Solving the Texture Equation: The sum of superior products
13 Feb 2025 | Ingredion
This webinar explores the critical role of texture in crafting superior food and beverage products, from crunchy to chewy. Join Ingredion’s experts as they decode the Texture Equation, revealing how insights-driven expertise, technical mastery, and comprehensive solutions combine to create exceptional eating experiences.
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Hello and welcome to today's webinar, hosted by Food Ingredients First and sponsored by Ingredient.
Thanks for joining us and welcome to all of our viewers around the world.
I'm Louis Gore Langton, editor at CNS Media.
I'll be moderating this webinar entitled Solving the Texture Equation, The Sum of Superior Products.
This webinar will explore the critical role of texture in crafting superior food and beverage products from crunchy to chewy.
We'll be talking to ingredient experts as they decode the texture equation, revealing how insights-driven expertise, technical mastery, and comprehensive solutions combine to create exceptional eating experiences.
You will discover how consumer and market trends are shaping the demand for products with superior texture and learn how these unique qualities can set products apart in the market.
You'll also gain valuable insights into leveraging advanced technical expertise and ingredient solutions to achieve desired textures, along with real-world case studies demonstrating successful applications.
We're joined today by Michael Di Marcello, the Director of Marketing Global category COE, bakery and snacks lead, and marketing excellence for Ingredients global texture and healthful solutions business, where he oversees the design, development and implementation of global category growth and innovation strategies for the business.
We're also joined by Doctor Sarah Tully, who is the senior manager within the Global Food Innovation Applications team at Ingredient.
She works to develop innovation capabilities and pipelines across food categories to ensure the delivery of innovative solutions for customers' current and future needs.
Welcome both.
We'll begin with your presentation and then lead on to our questions.
Take it away.
Thank you, Louie.
Hello and welcome everybody.
This is Mike DiMarcello.
We're really thrilled to that you've joined us today for our solving the texture equation webinar, so that we can talk a little bit about the importance of texture and innovation, the science behind that texture, and just how Ingredient is using that science to formulate better tasting and healthier products.
So we're going to start today by sharing some pretty fascinating market and consumer insights about the importance of texture based on some very recent proprietary research.
We'll talk about consumer choices a little bit and the role that the texture plays in those choices.
Sarah is going to talk about how to craft the ideal texture while also highlighting some of the ingredients own texture solutions, and then we'll close by taking a few questions.
So why the focus on texture?
Ereon really believes that texture as as healthfulness play a vital but quite undervalued role in most products.
If they really strongly impact taste and the overall liking.
So Ingredient really believes there's a sweet spot in the eating experience where texture plays a very critical role.
And consumers are seeking an authentic and even an exciting flavor experience and healthful products.
But often the taste just isn't quite right.
So this provides a great opportunity to enhance these products to make them both healthy and delicious, and we know that that great taste is essential for the success of of any healthful product, especially since the shelf life in in retail is just so short.
So let's talk a little bit about how Ingredient is evolving to become your go to partner.
We're really strengthening some critical capabilities that will help you bring consumer winning products to market even faster.
So we've been investing in 3 key areas and, and we feel these 3 key areas really make up the texture equation that Louie talked about.
So first, we're expanding our market, our, our program of exclusive and comprehensive consumer research and insights, and today you'll see some of the proprietary texture insights that are shaping those capabilities.
We're also continuously innovating.
We have about 20 to 25 new launches this year alone, and our portfolio of innovative ingredients and solutions is broadening every single day.
So, and that includes things like clean taste, sugar reduction, fortification, and, and a multitude of other solutions.
We're enhancing our formulation capabilities also, so that, so that we can create great tasting products by really understanding the texture in much greater detail.
We're also strengthening our team of highly talented experts with deep formulation know-how, and then we're also focusing on the interaction between texture and health and investing in this area so that we can deliver solutions that really meet consumer benefits.
And we're doing all these things all while shortening the time to market, which we know is is critical.
OK, so our partnership on texture solutions is also being shaped by evolving consumer demands and some lifestyle trends that we think are important.
Things like convenience with urbanization trends and so much more home delivery.
We also see the cultural fusion, what we call cultural fusion is, is a majority of global consumers prefer not only multi textures, but also multi-flavor foods.
So for example, the international popularity of mochi highlights the growing influence of Asian cuisine across the globe.
So mochi has very unique and chewy texture.
It's helping to inspire new trends and things like desserts, snacks, and, and more.
And you're gonna hear some more about mochi texture later on in the presentation from Sarah.
When we also talk about indulgence, we see that 63% of consumers also say that overall satisfaction is very much reliant on the indulgence level of the food, so it's such an important factor.
And lastly, we see continuing trends toward clean label products.
These are natural, and they contain no artificial ingredients, additives, or preservatives.
But when it comes to the evolving consumer demands and trends, we also see it as a tremendous opportunity to showcase our understanding of the science behind the texture.
But unlike flavor, texture doesn't really have a standardized set of descriptors.
So there are many things that impact texture or how you perceive texture before you even bite into a product, for example, just the appearance of the food, the mouthfeel, the way the texture of the product will enable flavor to come through, and obviously the impact on the overall taste.
There's also an auditory experience that can be very prominent, and these things all ultimately impact the overall liking.
So what's fascinating is that the global nature of texture offers us a window into really understanding the science.
So in the Chinese language alone, there are more than 400, sorry, 140 descriptors that describe textures, while in Japan there are more than 400.
And then of course we have the many terms in the English language as.
Yet despite all of those terms, each and every one of us.
Really know what we like or dislike when it comes to the texture of a product.
So whether it's a crunchy snack or a creamy yogurt, we all think about these products in different ways.
And like what mood you're in or how a particular food is going to make you feel at a particular moment.
And a lot of these things are intuitive and and quite complex, but they create a tremendous opportunity how texture can manifest itself along with flavor and impact the overall liking.
So texture adds interest and impacts the choices that we make as consumers, right?
So, for example, we found that about 53% of consumers say texture influences their decision making.
And we might think this is just about the mouth feel, but it's, it's actually much more than that.
Other elements such as the auditory experience or satiety.
You know, these texture manipulates how fast you can consume something, and that can then improve the delivery of that experience.
It's also very closely connected to emotion and mood.
And consumers don't want to be bored, right?
So we found that 60% of consumers like products that are multi-textured and that provide variation in the food, but they're also looking for something that's, that's interesting too, something that's different from the norm that keeps them engaged and excited.
So our proprietary research.
Tells us that 79% of consumers say that the texture should add interest to the eating experience.
And so all of these attributes contribute to the overall satisfaction, and it's not just simply about the flavor or the claims on the front of the pack.
It's about the enjoyment of the food.
So texture can really make or break a product's appeal.
We know this.
And to further highlight the impact of texture on product appeal, our, our research shows that the majority of consumers will not eat a food if the texture is not appealing.
And if the texture is not working, then we know the consumers won't come back for more.
So greater than 50% of consumers would reject a food product if they don't like the texture.
It's really critical.
And to this point, at least half of respondents have a certain texture that they find unappealing, or unpleasant.
And our research shows that here are a few of the most popular things that are crunchy or tender.
Those are, those are products that are very appealing and and otherwise things that are oily, and so on.
Those those are are unappealing textures that that that people are not necessarily, friends with.
OK, and so we also found that the importance of texture grows with health conscious consumers, and even more so for those with health conditions.
So as ingredient makes healthy taste better, we found that 1 in 4 adults worldwide think that obesity is the biggest health problem facing people in their particular country.
And 77% of those consumers would pay more for food and beverages that offer health benefits.
It's really important.
So CPGs have been mainly concerned with consumer rejection of texture.
So traditionally a good enough approach has been the goal, while truly optimizing the texture for consumer preference has been somewhat neglected.
And, and this is where we believe there is a real opportunity.
So our research categorized consumers into 4 segments globally.
Two of those segments are both concerned with texture as as the health aspects of the food.
So for instance, texture explorers, these are consumers categorized as being health conscious and in good health, and they will reject foods based on not liking the texture 67% of the time.
While another category, texture lovers, they're health conscious and they have health issues like diabetes, dental issues, or, or even things like dry mouth.
They'll reject a food with texture they don't like an amazing 80% of the time compared to other consumers.
So we think these are really staggering figures.
And so by combining insights-driven expertise, technical mastery, and then a comprehensive solutions portfolio, this is our texture equation, and Ingredient unlocks the ultimate sensory experience and it enables us to really deliver superior products that ensure consumer satisfaction we're looking for.
Who doesn't love crispy fries or indulgence in our food?
Are you looking for superior stretch and melt in that new alt dairy cheese, right?
So in order to address some of these questions, it's my pleasure to pass it over to my colleague Sarah Tully, and she will help provide some answers on the science of texture.
Sarah.
Thanks, Mike.
So, how do we create our breakthrough texture innovations?
We do this by leveraging our 6 science and technology platforms that are supported by our 6 industry-leading functional capabilities throughout our innovation process.
These capabilities enable us to deeply understand and support our customers' end to end development journeys.
We start from plant science, really working to understand the plant properties and behaviors to ensure the development of highly new functional varieties.
One recent example of this is our innovation Indulged 2940, which is a functional native starch.
Our ingredient and texture science and process technology teams then work to develop new ingredients from bench to scale.
Our applications team, teams evaluate functionality through deep formulation and process expertise and define value propositions to ensure that we are finding unique solutions to address customers' unmet needs.
We then connect applications expertise with analytical measurement and sensory data to support the entirety of our customers' innovation journey.
So, this breadth of expertise across tech technical functions is so critical because texture is not just a secondary characteristic of food.
It plays so many functions.
It's this multifaceted and essential role in our eating experience, really influencing everything from satiety and eating pace to cultural preferences and overall satisfaction.
For example, texture can influence how quickly we eat.
For instance, a crunchy food may require a lot more chewing, which can slow down our eating pace and give our bodies more time to register fullness.
Texture can even play a huge role in the perception of a of a food's temperature.
Texture plays a role in our memories of eating experiences.
The unique texture of a favorite childhood snack or special holiday dish can evoke really strong emotions, making texture an integral part of our food-related nostalgia.
Cultural preferences also play a significant role in texture.
Interestingly, texture perception can be influenced by our perception of the sound of a food even.
The crunch of a fresh apple or the snap of a crisp cracker can enhance our perception of freshness and flavor, making the eating experience much more enjoyable.
So, hopefully it's clear that texture really does play so many roles, and therefore deeply understanding texture is critical.
While eating might seem like a really simple act, the complexity behind creating foods with great perceived texture is immense.
Each stage of the continuum, from oral processing to the molecular structure, requires a deep technical understanding to achieve the desired out the desired outcome.
From the moment we take a first bite of food, our senses are immediately engaged.
The perceived texture is the initial sensory feedback that we get from the food, which can range from crunchy to chewy to smooth.
This perception that we encounter is a function of the physical structure of the food.
This refers to the physical arrangement of a food's components, such as the layers in a pastry or the fibrous strands in a piece of meat.
The structure plays a significant role in how we perceive that texture.
So, as we zoom in further, we reach the microstructure level, and this involves the microscopic arrangements of cells and fibers within a food.
For instance, the air pockets in a loaf of bread, or the crystalline structure in chocolate, which contribute to their unique textures.
At an even more granular level, we consider the interactions between molecules within these foods.
These interactions can affect the stability, the texture, and the overall quality.
For example, the way proteins and fat interacts in a cheese can determine its meltability and stretchiness.
Finally, as we zoom in even more, we arrive at the molecular structure.
This is the foundation of food science, where the arrangement of atoms and molecules dictates the properties of the food.
For example, the molecular structure of starches, such as their size or degree of branching, significantly affects the functionality and in turn a food's texture, and we'll get more into this in a little bit.
But along each stage of the continuum, from oral processes to the molecular structure, requires that deep technical understanding to create the perfect eating experience.
So, let's get into an example of how we can apply an understanding of the drivers of consumer liking and consumer behavior with breadth and depth of texture experience to deliver incredible end to end solutions for our customers.
Earlier, Mike spoke about how texture is such a critical driver of overall eating experience, and this is most certainly the case for a french fry.
Consumers expect a perfectly crisp fry, whether they're cooking them at home in an air fryer, or if they're ordering fries for delivery and waiting for them to be delivered to their door, hot and crispy.
And I'm sure we've all experienced the disappointment of a soft and soggy french fry.
And we can see here that when ordering from a fast food or fast casual restaurant, a major complaint from consumers is that their fries were, in fact, not crispy enough.
So, delivering a fry that consumers perceive to be the perfect texture means delivering on multi-sensorial aspects because we experience texture across so many of our different senses.
The sound of a fry as you bite into it is a key indicator of freshness and quality.
An optimized coating solution enhances this audible crunch, providing a satisfying auditory experience that complements the overall experience.
Crispiness, it's that tactile sensation that we feel when we bite into a fry.
A perfectly crispy fry has this delicate balance of firmness and brittleness, creating a delightful contrast with that soft interior.
And so the the crispness must be consistently achieved and maintained over the whole time of a fry, so that it breaches your door, perfectly crisp.
Bite resistance is another crucial aspect.
This refers to the force required to bite through the fry.
An ideal fry has just the right amount of resistance, giving a satisfying bite without being too hard or soft.
Tooth packing, it's the tendency of a food to stick to your teeth while chewing, so a decreased tooth packing means you will have a cleaner, more pleasant eating experience.
Improvements across all of these attributes ensure that fries are perceived as having the perfect texture, providing consumers with an exceptional overall eating experience.
With an understanding of what multisensorial properties we must deliver, achieving these properties begins at the molecular level with an understanding of how starch impacts.
Starch structure impacts texture.
So starch granules are composed of two polysaccharide components, amylose and amylopectin, and the ratio of amylose and amylopectin and starches is very important in impacting the functionality and texture attributes of fries and other coated products.
So, starting with amylose, amylose has a linear structure with these long unbranched chains that result in a hard, flat, resistant films in low moisture applications due to the retrogradation.
Aylose-containing starches are commonly used to enhance crunchiness, hardness, and strength, thanks to this linear structure.
However, too much amylose and will have a structure that is too dense and chewy.
Amylopectin, on the other side, is a highly branched polymer which delivers light and crispy textures due to their expansion and open pore structures.
However, too much amylopectin will allow for too much water and oil absorption, resulting in soggy textures and too much toothpacking.
So this really deep understanding of the fundamental building blocks allows us to modulate the texture.
And achieving the perfect balance between these building blocks is so critical to creating the perfect textures for consumers.
So utilizing plant science expertise, starch modifications, and formulation expertise, we can work to manipulate the ratios of these polymers, the means by which these polymers are released from starch granules, and in turn, the way that they interact with each other and other ingredients in a food system.
With the right tools and expertise, we have the ability to really strike that perfect balance in texture and functionality to aid our customers in their product development journeys and ultimately delight consumers.
As seen here in this confocal image of a fry, our advanced analytical capabilities enable us to deeply understand ingredient interactions to know exactly how structure drives texture.
And it's this deep structure function know-how coupled with our robust ingredient portfolio that enables us to customize texture experiences to deliver on customer-driven texture experiences.
Another great example of how we utilize our texture capabilities to unlock the texture equation is mochi.
With rising interests in global cuisines, as Mike talked about before, we are seeing an increasing demand for texture innovation.
Mochi texture, referred to as Q texture, is characterized as being soft but not mushy, and springy and bouncy.
This distinct mochi texture can be found in many products, such as mochi donuts, mochi ice cream, and mochi bread.
Traditional mochi products have a rich history in the Asia Pacific geography, but they're actually quite new to the consumer food market and have been steadily growing and have seen steadily growing demand over the past several years.
A deep understanding of the complex texture descriptors enables us to identify the key drivers of liking of mochi, which can be translated into functionality targets for ingredient and formulation development to ultimately unlock solutions with the perfect sensory profile.
Here on the left, we can see the top 20 descriptors which have been translated to specific functionality targets such as stretch and springiness.
We can then take those targets and design experiments to test starch modifications, analyze texture, do in-depth sensory studies, and assess the microscopic structure and more.
And it's this deep understanding that allows us to enable customers to deliver that ideal texture for a specific mochi product that can be maintained over shelf life.
And with that, I'll pass it over to you, Mike.
OK, great.
So you've heard a bit about the texture science and the complexities of food from Sarah, and I think we'd just like to close by highlighting the extensive and diverse portfolio of both texture and healthful solutions.
We offer the most diversified portfolio of starches and hydrocolloids.
We are the company that really impacts texture in ways that we believe no other company can.
And thanks to the broadest portfolio of textures to support solutions that exist in the industry today.
So our broad portfolio of agricultural based types and raw materials which help to serve your specific category and geography needs.
We also have specialty starches, they're foundational to texture and they are very cost effective.
So they also give you the best opportunity to build from as ubiquitous and and multifunctional formulators, and they work in tandem with our robust, robust healthful solutions portfolio so that you can really customize your needs.
So thanks so much for tuning in today.
We're, we're so happy you joined us today, and we encourage you to visit our website to further review some of the texture solutions that we offer.
Thank you.
Brilliant, thanks for the presentation.
We'll now go to some questions from the audience.
The first one is for Sarah.
What are some challenges that may come up when formulating for specific texture attributes?
So, formulating for specific texture attributes can definitely present several, several challenges, and one of these major challenges is achieving the desired consistency and stability in products that need to maintain their texture over A period of time.
So, for example, creating a sauce with the perfect consistency or a yogurt that maintains its creamy texture throughout its entire shelf life can be difficult given that food systems are constantly slowly changing over time.
Additionally, balancing texture with other sensory attributes such as flavor and appearance is really critical, as texture can have such a significant impact over the overall eating experience.
Brilliant, er, this next question is from Mike.
How can texture drive innovation for manufacturers and what are some examples of successful applications?
Yeah, great question.
So texture really plays an important role in driving innovation by allowing manufacturers to be able to create unique and differentiated products that, that are standing out in the market.
So we already heard of the texture greatly impacts the eating experience.
So if we take an example for of, say, cold pressed bars.
They have smooth indulgent textures, and they've been a successful application for ingredient.
And these bars, which ingredient uses ingredients like our vitessence pea protein, deliver desirable softness throughout the shelf life and also have superior taste and texture.
And this really helps us to boost consumer preference and drive repeat purchases.
Another example is back to our, our texture, mochi texture example, and, and their diverse texture elements in various product formulations.
And this has really helped brands to meet consumer nuanced texture expectations, so.
Brilliant, one more question for you, Sarah.
How can advanced technical expertise and ingredient solution help achieve desired textures in various food products?
Sure.
So, technical expertise and ingredient solutions are so essential for achieving desired textures and food products by providing a really deep level of understanding so that we can work to connect the dots and understand how form relates to function and how that function impacts perception.
So leveraging expertise in areas such as plant science, ingredient science, texture, sensory science allows for the precise evaluation and understanding of texture challenges, and then utilizing sophisticated formulation techniques combined with an understanding of food processing as , helps to address these challenges, ensuring that products deliver consistent and delightful eating experiences.
And another question for you, Mike.
What are the most appealing texture attributes to consumers and how do they influence product preference?
Yeah, that's a good one.
So I think we, we covered some of that on one of our slides, and, and we found that the most appealing texture attributes to consumers are things like crispiness, tenderness, creamy, and those silky, smooth textures.
So these attributes are really important drivers for overall satisfaction in food.
And, and, you know, as they support the optimal flavor delivery, they enhance the sensory experience.
And consumers often associate certain textures with quality and healthiness as.
And that can influence their product preferences.
So, for instance, 84% of consumers associate a light texture with being healthier.
So things like that are what are really driving the most appealing texture attributes to consumers.
And then a final question here for you, Sarah.
How does texture enhance the sensory experience of food and beverages, making them more enjoyable and more memorable?
Of course.
So, texture plays such a crucial role in shaping the eating experience.
It works to enhance the overall enjoyment of food and influences consumer preferences.
It can make food and beverages more enjoyable and memorable by providing unique sensory experiences.
For example, textures such as crispy, tender, creamy, silky, smooth textures are all attributes that are really appealing to so many consumers.
Texture also contributes to the perception of quality, healthiness, and freshness, which can influence a consumer's decision to choose a product or not.
We also absolutely can't underestimate the role that texture plays in memory and nostalgia, as as culture.
Texture just has such a powerful, such a power to evoke strong emotions.
It can really put you back into your grandmother's kitchen and connect with certain memories.
And so a deep understanding of texture is how we're able to deliver on those specific experiences.
Brilliant, unfortunately, that's all we've got time for today.
Thanks to all of our listeners and for all of the questions today and thanks again to Mike and Sarah.
All questions that we didn't have time to answer today will be answered via email.
You can also check your inbox for an on-demand version which will be sent out shortly.
Finally, you can keep up with the latest developments in industry news at food ingredientsfirst.com, where you can also sign up for our newsletters.
Thanks and goodbye for now.
Director Marketing Global Category CoE Bakery and Snacks Lead and Marketing Excellence
Sr Manager of Global Applications and Innovations
Michael DiMarcello
Director Marketing Global Category CoE Bakery and Snacks Lead and Marketing Excellence
Sarah Tully
Sr Manager of Global Applications and Innovations
