Cano-ela: Leveraging oil-rich seeds for clean label ingredient innovation
13 Jan 2025 | Cano-ela
Corben van de Pol from Cano-ela’s R&D Applications & Technical Sales discusses the start-up’s innovation strategy to enable the “next-generation of plant-based foods.” He emphasizes using natural ingredients and maintaining their integrity, such as harvesting natural emulsion systems from plant seeds. Van de Pol tells us that emerging F&B trends indicate a shift from flavor-forward to health-focused foods.
Hi, I'm Anvisha Manjal, senior journalist with Food Ingredients First.
Joining me today is Corbin Van De Paul, R&D applications and technical sales at Canoela, a food tech company that aims to remove refined ingredients from the food supply chain.
It's great to have you with us, Corbin.
Yeah, thanks for having us.
We, I look forward to our conversation.
Yeah.
Thanks for being with us.
So my first question is, how are consumer demands for clean label and minimally processed foods shaping the company's innovation strategy?
Yeah, I think as we, if we look at the, the current food market as a, as as a company.
We see, yeah, quite the, the food market is really built up of, of building blocks of ingredients.
So we have all these, these, ingredients where all these building blocks, come together.
And For us as a company, it's also important to really start thinking like, OK, how can we really utilize products that are already available, in the, in, in the nature.
Like most often, when we look at clean label products, , people sort of forget to think about what is already, already there.
So as a, as a company, when we look at how, how to innovate our, our process, we try and keep like the integrity of, natural systems, really, yeah, as a super high value.
So for example, in, in the plant seeds that we're using, , there are these natural mulsion systems.
That you can, can actually harvest from the plants.
So you don't have to add multiple ingredients to, , yeah, to obtain a food that is, yeah, that is indeed complex, but, yeah, if, if nature is already providing something, yeah, we're really aiming to try and get these techno-functional properties that are, that are already existing.
And utilize that with our innovation strategy.
So, for example, when we look at how to now improve our processes, and things like that, we really take care of these, these, ingredients groups, so for example, oil, and proteins and, phospholipids that are actually grouped together in a product.
And we do, the best we can to, to keep them together and also their, natural functionality.
Intact.
And so these ingredients can then be really, really included in, in these clean label products.
And instead of adding several, sometimes up to 5 ingredients, you can just do with one.
And that, that's something, yeah, that makes us really energetic.
And also it's a new way of, of, of looking at these, these complex foods.
In , in some way.
Speaking of ingredients, what unique consumer trends inspired the development of Cano cream, Cano soluble, and Cano fiber?
Yeah.
Yeah, as you already mentioned, of course, the clean label and processed things are huge ones.
But of course, our ingredients is part of the plant, plant plant-based, , product ranges.
And within these products, there's a lot of, Actually search for techno-functional products that are not only anymore, giving the best, tastiest products, but we see more and more that people start really focusing on , the health benefits of these, these products, and they, they become more and more important also for the consumers, especially in this sustainable alternative.
This is just, a super big challenge.
And utilizing these, yeah, the, the, the functionalities of of plants, really helps us in still in still getting, getting the, the right properties.
At the same time, you, yeah, for example, oil-rich seeds have a lot of, healthy, omega 3 acids, but also the protein profiles, , yeah, quite complete.
It contains antioxidants.
And fibers.
The only thing to really ensure this, this, this health in these products get, gets unlocked, you have to treat these ingredients with care.
What emerging food trends do you predict will dominate the industry and how is canoela preparing for them?
The, the food industry in, in these last, years has, of course, always been dominated with the, Yeah, the, the, the way of thinking of flavor is king because in, in the end, the food industry is super dependent if, if people, if people, if people like your products.
But I think it's so.
For me as a consumer also, but also looking, looking around, people are so, so getting more and more.
They, they realize so much more what, the effect of, of food is on their health, that we really, we really feel like, oh, people are really, Taking it so much more serious than they, they used to because the knowledge is also getting more.
We really see the results of, of the unhealthy, and processed food industry that, that has been, dominating, that we really think that there, there will slowly be a, a shift also from flavor skin to , yeah, to help this king, it's gonna be, yeah, yeah, it's gonna be, a tight battle, and in some, some way, they, they also, , yeah, they can also be combined.
But in the end, food, food has always been to provide for, for the, for the human body.
And that, that, that I think people are starting to realize more and more.
So, yeah, cre creating a products, products that bring food closer to its natural and healthy function, Yeah, it's, yeah, I think it's really gonna be, be super important.
