Ingood by Olga sets new standards in plant-based nutrition and eco-friendly practices

21 Feb 2024 --- Plant ingredients producer Ingood by Olga is prioritizing breaking down the “barrier of acceptance” around plant-based products and targeting specialized nutrition such as food supplements. We catch up with experts from the company who share the latest industry insights on the influence of lifestyle on nutrition innovation and where the market is heading next.

“With more than one in three consumers claiming to be proactive in preventing health issues, the nutraceuticals market will continue to grow over the next few years, and we provide plant-based ingredients with effective, scientifically proven health benefits that help improve the quality of life such as Sulfodyne, our broccoli seeds extract directly titrated in sulforaphane,” Claire Boniface, marketing and communication manager at Ingood by Olga, tells Nutrition Insight.

A key roadmap objective of the company strategy in initiating a shift toward plant-based nutrition is to create indulgent products that are tasty and have a strong nutrition profile. Helping its customers develop healthy products is vital to the objective as well. 

“With more than half of consumers globally saying they aren’t willing to compromise on indulgence for healthier food, taste and indulgence are more important than ever for plant-based products. Thirty-seven percent of global consumers who buy such products are concerned about the aftertaste of high-protein snacks,” she outlines.

Nutri-functional ingredients
Ingood by Olga’s nutri-functional ingredients improve the nutritional quality of finished products and carry the claims “rich in or source of fiber” or “rich in protein.” All its products are vegan-certified. Customers can confidently display “vegan-certified” or “plant-based” on their labels.

Boniface notes: “We manufacture and offer three ranges of natural plant-based ingredients for the nutrition, food and nutraceutical markets. Our offer comprises plant-based nutri-functional products such as proteins, fibers and health ingredients for B2B players wishing to commit to food and social transitions.” 

The company’s range of plant-based ingredients addresses the need to formulate with healthy, environmentally sustainable ingredients. The nutri-functional ingredient range includes the pea protein hydrolysate Peptipea and two upcycled ingredients — soy fibers Sojyfib, derived from soy seed residues called okara and a co-product of the group’s soy drinks production Peakara, which is a complete source of essential amino acids from pea protein.

“Our nutri-functional ingredients offer functional properties — emulsifiers, stabilizers, foaming agents — as well as nutritional properties such as the enrichment of plant proteins, highly digestible with Peptipea, our pea protein hydrolysate with 90% protein content,” says Boniface.Nutraceuticals are a booming segment.

Peptipea is used in sports and active nutrition products such as protein bars, powders and ready-to-drink drinks or to improve the nutritional value and quality of finished products in food applications like ice creams, desserts and confectionery. Peakara, which facilitates a complete source of essential amino acids, can be used similarly.

“One of the main disadvantages of plant-based proteins is that they are less rich in essential amino acids and less digestible than animal proteins. Peakara provides complete amino acid coverage. Sojyfib, our soy fiber and protein ingredient containing soya lecithin, provides fiber enrichment and high-quality proteins and helps to reduce the use of fats in bakery applications and improve the softness and texture of bakery products,” Boniface explains. 

In addition, Sulfodyne is Ingood’s broccoli seed extract containing active and stable sulforaphane, which has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can be used via food supplements for detox benefits, strengthening joints and improving women’s health or immunity.

Streamlining sustainability and scientific validation
Ingood by Olga has entered an era where each ingredient is produced using a sustainable approach that curbs waste and material losses. The company has several upcycling projects in the pipeline and uses European-origin ingredients. Another critical priority is to improve the carbon footprint of finished products.

Moving forward, the company’s focus is securing the proof of concept of the functional benefits of products and proving that the texture has not been altered when additives are replaced but that the nutritional quality has been improved. 

“When we develop a new ingredient, we take a holistic approach to its design from the choice of raw material through to its use by our customers, via a judicious choice of manufacturing processes,” Kevin Gillouard, R&D project manager at Ingood by Olga, tells us.Snacks with a healthy nutrition profile are what consumers are after.

“Our aim is to combine, on our own scale and with our own resources, the protection of the environment with an improvement in the nutritional quality of the finished product for the consumer, without compromising the pleasure of the tasting experience.”

With the market need for plant-based solutions growing yearly, the company has collaboratively written a long-term vision of commitment to the food and social transition for 2035 and beyond that drives its R&D innovation.

Approximately 69% of European consumers are looking for reduced carbon footprint or carbon footprint claims when purchasing food and drink products. As a result, Ingood considers sustainability in its R&D development by drawing up a sustainability charter based on clean processes and an environmentally sustainable sourcing model. 

“Being plant-based is no longer enough for a product to be sustainable. It must be proven, and we need to take this approach a step further and offer solutions that have the lowest possible environmental impact,” Gillouard explains.

“In the coming years, we will only select raw material suppliers who have achieved a score of 15 out of 20 in our Sustainable Supplier Assessment, which considers environmental criteria as well as social, ethical and other criteria.”

“Almost half the world’s population is fed by three cereals — rice, maize and wheat. To contribute to biodiversity, we are working to develop different ingredients from a wide range of complementary plant sources — legumes, cereals, herbs, cruciferous plants — sourced sustainably in Europe.”

Ingood by Olga will reduce its food waste impact and move to a circular production model where by-products from production are upcycled or “simply not generated.” Valorization of these by-products and collaboration with local partners are two focus areas to help support the move.

By Inga de Jong