Transparent nutrition: Suppliers talk organic sourcing, ocean-friendly omegas and eco-scoring impact

13 Apr 2022 --- The trend toward natural and traceable nutritional ingredients is fast evolving, with industry making new strides in organic certifications and marine-sourced vitamins. Driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, a generational shift and growing focus on transparency, companies are striving to meet consumer demands for better environmental sustainability.

“Younger generations are more aware of and focused on sustainability and effects on the environment – and value it. They are willing to pay more for products with traceability, certifications and locally and sustainably sourced and produced, ” Ole-Johan Nekstad, sales manager, GC Rieber VivoMega, tells NutritionInsight.

Food harvested from the ocean is subject to increased criticism, he adds, particularly in maintaining the world’s fish stocks as an (environmentally) sustainable resource. “We have historically seen evidence of poorly managed and regulated fisheries, resulting in unsustainable handling of fish stocks and overfishing.”

As a result, the company sources fish crude oil from fisheries certified by Friend of the Sea and Marin Trust – two of the leading organizations for sustainable and responsible fishery management. It also sources from marine habitats that can be preserved and can continue to serve as a source of food for future generations, he notes.

COVID-19 has spurred an interest in healthy lifestyles, with more consumers turning to supplements.Driving transparency
According to Julie Imperato, marketing manager at Nexira, many companies are committed to a process of transparency and are already communicating the environmental impact of their finished products.

“The eco-score launched in France at the beginning of January 2021. Where the Nutri-Score calculates the nutritional value of a product, an Eco-Score measures the environmental impact of food,” she comments. 

“This environmental labeling, in the form of a rating from A to E, will be affixed to the food products that these players offer, with the idea of informing the consumer about the environmental impact of the products they buy, based on life cycle assessment. For a manufacturer of finished products, raw materials could represent a big part in their carbon footprint.” 

In an attempt to ensure full traceability throughout the entire value chain, GC Rieber VivoMega only sources non-GMO, wild, short-lived anchovies and sardines, Nekstad underscores. “We believe that this is more important than ever before.” 

Utilizing technology
Transparency has even been billed as “the future of supplements” and clean labels are expected to become an industry staple.

“To further build on the sustainable sourcing and minimize our eco-footprint, we use processing technology in the production of our omega-3 concentrates which allows us to minimize unwanted waste material,” he adds.

“The side streams and by-products from our production are either re-used in the production of our concentrates or used by local aquaculture and food production industries.”

Furthermore, the oil procured is a by-product from the production of fish meal, meaning the company enables a higher degree of utilization of the whole fish. 

Synthetic vs natural
An important aspect when assessing ingredients lies in defining the difference between artificial and natural products, according to Julie Imperato, marketing manager at Nexira. 

“The accepted view is that synthetic nutrients are almost chemically identical to those found in food. However, the production process of synthetic nutrients is very different from the way plants create them. Despite having a similar structure, your body may react differently to synthetic nutrients.”

Natural products are often linked with organic certification, plant-based origin, and minimally processed or botanical ingredients, she adds.

“The use of plants as medicines has a long history in the treatment of disease, and plants have played an important role in improving health. Naturally derived products can be highly effective when formulated properly.”

Companies are increasingly understanding the importance of transparency. 

Shifting demand
In the past three to four years, there has been an increasing demand for vitamins and minerals derived from vegetal sources instead of artificial versions, Imperato notes. 

Taking this even further, it is also possible to offer native molecules for a product’s final content, utilizing the plant’s native molecule.

“This kind of product is possible with strong expertise in sourcing, selecting only the better raw material and robust industrial know-how for the extraction. In our portfolio, our Acerola and Guarana are two good success stories. They offer natural and native vitamin C for the Acerola and natural and native caffeine for the Guarana.” 

We have seen an increasing demand from our customers who want to add natural claims on their supplements. Another example is the use of acerola in meat for its high vitamin C content which is a potent antioxidant, often considered as a natural preservative. 

Driving the demand for natural and sustainable ingredients is climate change, environmentalism and COVID-19, Nekstad underlines. 

“Globalization leads to an ever-increasing exposure to news and information,” he identifies. “Online channels and social media allow for instant sharing and access, where information and news are available to people across the globe instantly.”

“This fuels a drive towards the education of, and an increasing focus and awareness among the consumers throughout all age groups, and especially among the younger generations.”

By Andria Kades