, I wrote about how lifestyle and beauty companies such as Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop or any number of brands sold in Sephora stores are getting into the business of selling dietary supplements.

While most of these brands are selling nutricosmetic supplements that work from the inside out, what’s on the outside-the supplement 

-is also very important to this audience especially. Often (but not always), packaging that appeals to the lifestyle or beauty set is less cluttered and more streamlined-in short, an aesthetic that is a natural extension of the brand.

Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer for market researcher Harris Insights & Analytics (Rochester, NY), whom I interviewed in my earlier article, spoke about how some of these brands purposely forgo overloading their labels with product information. Instead, they prefer to provide information to customers elsewhere-such as, say, on a brand’s lifestyle blog.

“What they’re doing is putting all of that detail and the ‘why purchase’ in other elements of the marketing,” Rodney says. “They’re not looking at [packaging] as ‘my only sell is when you pick up this product.’ They’re looking at it like, ‘Hey, I’ve created this fan base with you, and I’m going to send you this e-mail about [the product]. I’m also going to talk about it on my podcast, and I’m going to put little elements of why it’s effective on my Instagram.’”

“They think about it more holistically,” she continues. “How do I 

convince you that this is the right product for you, versus featuring every product implication or efficacy element on the packaging.” Those constant, gradual touchpoints can build a powerful sense of trust that customers bring with them when it comes time to purchase.

Also, just because these customers may prefer simpler labels doesn’t mean they aren’t concerned about what’s in the product. On the contrary, Rodney says, these customers are doing the research to find out what’s in the product 

 they purchase, and they’ll often get that information from the brand itself, through alternative media streams as mentioned above. In fact, “that minimalism in packaging and less detail is actually seen as something that’s more trustworthy, because something that’s overly detailed makes customers think that there might be ‘fine print’ involved” that might disadvantage them, Rodney says. “So, you might just paralyze the person, and they walk away from the experience.”

This approach is different than that of “legacy supplement brands,” says branding and design expert Yadim Medore, founder and CEO of Pure Branding (Northampton, MA). “Those supplement brands…have built their brands around structure/function and features and benefits. It’s a battle of value and equity of a ‘lifestyle’ brand versus the legacy supplement brands that are about merely solutions and that lead with the science.”

The old way isn’t always the best way, though. Ultimately, Medore says, many brands make identical claims that end up neutralizing each other. “Over the past 20 years, we’ve identified classic pitfalls that supplement brands fall into time and again-they lead with science, they believe their technology differentiates them, they believe their solution is the best and highest quality,” says Medore. “These are all merely cost of entry, and when every brand is making these same claims, it’s just noise.”

Lifestyle brands that “know what their brand stands for” may have the advantage here. “These fashion or hip celebrity brands come with a fully evolved and differentiated positioning that speaks directly to their constituency,” says Medore. “A lifestyle brand, at its core, is one that seeks to inspire, guide, and motivate-and, in its largest sense, inspire a movement that defines a way of life. They position their supplements as part of that lifestyle. They don’t need to lead with the science”-although, he adds, a company better have the goods (the science and the efficacy) to back its product.

“The issue is not about how much or little the scientific evidence is included in the packaging,” Medore continues. “It’s how it’s positioned in relation to gaining the trust of the consumer. We know from our research that credibility ultimately comes from the brand meaning, and not the science. The science just adds assurances.” In general, he says, “The clarity of a successful lifestyle brand allows us to connect with it beyond the clutter of competing claims and features and meet it more authentically.”

The emergence of lifestyle brands in the supplements space could ultimately end up giving legacy brands a needed push to look within. “I see this as positive disruption,” Medore says, “which will force legacy supplement brands to really examine what is the meaning of their brand.”

How Lifestyle Dietary Supplement Brands Like Goop Make Health and Wellness Aspirational Instead of Sick Care

Design Experts Talk Packaging Trends for Dietary Supplements and Natural Products, Including Transparency, Simplicity, Sustainability, and Personalization

Dietary Supplement Package Design: New and Improved, or Tried and True?

Best Seller: Telling a Brand's Story though Dietary Supplement Package Design

Articles

Does a new minimalist approach to dietary supplement packaging mean brands no longer need to put science front and center?

How Lifestyle Dietary Supplements Use Social Media Instead of Science on Packaging to Sell the Brand

Good news for energy drinks! They continue to outperform the overall soft drinks market in terms of value, with their share of the category rising to 8% in 2017 and their global value reaching about €44 billion. This growth is happening despite an apparent slowdown in product innovation. Fewer new energy drinks have launched over the past five years. In 2017, energy drink new product launches accounted for less than 2.7% of global soft drink launches, an even smaller share than 5% in 2012.

There are a few reasons for this slowdown. One is the fact that there is likely relatively limited innovation opportunities in the category. Another factor is the dominance of multinational brands in many regions. As the market has become more established, and mainstream soft drink companies have entered and acquired or developed global energy drink brands, the number of smaller, diverse brands entering the market has shrunk substantially in the face of the global brands investing in high levels of product promotion.

The U.S., with its relatively mature market, has followed a similar pattern as the global market, with energy drink launch numbers falling to account for just 2.8% of total soft drink introductions in 2017, putting it only marginally ahead of the global figure. The U.S. market is dominated by non-aseptic, mainly canned drinks from iconic brands such as Red Bull, Monster, and Rockstar. These giants are focusing heavily on adding new formats and flavors.

Red Bull, for example, has continued to develop its Editions range, with sugar-free Purple (aÃ§ai berry) and Lime (limeade) flavors added to the range in early 2017. They join the existing Red (cranberry), Blue (blueberry), Yellow (“tropical”), Orange (tangerine), and Green (kiwi) flavors. The company has already lined up its limited-edition flavor for the summer of 2018: a Coconut Twist in a white and silver can.

Among the new energy drinks that are launching, there are a few notable, continuing trends.

A continued focus on sugar-free formulas is no surprise in the light of rising global pressure to reduce sugar content in soft drinks. “Low” and “light” versions of energy drinks-including what several energy drink brands are marketing as “zero” drinks (meaning either zero calorie or zero sugar)-accounted for over 40% of U.S. energy drink launches in 2017. Low-calorie claims were used on 39% of new energy drink launches, and sugar-free claims were used on 25% of new launches, indicating the considerable overlap and the rising popularity of these “zero” products.

“Low” and “light” claims were the most commonly used health claims for launches, after energy/alertness claims, which, perhaps not surprisingly, were featured on virtually all introductions.

Clean-label claims took third place, used by nearly 35% of launches in 2017. Here, organic claims were the most popular, featured on nearly 25% of introductions. Organic claims tend to be used alongside a range of other health claims, as exemplified by Core Hydration’s Core Organic Energy range, which also highlights other features such as low calorie, gluten free, and vegan.

Energy drink launches are also featuring more upmarket and on-trend flavors. The aforementioned Core Hydration products are sold in a range of exotic superfruit flavors such as Lemon & Ginger, Pomegranate Blue AÃ§ai, Tropical Berry, and Tropical Coconut. Meanwhile, Zola Organic Hydrating Energy Drinks all feature coconut water and have fashionable flavors such as AÃ§ai Berry, Pineapple-Coconut, and Matcha Green Tea.

Coffee flavors are also very much in vogue. Natural caffeine ingredients from coffee have been part of energy drinks for some time as the clean-label trend gains momentum, but many products are now highlighting coffee as a significant ingredient or flavor. The trend toward more upmarket cold-brewed coffee has also reached the energy drinks market, with launches including Wonder Fuel Coconut Oil MCT Super Drink with Cold-Brewed Coffee, which bases its energy properties around medium-chain triglycerides from coconut, and caffeine from coffee.

Consumers’ overall interest in beverages that provide energy benefits is not just confined to the energy drinks market. In fact, 7.6% of overall U.S. soft drink launches featured energy claims in 2017. And while energy drinks obviously make up the largest sector of drinks making energy claims (accounting for 35% of the total), it’s notable that more iced coffees are also making energy claims. Over 14% of U.S. iced coffee launches used energy/alertness claims in 2017, compared with less than 6% of iced tea launches and just 2% of juices/juice drink launches using energy claims.

While caffeine is a naturally present energy source for iced coffee products, beverages such as juice drinks have to look to other ingredients to supply energy, with increasing focus on ingredients such as yerba mate and green matcha. In juices and juice drinks, there is a focus on natural sources of energy, including so-called superfruit and vegetable blends and green formulations.

The demand for energy sources seems set to continue. Energy drinks have risen in popularity with demand for quick, easy, and widely available sources of physical and mental energy for increasingly busy lifestyles and continue to offer particular appeal to younger people, too.

Innova Market Insights is your source for new-product data. The Innova Database (

) is the product of choice for the whole product-development team, offering excellent product pictures, search possibilities, and analysis. See what food manufacturers are doing around the world: track trends, competitors, ingredients, and flavors. In today’s fast-moving environment, this is a resource you cannot afford to be without.

Energy Drink Makers Turn to Natural Botanical Ingredients

Which Flavors Are Trending in Energy Drinks?

Energy drinks continue to outperform the overall soft drinks market in terms of value, with their share of the category rising to 8% in 2017 and their global value reaching about €44 billion, says Innova Market Insights.

Energy Drink Sales Still on the Rise, Despite Slowdown in Innovation

There was a time, not so long ago, when the concept of “healthy” chocolate seemed paradoxical. But today’s consumers expect to be able to have it all-and chocolate is no exception. In recent years, chocolate manufacturers have been working to innovate chocolate confections and snack bars that help consumers meet their health goals.

Representatives from Cargill (Minneapolis), Ingredion (Westchester, IL), and cocoa supplier Barry Callebaut (Zurich, Switzerland) tell 

 that sugar reduction remains one of the most popular ways of improving the health profile of a chocolate product. Julie Emsing Mann, global protein program manager, Ingredion, says that sugar content is still a key focus in the chocolate category for reasons including the push for sugar taxes in some countries, the addition an “added sugar” line on FDA’s revised Nutrition Facts label here in the U.S., and the proliferation of front-of-pack calorie claims, among others. 

But reducing sugar is tricky because sugar generates much of the sweetness and texture in a chocolate product, says Fatemeh Khadem, senior technical services manager, Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate. Plus, using any sweetener other than cane sugar can increase manufacturing costs. According to Barry Callebaut’s Mark Adriaenssens, vice president, research and development, Americas, and Laura Bergan, director, innovation and market development, North America: “Any [sugar] replacement or change in sweetening…typically will mean a cost increase with the raw materials.” They state that, at present, polyols such as the low-calorie sugar alcohols erythritol and maltitol are more expensive than cane sugar. So is stevia 

, though stevia “is only used in small percentages within the chocolate recipe,” they say.

Today, stevia is one of the most popular zero-calorie sweeteners. The high-intensity sweetener has come a long way since it first arrived on the scene, and Ingredion’s Mann says that globally, an increasing number of premium low- or no-sugar confectionery products are being formulated with stevia-based sweeteners.

And formulating with stevia has never been easier: “The challenge of balancing taste and meeting sugar-reduction targets with stevia is no longer as daunting as it was for formulators. It requires the best-tasting stevia sweeteners, those without the bitter aftertaste, to allow for higher levels of sugar reduction.” Mann says that SweeGen’s Bestevia Reb M, a 95%-pure stevia leaf sweetener distributed by Ingredion, provides a sugar-like taste, without the bitter aftertaste often associated with alternative sweeteners.

But no matter which lower-calorie alternative sweetener a manufacturer uses, it is “critically important that healthier chocolates still taste good,” say Adriaenssens and Bergan. Finding the right ingredients that can serve as one-to-one replacers for sugar or fat, while retaining the same flavor and texture of the original product, is a challenge. Oftentimes, it requires ingredient trade-offs, they say.

For instance, while stevia and other high-intensity sweeteners do a pretty good job of replacing sugar in chocolate, additional ingredients may be needed to achieve some of the other functional properties of sugar, says Ravi Nana, polyols technical service manager, Cargill. Cargill offers its zero-calorie natural Zerose erythritol, which Nana says replaces sugar’s bulk at a one-to-one ratio and pairs well with the company’s ViaTech or EverSweet stevia sweeteners. Both Barry Callebaut and Ingredion also embrace polyols as sugar replacers. Barry Callebaut offers dark and milk no-sugar-added chocolates where erythritol functions as the main sugar replacer.

Ingredion’s polyols can also add sweetness to chocolate sauces and syrups without adding calories, says Afrouz Naeini, senior marketing manager, sweeteners and beverage, Ingredion. Last year, Ingredion launched its portfolio of VersaSweet low-sugar syrups, from both corn and tapioca sources.

Manufacturers can also reduce the sugar content of a chocolate product by adding a functional ingredient like fiber. Adriaenssens and Bergan say Barry Callebaut has focused its innovation on growing its Sweet Refrain portfolio of reduced-sugar and sugar-free chocolates, whose sugar content is replaced by Barry Callebaut’s proprietary fiber blend.

Cargill’s Oliggo-Fiber chicory root ingredient can likewise provide formulators with an effective sugar alternative, says Pam Stauffer, global market programs manager, Cargill. “Mildly sweet in its own right, chicory root fiber can help modulate the flavor of some high-potency sweeteners,” she says. Fiber also functions as a bulking agent, she adds, which can help to improve the texture and mouthfeel of a reduced-sugar chocolate product.

Protein Is Trending in Chocolate, But Comes with Formulating Challenges

Reducing sugar is tricky because sugar generates much of the sweetness and texture in a chocolate product. Plus, using any sweetener other than cane sugar can increase manufacturing costs.

What Makes Reducing Sugar in Chocolate So Challenging?

Slideshows

These men's health ingredients show promise in easing age-related prostate symptoms and supporting an overall healthy and active lifestyle.

Prostate Health Ingredient Research, From Tea to Cranberry

One of the most valuable skills to have in the health-and-wellness biz is knowing how to separate the novelties from the “new normal”-the passing fads from the real-live future. So as we approach a future wherein the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations predicts

 we’ll need 70% more food to feed every human on the planet within 30 years, it’s a safe bet that whatever that real-live future has in store, it’ll have a place for plant proteins.

And yet we needn’t gaze that far into the out years to appreciate plant proteins’ impact. These phenomenally popular ingredients are already so ever-present that they no longer qualify as just au courant; they’re a bona fide movement.

But while the public may be ready for plant proteins, are plant proteins ready for the public? And are supply lines sufficiently stocked with options fit for commercial formulation? After all, any novel ingredient goes through “growing pains” as it transitions from trendy to trusted-and some plant proteins have experienced pretty rocky adjustments already.

Regardless, says Samantha Ford, business development director, AIDP (City of Industry, CA), “Whether manufacturers are ready or not, the demand for plant proteins is there and rising. If anything, that market push will drive manufacturers to innovate and ramp up their development work to keep up with consumers’ needs.” And with their wants-for consumers want more protein in their lives, and they want it to come from plants.

The Good Food Institute (GFI; Washington, DC) and the Plant-Based Foods Association (PBFA; San Francisco) worked with market research firm Nielsen (New York City) to define the total retail audience for plant-based foods within Nielsen’s Expanded All Outlets Combined Channel, which scans outlets including grocery, drug, mass merchandise, club, dollar, and military stores, as well as Whole Foods Market.

They found that total U.S. retail sales of plant-based meals as well as meat, dairy, and egg substitutes topped $3.1 billion last year alone, with 8.1% growth for the sector year over year-even as sales of all food in the same channel declined 0.2%. Notes Zak Weston, corporate engagement specialist at GFI, “Many of the larger plant-based companies-Boca, Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods-report double-digit growth in sales since last year.”

Similarly, when Innova Market Insights (Arnhem, Netherlands) reported

 on plant protein trends last year, it found not only that consumers are leaning toward diets with less meat and more plants-fully 44.1% of U.S. shoppers surveyed told Innova that they increased their meat substitute/alternative consumption over the prior year-but that industry is listening. To wit, the indexed number of global new food and beverage launches bearing plant-based claims saw a CAGR of 67.6% from 2013 through 2017.

It’s easy to see why the plant-based category is enjoying such growth. “Plant-sourced proteins appeal to so many consumer desires,” says Pam Stauffer, global marketing programs manager, Cargill (Minneapolis). “You name it: non-GMO, organic, sustainable, vegan, non-big-8 allergen, label friendly. Consumers understand what an ingredient like pea protein is, and they feel very confident feeding products like that to their families.”

Concerns about animal welfare, antibiotics in meat, and the general sense that plant-centered agriculture is gentler on the earth than raising livestock also play to plant proteins’ benefit. But “above all,” says Shaheen Majeed, president worldwide, Sabinsa Corp. (East Windsor, NJ), “health benefits established through research are making people turn to plant sources for their protein requirements.”

 showing that 76% of Americans believe proteins from plant sources are healthy, with around 28% turning to protein alternatives for weight-management benefits. In addition to that Majeed adds, “People are consuming plant-based proteins for satiety and to build muscle mass and strength.”

According to a HealthFocus International survey

, plant-based foods’ health halo factors especially strongly into younger consumers’ interest in the category. But Millennials, the survey found, were actually “more apt to cite environmental, sustainability, and social issues among their key drivers,” notes Matthew Jacobs, global product line leader for plant proteins at Cargill.

Whatever their reasoning, Millennials are a “driving force” in the growing popularity of plant-based foods, says Alison Rabschnuk, GFI’s director of corporate engagement. Mintel5 found 30% of Millennials eat meat alternatives every day, with 50% choosing such options a few times per week-underscoring a “flexitarian” streak that’s yet another “growth center” for the category, Rabschnuk adds.

“Given that Millennials account for 25% of the U.S. population and are estimated to spend over $1 trillion annually,” Rabschnuk continues, “their tastes are already redefining the marketplace and giving the food industry a glimpse of the mainstream foods of tomorrow”-plant proteins included.

Witness the revolution in the dairy case. Plant-based milks were a “miniscule” fraction of the total domestic dairy market until Dean Foods bought WhiteWave and moved its plant-based items to grocery dairy cases, GFI’s Weston says. “Sales exploded, and now plant-based dairy is 10% of the U.S. dairy market and growing as fast as the overall dairy category is shrinking.” And if more mature protein sources like soy, almond, and coconut still dominate milk alternatives, they’re making room for the pea protein, macadamia, pistachio, and even spent barely milks-thank you, beer industry-fast gaining share.

All this has the smart money sizing up potential investment targets. “[Data firm] Crunchbase

 reported that $250 million in publicly disclosed investments in the ‘alternative protein’ startup space has been made in the last two years,” Rabschnuk says-which doesn’t even account for privately made investments. “Some companies are taking stakes in plant-based innovators-Tyson and Cargill both invested in Beyond Meat-while others are buying plant-based companies outright,” including not only Dean Foods’ investment in WhiteWave, but NestlÃ©’s purchase of Sweet Earth, Maple Leaf Foods’ purchase of both Lightlife Foods and the Field Roast Grain Meat Co., and Pinnacle Foods’ purchase of Gardein.

“It’s obvious that plant proteins have outgrown their initial niche status and become mainstream,” observes Alison Raban, certified food scientist, BI Nutraceuticals (Dominguez Hills, CA). And she’s noticed the shift not only in the types of products appearing on shelves, but in “the trends in ingredient requests we receive from a variety of manufacturers, big to small and mainstream to specialty.”

Among plant protein ingredients, soy “is still the highest ranked in terms of market size due to its use in many mainstream food items,” according to Mintel data

, says Danielle Black, senior product manager, proteins, Glanbia Nutritionals (Fitchburg, WI). But in the nutritional foods category, pea protein wins. Taken together, the two sources’ “high protein content and low-cost nature” makes them popular choices with manufacturers, Black says.

But they’re not alone. “While soy remains most prevalent as a base, along with wheat and pea or bean proteins, growing demand will summon new sources from nuts, seeds, and novel legumes,” Weston wagers. Rice- and potato-based ingredients got the endorsement of a respective 81% and 80%, respectively, of consumers whom Mintel

 surveyed when asked which plant-based proteins they favor and given the option to choose all that apply. Black adds that this feedback is perhaps “because of the familiarity of side dishes and snacks with those ingredients.”

Even aquafaba, the water left after cooking faba beans, chickpeas, and other legumes, is drawing attention as a plant protein source, says Liz Specht, PhD, senior scientist at GFI. Thus, she concludes, “Picking any one plant protein to highlight is tricky because there’s so much potential in every category.”

But harvesting that potential won’t be easy. “Some plant proteins may be popular in name with consumers,” notes Black, but unless the source is nutritious, high in protein, sustainably low cost, and yields an ingredient with formulation functionality, “it will be hard to scale up production in food for a mainstream audience.” And as it happens, she adds, “The functional properties of plant proteins are still in a development stage.”

Indeed, taste, texture, and mouthfeel are oft-noted drawbacks, with the flavor profiles of some plant sources described variously as beany, bitter, “green,” or reminiscent of cardboard-stark contrasts to the relatively creamy flavor of dairy proteins like whey. Even mild-tasting, highly concentrated powders “can add some off flavors or mute other better-tasting ingredients,” Raban adds. “And whole-food sources of protein that carry a strong fiber quotient can compromise product texture” with their grittiness or graininess.

Specht surmises that the sensory gap separating traditional dairy from plant-based proteins might be an artifact of years of breeding designed to maximize the latter’s usefulness as animal feed or ingredients for “highly processed foods.” So as preferences tilt toward “natural, plant-based, organic, specialty, and healthy foods,” she says, “plant proteins will need to be optimized for a new consumer palate.”

And because consumer tastes are largely grounded in what they find familiar, plant-based alternatives to animal products will have to “find ways to replicate all the sensations of the foods they’re replacing,” Specht continues. “Many animal ingredients have multiple uses in food production, with one providing desirable flavor, texture, or ease of formulation, for example. It can be a challenge to find one-to-one plant-based replacements for such animal ingredients.”

Supply lines pose uncertainties, as well. Brands looking to formulate with novel plant protein “face the common innovation dilemma of sourcing uncommon ingredients in smaller quantities, which makes per-unit costs higher,” Specht says. “As the plant-based market continues to grow, economies of scale will make novel plant ingredient prices drop.”

At least that’s the hope. But even here, hurdles remain. “This is sometimes a chicken-and-egg issue,” observes Jon Getzinger, CMO, Puris (Minneapolis, MN). “It’s difficult to spend large sums of money to commercialize a new plant protein source when it isn’t accepted yet by consumers or food manufacturers.” So when a source goes viral and formulators flock to it-think pea protein a few years back-demand invariably outstrips supply until producers increase capacity-“provided,” Getzinger says, “it makes economic sense.”

Those are a lot of stars to tease into alignment. But the fact that plant proteins continue to thrive indicates that they’re falling into place-albeit sometimes slowly.

As Paige Ties, senior technical service specialist for research and development at Cargill, says, “There’s a development curve throughout the supply chain that new plant proteins will experience. But as processors gain a greater understanding of the variables impacting the functional, nutritional, and sensory attributes of their protein, that learning moves upstream.” The upshot: “From a formulation perspective, our ability to incorporate plant proteins into a variety of applications has grown by leaps and bounds.”

For example, a persistent challenge when formulating with plant proteins has been their fondness for water, which hydrates the protein and increases the density of, say, the puffed cereal, snacks, and baked goods where they appear. Ties says that her team has done “extensive testing” with a range of protein types and blends to standardize rheology “so that formulators don’t have to change the amount of water in their formulas dramatically.”

Diversifying plant protein formats-from concentrate powders and fractionated isolates to “whole-food” protein ingredients-has also expanded plant proteins’ applicability-and given formulators options. “For some,” Raban says, “the high concentration of powders makes formulation easier since less product is needed. But for others, the whole form has benefits besides protein.” For example, her company’s chia protein isn’t as high in protein as its pumpkinseed protein concentrate, she says, “but it can add fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. So formulators working on a granola bar might look to a whole ingredient like chia, whereas a protein shake developer might want a mild-tasting concentrated protein form, like our faba bean concentrate.”

Perhaps even more exciting, protein scientists in labs across the country are using tools like hydrolysis to increase plant-protein solubility-a boon to beverage formulation-and enzymes like transglutaminase to “stich plant proteins together to increase their crosslinking capability,” Specht says, which is critical to plant proteins’ ability to replicate meaty textures.

“Other forms of milling and processing can selectively remove bitter components or anti-nutrients that can impede vitamin absorption and impact both taste and nutrition,” she continues. “There are also tremendous opportunities to leverage advances in sophisticated high-throughput breeding informed by genomics to develop strains for specific applications in plant-based meat, dairy, and eggs.”

And while centuries of breeding have given commodity crops like corn, soy, and wheat a head start vis-Ã -vis high yields, robustness, and streamlined harvest, “these gains can now be realized in previously underexploited crops like peas, lentils, and beans in much shorter time frames and with much lower overall R&D cost because of these technological advances in trait mapping and breeding methodology,” Specht says.

She foresees a day when plant proteins can be tailored to form, say, strong meat-like fibers when extruded, or bind fat and water for a juicier texture. “These approaches can also overcome some sensory issues,” she goes on. “The abundance of bitter and beany components can often be reduced through breeding. More advanced techniques like genome editing may enable breeders to eliminate some of these undesirable compounds altogether.”

These possibilities aren’t just science fiction, either; they’re protein processing fact. And the rapid development of the pea protein space is proof. As Ties explains, “It all starts with better plant proteins.”

Cargill recently signed a joint venture with Puris to actualize those improvements in pea protein ingredients. “While most pea proteins bring a host of flavor issues,” Ties explains, “Puris pea protein is decidedly different.” Sourced from non-GMO yellow pea seed varieties specially selected to minimize pulses’ typical off flavors, it’s processed without chemicals “to bring out the best flavor possible,” she claims. “We’ve completed qualitative descriptive analysis testing and our customers have done their own comparison testing-and consistently, our pea protein comes out on top.”

Adds Getzinger, “In just a few years, we’ve shown that pea protein can work well in a variety of applications, helping to deliver solid, plant-based nutrition that tastes great, all with the transparency back to the farm that many consumers are calling for.”

Glanbia has pushed the ball down the field, as well, by developing plant proteins with increased stability and solubility for beverage applications. “We’ve also developed plant protein solutions for bars and bakery systems that increase shelf life and improve texture,” Black adds. The company has even patented a technology that improves dispersibility and flow rate for plant-protein powders. “We are also improving mouthfeel and stability of plant proteins for use in applications such as plant-based yogurts and aseptic beverages.”

But not all new protein technologies are so high-tech. Sabinsa’s newly launched Promond is an all-natural vegan protein sourced from almonds (Prunus amygdalus) standardized to contain not less than 50% protein. Along with a mild taste, the ingredient contributes a complete array of amino acids, including high levels of branched-chain amino acids, says Majeed. Even better, he adds, it’s both lactose and gluten free, “hence no bloating!”

So as plant protein production keeps escalating to meet demand-and, over time, way in the future, possibly approaches the scale of animal-protein production-does the former run the risk of losing the sustainable “green sheen” that’s helped endear it to so many consumers in the first place?

Probably not. “It takes 9 calories of feed to get one back in chicken meat,” Weston points out, “and chicken is one of the most ‘efficient’ meats to produce!” Hogs, cattle, and lamb take an even higher feed toll per pound of production. “Plant-based meats can be produced much more efficiently from an ecological perspective,” he says, “making them a more sustainable alternative.”

And consider the pea, Getzinger proposes. It returns nitrogen to the soil where it grows, “displacing some or all of the fertilizer that a farmer would need to apply to fields.” Peas also require moderate amounts of water, can act as a cover crop, and minimize use of herbicides otherwise needed to stanch weed growth.

So they, and other plant sources, deserve a place at the table. “By now,” Getzinger concludes, “most of us realize that there’s simply no way that enough animal-based protein can be sustainably produced to supply the needs of the world’s ever-growing population. The numbers simply don’t work. Plant proteins have to be part of the solution.”

2018 Ingredient Trends to Watch for Food, Drinks, and Dietary Supplements: Plant Protein

Overcoming Plant Protein Challenges in Nutrition Bars

5 Plant Protein Ingredients for Food and Drink

“2050: A Third More Mouths to Feed.” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 

www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/35571/icode/

“Plant Protein Trends.” Innova Market Insights presentation. July 2017

“Taste Is the Top Reason U.S. Consumers Eat Plant-Based Proteins.” Mintel International. 

www.mintel.com/press-centre/food-and-drink/taste-is-the-top-reason-us-consumers-eat-plant-based-proteins

“International Plant Study.” HealthFocus International. August 2017

“The Protein Report–Meat Alternatives.” Mintel International. 2017

“Can Protein Startups and Their Investors Take on Big Cow?” Crunchbase website. 

https://news.crunchbase.com/news/can-protein-startups-investors-take-big-cow/?utm_content=buffer6672c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer&ex_cid=SigDig

“Plant-Based Proteins–U.S.” Mintel International. January 2018

As plant-protein demand grows, plant-protein ingredients are overcoming growing pains, including challenges of scaling up, as well as formulating hurdles.

Plant Protein Ingredients Are Overcoming Supply, Formulating Challenges as Demand Grows

Microbiome Research Advances, and Limitations, for Dietary Supplements

It didn’t take long for the headlines to surface after

 published the latest data on American obesity rates this March. “American Adults Just Keep Getting Fatter,” cried 

“Public Education Efforts Not Moving the Needle in Fight against Obesity,” was 

 takeaway. Even the food blog Grubstreet conceded, “America’s Obesity Epidemic Is Only Getting Worse.”

The responses set a dismal tone-and for good reason. The data

 to which they respond, taken from the 2007-2008 and 2015-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), paint a picture of a nation wherein 33.7% of adults are obese (defined as having a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or more) and 5.7% are severely obese (having a BMI of 40 or more)-and they reflect an upward obesity trend that’s been in evidence for decades.

All this comes despite ongoing efforts to educate Americans about the risks of-and remedies to-obesity. And it also comes despite the earnest claims of those same Americans that they’re exercising more.

Yet it’s time we find something that does. Whatever that “something” is, it’ll likely comprise dietary changes, more exercise and education, and possibly nutritional supplementation to address weight management. After all, as Joe Weiss, president, Nutrition 21 LLC (Purchase, NY), points out, “The problem surrounding obesity is only getting worse, which leads me to believe there will continue to be demand around products addressing or reducing the negative impacts of this condition.”

We’ve been down this road before, and perhaps we keep winding up here because although solving overweight and obesity may be simple in concept-eat less; exercise more-it’s much harder in fact. As Mark Cope, PhD, applied nutrition manager, DuPont Nutrition & Health (Madison, WI), says, “We all know that weight management requires lifestyle changes, but it’s these changes in diet and exercise habits that make weight management so challenging.”

Add to that the inexorable influence of genetics-and an environment apparently designed to encourage obesity-and it’s understandable why taking weight off and keeping it off is a tough code to crack. Says Mitch Skop, former senior director of new product development, Pharmachem Laboratories Inc., a division of Ashland (Kearny, NJ), “Emotionally charged mindsets often cause binge or stress eating,” and though manufacturers are making healthful choices available, “junk-food manufacturers are doing the same thing,” albeit in the equal and opposite direction.

The consequences of this “toxic food environment” extend well beyond one’s waistline. “Obesity is associated with higher death rates driven by comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, certain types of cancer, steatohepatitis, gastroesophageal reflux, arthritis, polycystic ovary syndrome, and infertility

,” Cope says. “Another important point to make about obesity is reduced quality of life, even among obese individuals without associated comorbidities

And don’t forget to account for obesity’s economic toll. Cope points to data

 showing that the public health burden of excess weight costs the U.S. healthcare system more than $200 billion annually. Moreover, a Johns Hopkins University study

 concluded that obese individuals who lower their BMI to what’s considered a healthy range could save $28,000 over a lifetime.

Supplementary interventions that help keep weight in that healthy range also have the potential to ameliorate obesity’s costs. And though such products have traditionally focused on energy, thermogenesis, and metabolism, “more recently it seems a lot of formulas are catering to consumers who need help managing their sugar intake to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, reduce hunger, and increase satiety,” says Brian Appell, marketing manager, OmniActive Health Technologies (Morristown, NJ).

Indeed, “Today’s diets are loaded with sugar,” Appell observes. NPD Group research

 reveals that while a combination of sugary nonalcoholic beverages and processed grain products contribute the lion’s share of sugars in contemporary diets, “even foods many people consider healthy can contain more than 95 grams of hidden sugars,” he notes-“more than twice the maximum recommended intake.”

No wonder sugar consumption has been climbing over the past 30 years-and contributing to near-epidemic rates of elevated blood sugar and weight gain in the process. “It’s the hidden sugars that are largely responsible for this health crisis,” Appell adds. So it’s also no wonder that when an OmniActive survey

 asked consumers which single item they’d eliminate from their diets if they could, more than half cited sugar and/or carbohydrates.

Appell says that because his company’s 

 extract-marketed as OmniLean-can “uniquely balance blood sugar and thereby control appetite,” it can help users “make healthier choices.” The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled three-way crossover CARBS (Carbohydrate Appetite Reduction and Blood Sugar) study

was the first to examine the extract’s effects on postprandial glycemic indices and gut hormones, and it found that when taken with a meal, the ingredient improved glycemic response and changes in gut hormones in healthy overweight/obese individuals, reduced blood sugar spikes, and influenced appetite and satiety.

Noting that “industry cannot change people’s stress or behavior, but we can help them lessen the impact of a carb-laden diet,” Skop explains that Pharmachem’s white kidney bean extract-brand named Phase 2 Carb Controller-helps delay digestion and absorption of dietary starches by temporarily inhibiting salivary and pancreatic alpha-amylase enzyme. Carbohydrates that thus resist digestion in the small intestine can travel to the large intestine where they act like dietary fiber, feeding microbiota and upregulating the hormone GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), which promotes satiety signaling, among other metabolic effects.

Four placebo-controlled human studies published between 2001 and 2004 showed significant weight and inch loss with the product’s use. The most recent study

 on the ingredient-and the largest human trial on it to date-showed that after 12 weeks of supplementation, those taking the extract lost an average of 7 lb more than the placebo group and experienced a statistically significant decrease in the desire, frequency, and strength of cravings for chocolates and other sweet foods; meanwhile the placebo group saw a significant increase in the difficulty of resisting particular types of food. After 24 weeks, 73.5% of participants in the weight-management phase had successfully maintained their body weight.

 of more than a dozen studies also concluded that Pharmachem’s kidney-bean extract could potentially induce weight loss and reduce blood sugar spikes caused by carbohydrates. The study’s coauthor wrote that the ingredient demonstrated the ability to cause weight loss “with doses of 500 to 3,000 mg per day, in either a single dose, or in divided doses. It also has the ability to reduce the postprandial spike in blood glucose levels.”

All of which suggests that it may play a role in addressing blood sugar management and diabetes. And as far as Weiss is concerned, any supplement capable of doing that is just what we need. He cites World Health Organization numbers estimating that 422 million adults were living with diabetes in 2014, compared to 108 million in 1980. “This increasing incidence of diabetes, as well as complications correlating with poor blood sugar, is likely due to an increase in the associated risk factors in individuals, such as being overweight or obese,” he says.

Chromium “is commonly regarded as effective in helping control blood sugar and carbohydrate cravings, as well as in fighting body fat and assisting in weight management,” notes Jim Komorowski, chief science officer at Nutrition 21. The trace mineral appears to improve insulin’s action, boosting the body’s ability to manage blood sugar levels. “People often struggle to lose weight even when dieting and exercising due to impaired insulin resistance,” he notes. “If the body is successfully keeping blood sugar levels in check, managing weight and appetite is a bit more simplified.”

His company’s patented Chromax chromium picolinate supplement was the focus of a new 2018 review that the company recently publicized in a white paper, comparing it to other weight-loss products and programs, the conclusion of which was that the supplement yielded the greatest percentage of fat loss and smallest percentage of lean body mass loss relative to total weight loss. As Komorowski notes, “Chromax positively impacts body composition by enabling individuals to lose fat while retaining muscle.”

A signal implication of the study is that notwithstanding the current fixation on carbohydrates and sugar, fat-or, more specifically, adipose tissue-still matters.

Why? When a body loses primarily lean body mass and not fat in its efforts to shed pounds, it suppresses its metabolic rate, setting up conditions for the subsequent accumulation of more fat. Lean body mass also generates energy, and thus its excess loss can trigger fatigue, poor neuromuscular function, and injury risk. “Therefore,” Komorowski says, “satiety promoters and other low-calorie diets may fall in favor over time compared to products and programs that enhance body composition by increasing fat loss while preserving lean body mass.”

Because the body requires a controlled insulin response to convert food to energy rather than store it as fat, Komorowski adds, “having a controlled insulin response is very important” to keeping body composition in healthy balance during any weight-loss program.

Johanna Maukonen, global health and nutrition science lead at DuPont Nutrition & Health, notes that the results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled weight-management trial

 credited her company’s Howaru Shape probiotic (10 billion-CFU

 B420 strain)-either alone or administered with 12 g of the company’s branded Litesse Ultra polydextrose fiber-with controlling body fat mass, core fat mass, waist circumference, and calorie intake in overweight and obese adults. Subjects supplementing with the probiotic/fiber combination had 4.5% less total body fat mass, 6.7% less trunk fat, and a 2.6-cm/1.02-in. smaller waist circumference after six months of supplementation relative to the placebo.

The supplement’s mechanism of action appears to relate to improvements in intestinal integrity, as well as anti-inflammatory effects and, potentially, beneficial changes to the gut microbiota’s composition. “Moreover,” Maukonen says, “the unique results were obtained with no changes to diet or exercise habits. And there were no stimulants added, so participants felt like themselves while controlling body fat mass and improving body composition.”

Going forward, clinically substantiated evidence like this will become more important than ever. As Appell says, “Science on efficacy and safety drive the market by keeping consumers both realistic and optimistic. They want to know how their supplements work and what they can expect. Sound research and messaging that’s easy to understand help them gain the knowledge they need to make educated purchases.”

In other words, “Gone are the days of ‘magic bullet’ pills boasting unfounded claims or using questionable ingredients with potential side effects,” he says. Weight management has undergone a much-needed market correction as manufacturers lean less on sensationalism and more on real, live effects, he adds, and “that can only lead to better formulas that can prosper in this growing market.”

Nutrigenetics, Weight Management, and Dietary Supplements

Salacia Extract Modulates Appetite, Blood Sugar, in New CARBS Study

DuPont Launches Howaru Shape Probiotic for Weight Management

How Capsules Solve Delivery Challenges of Today’s Most Popular Weight-Management Ingredients

5 Satiety Ingredients for Weight Management

Hales CM et al., “Trends in obesity and severe obesity prevalence in US youth and adults by sex and age, 2007-2008 to 2015-2016,”

 vol. 366, no. 9492 (October 1, 2005): 1197-1209

Kolotkin RL et al., “A systematic review of reviews: exploring the relationship between obesity, weight loss and health-related quality of life,” 

“Obesity Rates and Trends.” The State of Obesity, 

Fallah-Fini S et al., “The additional costs and health effects of a patient having overweight or obesity: a computational model,” 

vol. 25, no. 10 (September 26, 2017): 1809-1815

“Impact of Sugar Concern on Consumption Behavior: What We Say vs. What We Do.” NPD Group report. September 2017.

OmniActive Insights Program, December 27, 2017; 500 respondents.

Hao L et al., “Appetite and gut hormones response to a putative Î±-glucosidase inhibitor, 

in overweight/obese adults: a double blind randomized controlled trial,” 

Grube et al., “Weight reduction and maintenance with IQP-PV-101: a 12-week randomized controlled study with a 24-week open label period,” 

Udani JK et al., “A proprietary alpha-amylase inhibitor from white bean 

: a review of clinical studies on weight loss and glycemic control,” 

Stenman et al., “Probiotic with or without fiber controls body fat mass, associated with serum zonulin, in overweight and obese adults-randomized controlled trial,” 

A look at the science behind some of today’s most successful weight-management dietary supplement ingredients.

Weight-Management Dietary Supplements and the Search for Effective Ingredients

Here’s a quick round of word association: I say “prebiotic” and you think…“Fiber,” right? If that was your choice, you’re not alone. Nor are you without reason: In 2006, FDA guidance

 not only reinforced the prevailing definition of prebiotics as “nondigestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon”-that is, “fiber”-but singled out oligosaccharides as “commonly used” prebiotics, to boot. So it’s not surprising that when most of us think about what feeds our friendly intestinal flora, we think of fiber.

Now, however, emerging research suggests that this definition may in fact be too narrow. In short, it’s possible that some probiotic bacteria may receive aid and comfort from compounds that don’t fall under the historically fibrous prebiotic rubric. Case in point: polyphenols, which “are being recognized for their prebiotic potential in addition to their wider range of health benefits,” says Shaheen Majeed, president worldwide, Sabinsa (East Windsor, NJ).

Though evidence for polyphenols’ prebiotic potential remains nascent, the possibility it holds for synbiotic formulation deserves attention. So those in the know are keeping their eyes on polyphenols and the prebiotic science surrounding them. As Majeed says, “These effects are real, and polyphenols are here to make a difference in the prebiotic category.”

It’s not as if polyphenols didn’t already deserve our love. These naturally occurring antioxidant phytochemicals-more than 8,000 of which have been identified in sources ranging from fruits and vegetables to tea, wine, chocolate, and olive oil-are the second-most abundant compounds in plants, trailing only carbohydrates.

As a class, they comprise stilbenes, lignans, phenolic acids, and flavonoids, and they exist, more or less, to protect their plant parents. But over the years, says Majeed, “research has suggested that polyphenols play a vital role in promoting our vitality and optimal health and wellness,” too, along with those of plants.

According to researchers, polyphenols’ bill of human health particulars runs from cardiovascular benefits, possible cancer prevention, and metabolic and blood sugar balance, to cognitive support, joint and bone health, weight management, a healthy inflammatory response, and-new to the list-optimal gut health.

That’s a change of pace, as gut health had primarily been the province of probiotic bacteria and the prebiotic fibers that feed them. And that makes sense, because a preponderance of evidence affirms that probiotic bacteria are instrumental to a well-functioning gastrointestinal tract, and that prebiotic fiber encourages their proliferation.

“These bacteria are important as they may have several beneficial effects on the host, especially in terms of improving digestion and the effectiveness and intrinsic strength of the immune system,” says Stephen Lukawski, BA, MEd, global sales and marketing consultant, product development and partner, Fruit d’Or Nutraceuticals (Villeroy, QC, Canada). “Preliminary research has also demonstrated potential effects of probiotic bacteria on the absorption of calcium and other minerals, bowel acidity, and inflammatory bowel disease.”

As for the fibers that fuel them, those with the highest profiles as prebiotics include inulin, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), guar gum, and resistant starch. And the high profile these specific prebiotic ingredients enjoy, Majeed notes, is thanks in no small part to the “leverage given by FDA” in its aforementioned 2006 guidance on what a prebiotic is.

“However,” Majeed continues, “over the years, newer ingredients have caught the attention of the industry, owing to their prebiotic benefits.” In fact, the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics in 2016 updated its definition and scope of prebiotics to encompass non-carbohydrate ingredients, Majeed notes.

And that’s where polyphenols come in. “Several studies have demonstrated that polyphenols play an important role in improving gut health by boosting the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestine,” Majeed says. And whereas poor absorbability is often a drawback for a nutritional ingredient, the poor absorbability of polyphenols “becomes an advantage, as far their prebiotic positioning is concerned,” Majeed adds.

So how do polyphenols perform prebiotically? Their effectiveness, Majeed says, “is suggested to be due to their ability to stimulate the growth of beneficial microbiota while inhibiting that of pathogenic strains, and to their anti-adhesion activity against harmful pathogens. Overall, they’re believed to confer positive benefits by modulating gut microecology.”

And while researchers have focused mainly on the flavone, flavonol, anthocyanidin, and catechin polyphenols found in fruits, vegetables, red wine, and green tea, Lukawski says it’s time for these compounds to “move over, as here comes cranberry, and it’s showing prebiotic benefits in the gut.”

International Journal of Food Science and Technology

 compared the prebiotic effect of Fruit d’Or’s proprietary Cran Naturelle cranberry seed powder versus FOS fiber on Sabinsa’s L-(+)-lactic acid–producing 

 MTCC 5856 probiotic preparation, marketed as LactoSpore.

The study’s results showed an increase in the viable 

 MTCC 5856 count when the cranberry seed powder served as the sole nutrition source-demonstrating that the bacteria can actually ferment it. Additionally, under anaerobic conditions the cranberry seed powder inhibited growth of undesirable 

Researchers are digging into the possible prebiotic potential of polyphenols, including those from cranberry.

May 2018 Issue

How Lifestyle Dietary Supplements Use Social Media Instead of Science on Packaging to Sell the Brand

Energy Drink Sales Still on the Rise, Despite Slowdown in Innovation

What Makes Reducing Sugar in Chocolate So Challenging?

Prostate Health Ingredient Research, From Tea to Cranberry

Plant Protein Ingredients Are Overcoming Supply, Formulating Challenges as Demand Grows

Microbiome Research Advances, and Limitations, for Dietary Supplements

Weight-Management Dietary Supplements and the Search for Effective Ingredients

Can Polyphenols Serve as Prebiotics?

Why Is Organic Stevia So Difficult to Achieve?

New Stevia Plus Allulose Ingredient Is Blood Sugar Friendly

How to Create a Reb A Stevia Ingredient That Is Still Affordable and Tastes Good

Minor Stevia Extracts Like Reb M and Reb D Are in High Demand. How Can Stevia Suppliers Scale Up Supply?