inavea: Acacia gum and baobab to feature in Nexira’s new premium, nutritional ingredient brand

06 Dec 2019 --- Within the luxurious curved walls of Le Printemps Haussmann dome in the center of Paris, the industry assembled to witness the launch of Nexira’s new premium brand of nutrition and dietetic ingredients. Coined inavea, the brand will offer ingredient synergies and solutions, initially focusing on its flagship ingredient of acacia gum. Superfruit baobab will join the offerings in early Q2 2020. The brand ambitiously enhances Nexira’s current commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals 15 and 17 of the United Nations, Nexira’s Managing Director, Mathieu Dondain, tells NutritionInsight from Paris at Fi Europe 2019, held December 3-5.

Founded in 1895, Nexira supplies natural, organic ingredients and botanical extracts for the food, nutrition, and dietary supplements industries. With the launch of its new premium brand, the company reinforces its commitment to sustainability through preserving natural resources, supporting local communities and aiming for a carbon-neutral footprint. 

Le Printemps Haussmann dome in the center of Paris hosted Nexira's launch event.Although the inavea brand will initially focus on acacia gum, followed by baobab, it also aims to launch ingredient combinations. These will fall within the digestive health field, Dondain says, as the R&D team continues to look closely at ideal dosage forms and the best ways to unfold gut health benefits.

The first product offering under inavea is pure acacia, touted for offering high fiber and prebiotic enrichment for a large array of applications.

Sustainable storytelling
Dondain notes that this launch has been in the works for years as pressure has mounted in the nutrition ingredients space to supply traceable and sustainable products. “It’s a matter of transparency in knowing what the origin of the ingredient is, how it is harvested and distributed, as well as its exact content. Once customers start asking about this, you need to be able to answer properly. But, storytelling is difficult to sustain if you don’t invest in legitimate means.”

inavea seeks to offer legitimate storytelling to customers and works with a number of actors along the supply chain to provide a sustainable product that actively supports the African communities where acacia gum and baobab are harvested. As well as partnering with NGO SOS SAHEL and its partners, the company also works alongside the UN. In this way, action is taken to improve soil fertilization and biodiversity, while economic and social development are spotlighted.Nexira’s Managing Director, Mathieu Dondain, at FiE.

“Storytelling: Winning with Words” crowned Innova Market Insights’ top ten trends for 2020, underscoring a spike in consumer interest in discovering the origin stories behind food and beverage products. Consumers’ attention is piqued by opportunities to learn more about how products are manufactured, which promotes a better understanding of their benefits and helps build trust in a brand.

This has never been more important for the nutritional ingredients space too, elaborates Dondain. “It’s always been important, but now it’s a way to differentiate your ingredient. It’s also a way to be more transparent. When you tell the story of your ingredient, you give transparency and it’s a way to reassure both customers and consumers and demonstrate the safety of the ingredient too.”

However, how willing are customers to pay the premium prices for sustainable, ethical ingredients? Dondain says that the majority are not, but rates are increasing. He adds that the influence of start-ups that demand transparent and ethical ingredients is having a positive influence on legacy brands, and FMCG giants are already shifting to new products or acquiring smaller brands.

Indeed, consumers increasingly expect companies to invest in sustainability and this is having a knock-on effect on small and large players alike. Innova Market Insights research has indicated that 85 percent of US and UK consumers expect companies to invest in sustainability in 2019, up from 64 percent in 2018. 

Soil diversity and social and economic development of the African countries who source acacia gum are a key feature of inavea.Sustainability was a hot topic on the floor of the FiE, and it took center stage at the Innovation Awards on December 3. At the event, companies were recognized for their solutions in the spaces of clean label, diversity, innovative food tech, nutrition, functionality, plant-based and disruptive potential.

Palsgaard was named Sustainability Champion at the ceremony. The Danish emulsifier specialist clinched the award after reducing net carbon dioxide emissions from its six global production sites to zero. Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) was also awarded for sustainability for promoting sustainable farming practices and biodiversity conservation in South America. 

Also at the show, Kröner Stärke promoted its spelt range, as well as a new wheat-based mix for vegan mayonnaise. 

By Laxmi Haigh