IFT First 2024: Barentz showcases health-forward prototypes for post-pandemic trends
24 Jul 2024 | Barentz
At IFT First 2024 in Chicago, US, Jessie So, technical development manager for Barentz’s Human Nutrition Team, tells us how the company is targeting post-COVID-19 consumer health trends with protein, fiber and good fat solutions. Barentz displayed a nutritionally enhanced granola bite prototype and zero alcohol gin spritzer prototype at the event. So also discussed upcycled ingredients and future innovation focuses.
Food and Greens first reporting from IFT 2024 in Chicago.
We're here at the brunch stand with Jessie So, who is the technical development manager for human nutrition.
Welcome to you.
Thank you for having me.
So tell us about the company and what you've chosen to highlight today.
So Barnes is a global distributor of a variety of ingredients.
Of course here we're at the food show, so we are of the human nutrition division.
So what we decided to showcase today.
There are two prototypes.
One is a granola bite.
It's nutritionally enhanced.
The reason why is because I think especially after the pandemic, a lot of people are very concerned about health.
So there are numerous ingredients that we have in our portfolio that touches on protein, fiber, good fats.
So those are the areas that we really targeted.
As as a good flavor profile, which we have, solutions for as.
Now, the other, prototype that we have is a ginless spritzer.
So that's always a fun one, especially a beverage.
We're seeing a lot of, especially the younger generation, looking for, dry, dry Mondays or months, really looking for alternatives to, alcoholic beverages.
We're seeing Big growth and a big demand in the market now.
So we did a Gina spritzer that has 0% alcohol gin, but also we've added two really interesting ingredients in there, which would be sea salt that has lower in sodium content, as as a mushroom extract that gives umami.
And so a lot of people have come over, tasted the difference, and just been really surprised by the change in taste profile.
More.
Like a cocktail as opposed to a mocktail or a lemonade.
OK, that's interesting.
And what are some of the challenges associated with trying to maintain and even elevate the taste profile while also increasing the nutritional properties of the products?
So for the granola bite, yeah, that's a really excellent question.
When we're dealing with plant-based ingredients and very, , ingredients with very little processing.
There are a lot of flavor, or you can say off notes, what we usually, describe them as.
So we need to mask those or we need to adjust the sweetness levels.
We need to, block bitter notes.
So there are solutions that we have in our product portfolio that just, that does that.
Also, in a nutritionally enhanced product, we have, typically the , sweetness is usually kind of the solution.
So you add more sugar to reduce some of those off notes.
But given that also, sugar reduction is a big trend right now, consumers are looking for solutions on their shelves for, less sugar, less salt, less fat.
So part of fixing those, those off notes would be finding, natural options, to mask.
Without increasing sugar to a level that is not acceptable to our consumer today.
OK.
And in addition to nutrition and health demands, obviously sustainability is also top of mind for many consumers, particularly younger consumers.
What are you doing as a company to progress towards greater environmental sustainability?
Yes, excellent.
Sustainability matters to us.
It's one of our major areas that we look at whenever we're looking for new ingredients to bring into our portfolio.
In the demonstrations that we have today in our prototypes, our ingredients are, plant-based.
So as an example, we have pea protein in there.
And naturally, pea is a crop that doesn't require a lot of irrigation, fertilization.
So in of itself, it's a great plant.
Additionally, we have an apple fiber in there that is 100%.
100% upcycled, from juice processing.
And because of that, there are byproducts that come from all of those processes that, of course, you know, we have a, a big market for apple juice and juices in of itself.
But then what happens to the, the, kind of the waste that comes from that.
And so they were able to value add to, the The waste part, the byproduct, and create a really healthy nutritional product which is the apple fiber.
It's a 100% upcycling, certified upcycled product, so that adds to the sustainability story.
OK, super interesting.
And as a final question, looking forward to over the next 3 to 5 years, what are some of your key focuses in terms of R&D and innovation as a company?
I think we continue to want to address, the trends that we are seeing in the consumer market, but of course also understanding, the need to tell the story behind our ingredients.
So we're looking for products, of course, that touches on those areas that are healthy for the consumer, healthy for the planet, and that makes sense.
That actually solves I'll use this one.
That also solves the challenges in processing, right?
And that's very, very important, of course, with processing whenever you have ingredients that are sustainable, are healthy, health forward, the challenge is also cost, and so we want to be able to leverage all of that, be able to meet all of those things.
OK, Jessie, thanks for your time.
Enjoy the rest of the show.
Thank you.
