instore - September 2016 - CI20

R&D: Functional ingredients for nutrition fortification By Stephanie DeCamp ith consumers eating so much healthier these days, the use of functional ingredients to boost health and wellness attributes in prepared foods is an option many commissaries are turning to as they begin to reevaluate their ingredients lists for the fourth quarter and coming year. W And not without reason - using extracts, compounds and nutritional additives in your mixes, sauces and other products can quickly and easily give your label reason to include phrases like highprotein, sugar-free, full of antioxidants, gluten-free, high-fiber and other modern buzzwords that many are seeking out in the grocery and c-store aisles. Even simply substituting one fruit for another in a line of muffins or including a specific spice in a prepared meal can fortify its nutritional properties and lead to greater sales. For example, the spice turmeric has long been known to be an anti-inflammatory, and açai berries are Which health benefits are you most interested in getting from foods? 46% Weight loss/management 35% Increased energy Cardiovascular health 32% Healthy aging 30% 29% Digestive health Mental health 17% Bone health 17% 16% Muscle health Immunity 15% Improved memory/cognition 14% None of the above 8% Source: International Food Information Council Foundation 20 * SEPTEMBER 2016 * commissary INSIDER known to be full of antioxidants. But the key to choosing which ingredient to use is all about knowing what your end consumer is concerned about for the future, and not just about what they want now. A clear demonstration of this can be found in the line graph below, which was included in the International Food Council's 2016 Food and Health Survey, released in May. Weight loss and management came out as the leading priority for consumers, followed by increased energy, cardiovascular health and healthy aging. That's three out of the top four priorities that are forward-thinking by nature, and only one that concerns the here and now. Further noted in that survey was the shift many manufacturers have made from focusing on that segment of consumers wanting to lose weight and more toward those who are looking for more nourishing food products. The difference may be slight, but the marketing can mean everything when it comes to the presentation and sales of your product. Instead of having a "diet" or "light" meal and considering it more healthy, shoppers these days want one that they know is more healthy, being free from certain ingredients and packed full of others they believe in and understand. For example, according to the 2016 Shopping for Health Report released by the Food Marketing Institute and Rodale in November of last year, 76 percent of shoppers said that heart health in particular was very or somewhat important to them when shopping for food. Just after that came increased energy, with a 73 percent rating, followed by digestive health and maintaining or improving mind health, both at 70 percent. All of these priorities can be fulfilled by the addition of functional ingredients to your foods, and would make them more appealing to this broad consumer base, 66 percent of whom agreed that the food they choose to eat is an important and affective factor to their overall health. Furthermore, almost as many - 62 percent - said that they see food as medicine for the body and base their purchasing decisions around as much.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of instore - September 2016