Puratos underscores “good for me and the environment” trends, wellbeing and gut health

25 Feb 2020 --- As consumers are increasingly striving for a healthier lifestyle, nutrition and energy characteristics of food are becoming more significant, while good-for-me and good-for-environment are gaining traction. That is according to Tom Willems, Global Product Manager for Health and Well-Being at Puratos. “Direct health benefits are only some of the drivers that guide consumers’ purchases. Consumers often believe that certain product categories such as organic, clean and cleaner labels, gluten-free, plant-based alternatives contribute to their overall well-being,” he tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

According to Puratos’ Taste Tomorrow survey, global consumers are placing an ever-growing importance on what they eat, and have ever-rising expectations about their food combined with health. “It is well known that eating healthy is as much about stripping away the ‘bad things’ as it is about adding more of the ‘good stuff,’” notes Willems.

Taste Tomorrow participants define healthy food as food to which in particular fibers, wholegrains, fruit, nuts and proteins have been added. On the other hand, most quoted components to be removed are calories, fat and sugars.

“As an example, Taste Tomorrow’s survey results showed that people consider plant-based products as a tasty and sustainable solution which is ‘good for me,’ ‘good for the environment,’ and in line with the need to feed the fast growing worldwide population. Consistent with these convictions, about 20 percent of the respondents think they will increasingly consume plant-based products in the near future,” Willems explains.

Bringing healthier products on the market has always been an area Puratos focused on, he adds. “Today we want to do even more: we want to help end-consumers achieve a balanced diet and to contribute to their overall well-being. We are constantly cleaning up the labels of our products, we are increasing our number of plant-based solutions, we are developing a gluten free and organic products portfolio.”

How the gut health trend is shaping the market
The development of a healthy, stable, abundant, diverse and resilient gut microbiota begins at birth and continues during all stages of life.

Gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in keeping us healthy and often represents the first line of defense against diseases. “Even though the composition of the gut bacteria community varies among people, in the past few years scientists have collected many insights on the topic. If the characteristics of a healthy gut are still somehow undefined, much is known about how an unhealthy gut looks like,” Willems comments.

Almost daily, new scientific evidences link gut microbiota to the onset of disease such as obesity, certain types of cancer, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), liver diseases and depression. In addition, lifestyle changes (such as an increase in physical activity) and dietary intervention have been proven highly effective to keep or recover a healthy gut status.

“Gut health is one of these topics that found consumers’ perception and scientific evidence in perfect agreement. Consequently gut health related products are gaining momentum in the market and appeal, each day, to a wider audience,” Willems adds.

In addition to the consumption of food containing probiotics (such as yogurts), adding food rich in prebiotic compounds to the diet such as fiber-rich breads and sourdough bread, is an effective way to restore an imbalanced gut and maintain a healthy one. “Puratos consider these only as starting points. We want to do more and are currently working on short- and long-term projects that will bring to the market high quality and great tasting gut friendly products that will help consumers answer their health and well-being needs,” he affirms.

Gluten free trend continues to thrive
Today a large number of people cannot or decide not to eat bakery and patisserie products among others, that contain gluten, a protein naturally present in many cereals such as  wheat, barley and rye. “We are still learning about gluten and intolerance to it, but it is clear that many consumers have already adopted a gluten-free lifestyle as part of their overall approach to health and well-being,” continues Willems. “Better medical and consumer awareness of gluten problems and endorsement by celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Novak Djokovic have also favored growth in the number of people opting for gluten-free diets. According to our 2019 Taste Tomorrow global consumer survey about 37 percent of consumers worldwide make conscious efforts to avoid gluten.”

Developing bakery and patisserie items can be challenging, according to Willems. “Gluten is a highly functional and difficult to replace raw material. Moreover, consumers expect gluten-free products to match the taste and texture of the ‘gluten containing’ products they use to consume.”

In addition, many studies showed that gluten free products are often less nutritionally balanced (less fibers, more fat and salt) than the ‘traditional’ counterpart, he adds.

“Since its beginning, Puratos has listened to consumers' voices, so it is, therefore, only natural that we want to help them to achieve a more balanced diet while answering their lifestyle needs. For this reason, we are currently developing a range of both patisserie and bakery ingredients that will allow people who avoid gluten to enjoy products that combine a balanced nutritional profile with an outstanding taste and texture that Puratos is known for,” concludes Willems.

By Elizabeth Green