding organics: Natural ingredient trends, health and environmental claims and new legislation drive innovation

06 Mar 2024 --- Globally, consumers are becoming more aware of the environmental and health benefits of organic food and the impact their food choices have on sustainable food supply, as well as the connection between diet and disease prevention, particularly boosting immunity. The increasing appetite for organics comes as new regulations in the US are poised to tighten up rules around producing and selling organic products.

Data from Innova Market Insights indicates that organic claims are expanding into various food and beverage subcategories, painting a new landscape for the use of this claim. Organic flavored alcoholic beverages had a 35% average annual growth from 2019 to 2023. Other subcategories are also gaining ground, such as wrapped chocolate pieces.

Natural and sustainable label claims
Consumers opting for organic products are mainly driven by health and sustainability concerns, two major decision-making criteria they are carefully balancing with other factors like comfort and value for money, Melanie Sturm, Agrana Fruit global market and consumer insights manager, tells us.

Melanie Sturm is Agrana Fruit’s global market and consumer insights manager.“The share of organic products and new launches varies greatly depending on the food and beverage category. For some categories like baby food, it is very high, while for other categories like desserts or ice cream, it is of less of a priority compared to other criteria like indulgence or value for money,” she explains.

“What we observe among consumers is that besides organic, other naturality- and sustainability-focused claims and products are of relevance. One of these is regenerative farming, a concept highly appealing to consumers and emerging among new product launches on the market.”

New organic solutions on the horizon
Agrana Fruit offers most of its solutions in organic quality, such as fruit preparations, brown flavor sauces like chocolate or caramel, savory preparations for dairy applications or plant-based dairy alternatives. 

“We support our customers with tailor-made solutions by giving them access to a wide portfolio of raw materials and ingredients in organic quality via our preparations. Especially the global sourcing capabilities for organic fruits is a key asset of Agrana Fruit,” Sturm continues.

“On top of that, we couple our product development and innovation expertise with gentle processing methods to create tasteful and clean label solutions in organic quality that satisfy consumers’ taste buds and conscience.”

The company will soon add new organic solutions to its portfolio for applications in dairy, ice cream and beverage categories with a focus on Agrana Fruit’s trend fruit of the year: White peach, which pairs well with other fruits like mango or lychee or botanicals and herbs. 

Chocolate organic inclusions
Sturm cites “permissible or guilt-free indulgence” as another key trend expected to grow in the years ahead as consumers search for solutions that carefully balance indulgence and health needs. 

“This is also true for the organic segment. We offer a range of organic chocolate inclusions for aseptic application in dairy products. These inclusions stay crunchy over the shelf life of the dairy products and offer a great solution to add a multi-sensory indulgent experience to dairy products.”

Agrana Fruit’s portfolio includes organic chocolate splits for stracciatella-type dairy products and organic chocolate crunchies — crunchy chocolate balls that melt in the mouth. Both pair well with classic fruity flavors like cherry, strawberry or banana.

“But if you want to expand on the indulgent feel of the yogurts or desserts, you can also combine them with richer flavors like chocolate, vanilla, or pistachio, for example.”

Organic innovation
NPD in organic F&B products was abundant at the recently held Biofach organic food trade fair in Nuremberg, Germany.

Food Ingredients First spoke to several businesses on the show floor about their solutions, which tap organic ingredients and target the organic markets.

German spirits brand Artwerk organic brand showcased its range of vacuum-distilled brandies from the Rheingau region in Germany — made with a common process that is newly introduced to the category. Dary Natury presented tea blends branded as “tea sticks,” which are formatted in a miniature bouquet-style aesthetic. One is made from dried herbs and flowers; the other is freeze-dried botanicals.

Other innovation came from Wholey Organics which unveiled a line of organic, vegan breakfast products, emphasizing health and sustainability with natural sweetness. Vita Forte focused on organic ingredients with the least amount of processing, including natural candies for children. Norevo presented its portfolio of natural raw ingredients: honey, waxes, licorice and gum arabic. 

Strengthening legislation
One of the current on-button topics in the organic sector is the forthcoming USDA’s Strengthening Organic Enforcement Final Rule, which will bolster organic regulation and enforcement of the production, handling, and sale of organic agricultural products.Elizabeth Seibert, technical director at FoodChain ID.

The Rule was designed in response to increasingly complex food supply chains and is geared toward protecting and growing the organic sector. The trusted USDA organic seal is a key part of the USDA Food Systems Transformation initiative.

Distributors and other intermediaries must demonstrate compliance with the new USDA Organic Certification regulations by March 19, 2024, notes Elizabeth Seibert, technical director, FoodChain ID, which announced the acquisition of Organic Certifiers, Inc., one of the first certification bodies accredited by the USDA for the National Organic Program Certification, earlier this year.

“Currently, FoodChain ID’s teams are supporting supply chain participants with the upcoming enforcement deadline for the USDA’s Strengthening Organic Enforcement Final Rule. As a certifier for the US National Organic Program, FoodChain ID views supply chain integrity as part of our mission to help keep the food supply chain safe and transparent,” Seibert tells us.

The rule may affect USDA-accredited certifying agents, organic inspectors, certified organic operations, operations considering organic certification, businesses that import or trade organic products, and retailers that sell organic products.

“We see plenty of growth ahead for the organic sector. We are actively communicating the Strengthening Organic Enforcement Rule so supply chain participants are ready for the changes. FoodChain ID sees opportunities for brands to leverage the credibility of organic certification, backed by third-party certification, to counter consumer skepticism caused by the overwhelming increase in sustainability claims.”

“Independent certification is key to maintaining consumer trust. The organic label, whether USDA, EU or equivalents, signifies to consumers that the farm and manufacturing sites that produced the product followed a strict set of standards and are inspected to ensure compliance.”

“Regarding the future, FoodChain ID is working in many parts of the world with independent certification of regenerative agricultural practices, which enable farmers and their customers to implement sustainable practices. Regenerative agriculture aims to ensure healthy soils, increase biodiversity, restore ecosystem balance and mitigate acceleration of climate change,” she concludes.

By Gaynor Selby