Fi Europe 2019: Naturex’s new “infused botanicals” offer tradition and relaxation

13 Dec 2019 --- Naturex, part of Givaudan, launched a range of concentrated botanical infusions at Fi Europe 2019 in Paris, France. Tapping into consumer demand for tradition and wellness, the range can be labeled as “concentrated infusions” on pack, which further denotes the naturality of the product. Romain Thevenot, Global Product Manager of Wellness at Naturex, speaks with FoodIngredientsFirst on the floor of the show about the launch.

Botanicals are increasingly in popularity and cropping up in categories from beverages to dairy. According to Innova Market Insights, botanicals’ association with health is strong, with half of consumers making the connection. Soft drinks launched with botanicals in 2018 was also 45 percent more than in 2017.

At FiE last week, Naturex showcased a number of concepts to illustrate on-trend botanicals associated with relaxation. These were wide-ranging and could be used for a morning energy boost, as well as for evening relaxation.

“We see everything that relates to ancient wisdom, botanicals and traditionality as very trendy. Even more so if it has an exotic or experiential aspect to it. Flowers are a good example. We are highlighting concentrated floral infusions at the show, as well as adaptogens rooted in ancient wisdom, which are now getting popular – such as ginseng,” Thevanot says.Naturex was showcasing its Ultimate Blue Spirulina in the form of a “Blue Moon Oat Latte.”

He explains that the R&D journey leading up to the launch consisted of two important aspects. First, the company sought to deliver something in line with what a consumer would expect of an “infusion.”

“We want to connect that with traditionality and health and wellness aspects such as relaxation. We’ve designed our process to be 100 percent water-based, which involves a full immersion of the plants. Therefore, there is no confusion that this product can be labeled as a concentrated infusion,” he says.

Secondly, the design of the R&D means that each process differs from one plant to another, to accommodate for how botanicals have different structures and compositions.

“The idea is to make it traditional but enhance the good aspects, such as taste and color, and curb bitterness and off-notes. The process can be adjusted based on many parameters depending on the raw material to get the maximum benefits for the most enjoyable wellness experience.”

The appeal of infusions
The “infusion” tag is both trendy and appealing to consumers. Innova Market Insights data shows that soft drink launches with “infusion” claims have trebled in the past five years.

Thevanot emphasizes that the company worked hard to ensure its extraction process would allow for the trendy infusion label on pack.

“Consumers are looking for products that make sense and have a purpose in terms of health and wellness benefits and that are simple and related to tradition,” he says.

A further goal was to support product stories and positioning around traditionality. At FiE, the company was promoting the relaxation aspect of the launch. Harnessing stories and meaning around products has been predicted by Innova Market Insights to be a game-changing trend for the industry. The market researcher has pegged “Storytelling: Winning with Words,” as its number one trend for 2020, which underscores a spike in consumer interest in discovering the origin stories behind food and beverage products. 

One example of effective storytelling cited by Innova Market Insights in its Top Ten Trends webinar is Waku “Wellness Tea.” The Waku recipe is based on an ancient tradition from Ecuador, horchata lojana. This unique combination of herbs and flowers has been passed down for centuries in the Andes Mountains and the botanicals used in each blend are sourced from family farmer networks in Loja.

According to the market researcher’s data, 56 percent of global consumers say that stories around a brand influence their purchase decision. In a survey seeking to better understand what appeals to consumers about brand storytelling, the most popular response was “to learn where the ingredients come from.”

By Laxmi Haigh