Natural Claims Form Key Buzzwords at Vitafoods Europe

15 Apr 2013 --- ‘Natural’, “organic” and “clean label” are just some of the buzzwords taking the food and drink industry by storm. Consumers, now more aware than ever about the link between nutrition and health, are also increasingly savvy about the ingredients used in their food and beverage products.

This, combined with negative media stories about E numbers and synthetic ingredients, has spurred demand for products with a ‘natural’, ‘organic’ or ‘no artificial ingredients’ tag. 

This is having repercussions for the nutraceutical, functional food and drink industries, forcing manufacturers to evaluate product formulations to see where additional opportunities lie. As such, this year’s Vitafoods Europe Conference includes a special focus on Ingredients from Nature, where experts explore the ingredients and trends that are driving innovation in this arena. 

Kicking off the session, Valeriya Kravoskaya, Researcher at Jessevandervelde.com, takes a look at the antioxidant properties of berries, how EFSA is affecting the market and offers a sneak preview on pomegranate and its potential to be the first berry with an EFSA-approved health claim. Next up, Dr. Thomas Eidenberger, General Manager at Belan ZT GmBH presents the case for steviol-glycosides as a sweetener from a natural source, followed by Dr. Julian Weghuber, Senior Researcher at the University of Applied Sciences, who examines the biomolecular characterisation of secondary plant metabolites. 

To give delegates a better insight into market dynamics, Patricia Wiklund, Managing Director at Invenire Market Intelligence shares her knowledge. She explains why ‘natural’ is no longer enough and how consumers now demand even more authenticity when buying products. Dr. Grant DuBois, Scientific Expert, Almendra, puts food and beverage calorie reduction in focus with natural calorie-free sweeteners and sweetness enhancers. Dr. Michael Ceddia, Vice President R&D and Quality at Kemin Human Nutrition and Health, closes the session with a close-up on how a green and black tea extract can benefit urological health in men with lower urinary tract symptoms.

“We’ve seen a huge increase in demand for products that communicate ‘naturalness’ and this is only likely to increase,” comments Chris Lee, Portfolio Director, Vitafoods Europe. “This represents a major driving force for innovation in the nutraceutical and functional food and drink industries as manufacturers seek to tap into this buoyant market. There are of course challenges that need to be overcome, not least the EFSA health claims, but also the fact that there is no official definition on what constitues ‘natural’. Vitafoods Europe offers a forum for discussion where visitors can hear the latest updates in sourcing natural ingredients, marketing to consumers and product formulation, all to help push successful new product development.”