“Holy grail” of formulations: Kerfoot’s bespoke specialty oils for expedited speed to market

30 Mar 2020 --- Kerfoot Group, a UK-headquartered refined and specialty oils supplier, has seen “unprecedented growth” in its business over the past 24 months. Since its acquisition by the Avril Group, the company has gone through a significant review of its strategy, sharpening its focus on delivering authentic, natural and eco-centric solutions. FoodIngredientsFirst speaks to Simon Corner, Sales and Marketing Director at Kerfoot, about the popularity of specialty flavored oils, which can be leveraged by manufacturers to reduce time and handling costs – ultimately accelerating products’ speed to market. This is considered the “new holy grail” in food manufacturing underscored by the company.

“The bespoke service is designed to help brands bring ingredient suppliers into their new product development processes earlier in order to achieve significant cost and efficiency gains further down the line. The blending service at Kerfoot can not only create tailored oil blends to fit a range of purposes and requirements, but also offers an expansive selection of off-the-shelf blends and infusions that can save customers time and handling costs. It also provides them with the new and unique flavors they are seeking,” says Corner.

Whether due to seasonal or promotional campaigns, teaser tastes, new range extensions or simply a brand revamp, the pressure is on manufacturers to find new ways to boost shelf and market share without adding ingredients’ handling costs into the supply chain equation. Equally, manufacturers in the food sector understand the value of bringing their ingredients suppliers into the new product development process early.

The pressure is on manufacturers to find new ways to boost shelf and market share without adding ingredients’ handling costs into the supply chain equation.Instead of a manufacturer having to source and procure a new ingredient in the supply chain, Kerfoot handles this process. “We pre-blend the new flavor into our oils, saving valuable capacity for our customers and cutting out unnecessary additional steps in their manufacturing processes. The end result is a saving in time and money for the brand, by using our own in-house capabilities and resources,” explains Corner.

“We commonly see manufacturers dealing with the complexity that in today’s commercial environment just isn’t necessary. They can source an ingredient, such as chili or lemongrass, but are then having to look at the compliance and administration, logistics, storage and so on. They also have to incorporate it into their standard operating procedures, when the end product may only be running for a short period of time to hit a promotion or seasonal requirement,” he details.

This year, one of the company’s more popular infusions has been BBQ-infused rapeseed oil. Within the blends category, garlic, basil and chili have been pegged as “extremely popular.” Meanwhile, the company reports positive feedback on having blended oils supplied ready for use, rather than managing what can be “tricky additional ingredients” in the production process.

“With our service and development team support we can manage the potential complexity ahead of time and simply provide the oil blend or infusion ready to go, eradicating much of the cost and complexity downstream,” notes Corner.

Trending nutrient-rich oils
Alongside continued demand for staple favorites such as olive and rapeseed oil, Corner explains that Kerfoot is seeing many companies doubling down on authenticity, particularly in today’s climate of uncertainty. “The food manufacturing industry is going ‘back to basics’ in terms of quality, and it’s really responding to consumer demands on this front.”

In terms of upward trending ingredients, he notes that oils with demonstrable nutritional qualities are catching consumers’ attention at the moment and are proving to be a great competitive advantage in a saturated market. 

“Chia seed oil, for example, is known for its high alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) content, a type of omega 3 fatty acid. Hemp seed oil is another great example. It’s naturally rich in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids and saw a significant rise in popularity throughout 2019, a pattern that we’re seeing continue through 2020,” he says.

Hemp oil’s nutritional content, including vitamins, minerals and flavonoids are notably driving its success with consumers. “With a flavor profile similar to sunflower oil, it can be blended with other oils to produce a milder flavor or be used as a dressing on salads and cold dishes,” details Corner.

Kerfoot offers a range of carrier oils from the more common sunflower and rapeseed through to grapeseed and sweet almond. “Coconut oil is perhaps one of the most intriguing and rapidly growing oils in this category. Many brands and retailers are looking for organic and vegan ingredients to meet the needs of this emerging demographic, and coconut makes a great option for this,” says Corner. 

The demand for rapeseed oil, a common carrier oil, remains high.“Another to watch out for is avocado oil. While not strictly vegan, it’s becoming a very popular choice in recipes and formulations. It’s highly versatile and consumers love its gently creamy qualities and delicate flavor,” he adds.

In addition, consumer interest in clean label, halal and vegan functional foods and the emerging markets of “free-from” and specialist foods is also creating significant demand for specialty oils. “The need for trans-fats alternatives is also increasing the demand for these types of oils which are derived from seeds, nuts and fruits by cold-pressing,” says Corner.

Products with provenance
Topping Innova Market Insights’ Top Ten Trends list for 2020 is “Storytelling: Winning with Words.” Manufacturers this year increasingly focus on ingredient provenance and brand storytelling platforms in order to emphasize the taste and quality of their products, as well as their uniqueness and sustainability efforts.

“We’re in a consumer age where transparency is key. It’s why we put authenticity and provenance front and center in how we operate. When it’s so vital to the consumer, brands operating in the commercial food and drink space should be taking it just as seriously,” says Corner.

To ensure peace of mind for its customers and end users alike, the company measures its supply chain to industry standards. “To this end, we have high levels of accreditation including the important BRC Grade A Global Standard for Food Safety, and Soil Association Organic Manufacturing Standards. All the oils we produce are organically certified, completely natural and free from chemical processes.”

Innova Market Insights research has indicated that 85 percent of, on average, US and UK consumers expect companies to invest in sustainability in 2019, up from 64 percent in 2018. The market researcher has ranked “The Sustain Domain” as its third top trend steering product development this year.

“The true challenge for Kerfoot, particularly when sourcing niche oils, is to ensure the oils we offer fit our stringent authenticity and quality controls. Simply, if it’s not traceable, high-performing and a marketable advantage for our customers, we won’t offer it in our portfolio,” he concludes.

By Benjamin Ferrer