Recipe for success: Combining top-shelf culinary science with seasoned application development With bold collaboration at a leading food incubator, our dedicated Food Solution Center is turning up the heat on food innovation For Lavanya Venkateswar, a technical innovator in the Food Ingredient space, pairing food science with creativity and technical insights with application development has been a winning recipe throughout her career. Her behind-the-scenes food strategy has resulted in the successful launch of trend-based consumer products across a variety of market applications—from indulgent chocolate brownie fusions and cheddar biscuit mixes to today’s trending coffee beverages. Our North America food solution center brings all the features and benefits of our global network of solution centers – food scientists and chemists, testing and analysis, hands-on development assistance from concept to the grocery shelf – but adds unique capabilities to assist food and beverage companies of all sizes. This is the best facility I could imagine, in the best location and geography to leverage not only the strong food and talent pool, but also The Hatchery Chicago’s entrepreneurial tradition. And it gives us a state-of-the-art, food-grade kitchen where we can mix, cook, taste, touch, test, analyze, and repeat iterations with customers, providing the hands-on, five-senses approach that is essential for success in food innovation. Why is this collaboration with The Hatchery Chicago an exciting opportunity for food scientists? This is exciting! It’s not often in your career you can identify a direction, set such a challenging goal, and less than a year later be able to say it’s done. We were able to put together an ambitious plan, find the right location, get the capital expenditure lined up and approved, and in this facility stand up something incredibly unique and exciting for the North American food ingredient and beverage markets. But instead of a stand-alone lab or dedicated test kitchen, we partnered with The Hatchery Chicago, the largest food and beverage incubator in the country, as the new home for our food solution center. The Hatchery Chicago is built for innovation, bringing together technical labs and production kitchens for big-name food brands as well as entrepreneurs, startups, and smaller local food companies that are ramping up production. We’ll not only have outstanding facilities and resources in arguably the best food production city in North America, but in The Hatchery we’ll also have access to an impressive community of entrepreneurs and innovators, all working to solve food challenges and grow together – essentially a think tank of people and minds on the leading edge of food and beverage development. A key aspect of The Hatchery’s mission is to give back to the community by supporting women- and minority-owned businesses and by helping to advance job opportunities and economic growth in underserved Chicago neighborhoods. Foodology is thrilled to play a part in this mission. With our vast supplier network and deep industry expertise across categories and applications, there’s tremendous opportunity for us to help these smaller startups source materials and optimize production as they grow. CBS focuses on supporting customers as a one-stop shop for solving their technical challenges. How does the new food solution center take those concepts to the next level? As a food scientist and technical specialist committed to bringing better products to market, I’m excited about the benefits and success of having both culinary chefs and culinary development scientists innovating under one roof. Our food solution center will drive technical excellence within the North America food industry and globally as we continue to work on customers’ challenges and grow and expand their product lines. This innovation center brings a state-of-the-art, food-grade kitchen to the community to not only develop and create new concepts but also bring customers and suppliers to us to taste and touch the results. If customers want more browning on the bread, we’ll try a little more starch or protein powder and bake another version to taste and test with the customer as the product comes out of the oven. We’ll work hands on with customers to create finished products and show them how to create the same products in their production facilities. nteracting in real time is especially important in food product development. Can you discuss any recent technical challenges? How does the process work at the food solution center? The ability to make small changes and see, touch, and taste the difference is crucial in food innovation. For example, one of our bakery customers wanted to create a new fruit filling for a baked pastry product but couldn’t get the chemistry right for the mouthfeel without compromising shelf life. We worked with this bakery customer to first find the right pectin and then the right combination of pectin and starch to provide the right mouthfeel. We also suggested using a vinegar powder to achieve the desired shelf life the customer needed. Adding fermented vinegar as a natural alternative to chemical preservatives also provided a cleaner profile with “free-from artificial” ingredients. The result was a better-tasting, naturally preserved pastry with optimum shelf life that the customer could produce effectively back at their facility. Another example is a dairy customer that wanted to add a plant-based milk such as oak milk to its product line but didn’t know how to start. We showed the development team how to use enzymes and what kind of oat flour to use in the formulation. We demonstrated how the enzymes help create the right texture and flavor without any chalkiness, and then added a bit of sweetness with a sugar alternative such as erythritol or allulose. The result is a delicious, finished oat milk, which is a top choice for replacing dairy in coffee beverages. Across categories and applications, we can help tweak formulas but also show customers how to make them, for smaller quantities or for a 10,000-pound run. That’s what we can demonstrate in our lab and test kitchens: How do you take a product from creation to large-scale production without sacrificing taste, quality, freshness, or any other indicator? You say

Flexitarian consumers are changing the way we formulate sustainable foods Health-conscious consumers are choosing plant-based foods more often. Read how this semi-vegetarian diet is changing the way we eat and formulate sustainable food products  As sustaining our planet for the future fuels new trends and motivations, a new lifestyle is fast emerging to describe how we should consider eating for the future: flexitarian. What is a flexitarian and how can this way of preparing meals impact consumers’ desires for a healthier, more sustainable diet? Let’s dig in to understand what food ingredients are key to formulating around plant-forward recipes and plant-based foods. What is a flexitarian? A semi-vegetarian diet, also called a flexitarian or plant-forward diet, is one that centers on plant foods with the occasional inclusion of meat. Reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health recommend that those who consume high amounts of meat consider a flexitarian diet to support a more sustainable food system. This diet is largely composed of vegetables and fruits, substrates and unsaturated oils. It includes high-quality meat, dairy and sugar, but in quantities far lower than are currently consumed in wealthier societies. How are consumers making the shift? Many flexitarians consider practicing a vegetarian lifestyle by day and allowing themselves small servings of animal-sourced foods in the evening. Going meatless on Mondays, embracing tasty international cuisines like the Mediterranean diet that tend to be more plant-powered, or trying alternative plant protein options such as plant-based milk or plant-based meat are rising trends in the shift to a semi-vegetarian diet. Catering to consumer trends toward healthier, sustainable foods and ingredients Dietary restrictions are not the top reason why shoppers try plant-based meat alternatives. According to Mintel, there are multiple factors driving the growth of plant-based eating in recent years (1). Health and wellness are the primary drivers of alternative or substitute meat purchase increases in recent years, followed by environmental concerns. Plant-forward. The rising interest in plant-based eating is expanding globally in 2021, driving demand for new food formats, plant proteins and more sophisticated alternatives that respond to consumers’ concerns about health, diet variety, sustainability and taste. Better for me, better for the planet. How we produce, transport and consume food plays a significant role in addressing the climate crisis. Worries over health crises, climate change and the ability of food production systems to keep pace with a population projected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, bring the need for alternative proteins into focus. Food production contributes 21% to 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions and is a considerable factor in declining water tables, deforestation and biodiversity loss (2). Additionally, livestock uses an estimated one-third of global cropland, while contributing 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In tune with my immune. As a result of the pandemic, consumers continue to prioritize immune health, with immunity-boosting ingredients playing a significant role. Research and interest in the microbiome for digestive health and personalized nutrition will also accelerate. The United Nations is another key motivator of the flexitarian initiative, viewing changes in our diets as a necessary step to achieve its Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. Catering to consumer trends toward healthier, sustainable foods and ingredients Dietary restrictions are not the top reason why shoppers try plant-based meat alternatives. According to Mintel, there are multiple factors driving the growth of plant-based eating in recent years (1). Health and wellness are the primary drivers of alternative or substitute meat purchase increases in recent years, followed by environmental concerns. Plant-forward. The rising interest in plant-based eating is expanding globally in 2021, driving demand for new food formats, plant proteins and more sophisticated alternatives that respond to consumers’ concerns about health, diet variety, sustainability and taste. Better for me, better for the planet. How we produce, transport and consume food plays a significant role in addressing the climate crisis. Worries over health crises, climate change and the ability of food production systems to keep pace with a population projected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, bring the need for alternative proteins into focus. Food production contributes 21% to 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions and is a considerable factor in declining water tables, deforestation and biodiversity loss (2). Additionally, livestock uses an estimated one-third of global cropland, while contributing 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In tune with my immune. As a result of the pandemic, consumers continue to prioritize immune health, with immunity-boosting ingredients playing a significant role. Research and interest in the microbiome for digestive health and personalized nutrition will also accelerate. The United Nations is another key motivator of the flexitarian initiative, viewing changes in our diets as a necessary step to achieve its Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. How are flexitarians shaping the market? Plant-based foods are fast-growing in popularity around the world, propelled primarily by the rise of flexitarians. One in five people fit the definition of a flexitarian based on studies showing that people who purchased plant-based meat also bought regular meat. Interestingly, nearly half of meat alternative buyers have no meat-avoidant members in their households while only 30% have a vegetarian or vegan in their homes (3). By encouraging curious consumers to try meat-alternatives without having to drastically change their eating habits or completely eliminate meat from their diets, multiple markets are increasing the demand for meat-substitutes. While the number of vegans and vegetarians is increasing, they pale in comparison to the large group of flexitarian consumers who now make up 42% of the market. By comparison, vegans and vegetarians respectively account for 4% and 6% of consumers globally. In addition, through their quest for foods and ingredients that support personal health, consumers are increasingly interested in supply chain transparency. Growth and value of plant-based foods market Plant-forward recipes are increasingly showing up in kitchens across the country and are powering our food economy. The plant-based food market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.9% from 2020 to

Top 7 food and beverage industry trends for 2023 For food product developers, food scientists, and formulators, the challenges faced are constantly evolving. Whether in the first stages of creating a new product or rethinking old favorites with more sustainable ingredients, manufacturers and brands must adapt to one of the most unpredictable factors regarding the food product life cycle – consumers. From how they shop to the ingredient innovations they seek, consumer choices impact the food and beverage industry at every step of production. Grocery pickup and delivery found new life during the pandemic lockdowns and have since become normalized shopping routines with increased emphasis on product qualifications to make “the list” for digital shopping carts. Functional ingredients and clean label products that promote healthy lifestyles have taken over grocery store shelves in recent years, and brands are well-positioned to continue introducing more sustainable ingredients, new formulations, and food innovations during 2023. For suppliers and formulators, keeping up with trends in the food and beverage industry can be daunting, and identifying your customers’ needs is poised to be trickier than ever. Which ingredients will consumers actively seek out next year? How will meeting the demand for customers’ dietary needs change if impacted by unforeseen logistical or economic circumstances? 1. Security of supply for food and beverage ingredients Supply chain challenges are still ongoing. Those same challenges from recent years will continue into next year, according to a recently released SAP survey of 400 U.S.-based senior decision makers. Critical factors such as political unrest, financial recovery, and diminished raw material availability in the United States remain prominent concerns with potential supply chain disruptions. Combined with the energy crisis and climate change, formulators and procurement teams will need to focus on the security of supply for ingredients and stay ahead of those challenges in the upcoming year. Doing so is especially vital when there is a global emphasis on responsible sourcing across multiple major industries, creating competition for highly sought-after ingredients and materials. 2. Cost engineering One of the biggest hurdles consumers on healthier nutritional journeys can overcome is the price tag. Nutrition and affordability will continue to remain top-of-mind for consumers around the world. Value-conscious customers know the importance of macronutrients, vitamin and mineral intake, and eco-friendly products. However, they also want to avoid exceeding strict household budgets, especially with rising food costs while economic uncertainty looms. Although consumers will explore cost-cutting strategies, they will still be willing to spend on new experiences and products that promote personal well-being. The pressure is on brands and manufacturers to deliver this value while meeting broadening public expectations. Food and beverage brands must make nutritional information and satiety messaging transparent to help customers find the right balance between product selection and budget management. Cost engineering and reductions will be significant focuses for food formulators in 2023. For manufacturers, employing cost engineering to deliver increased nutrition affordability and help budget-conscious consumers nourish themselves and their families should be a recipe for success. 3. Clean label plant-based foods Health and wellness trends, accelerated by the pandemic and heightened public awareness, continue driving consumer decision-making for food purchases and should for the foreseeable future. Fueling those decisions are clean labels and positive nutrition claims, particularly in some regions. Mintel data demonstrates that roughly 60% of new food and beverage products – including confections – launched in the Asia-Pacific region have at least a singular clean label claim. Clean label claims about the plant-based meat market have recently garnered significant attention. In 2022, the volume growth in the plant-based market decreased comparatively to 2021. Some of this decline is attributed to the previously mentioned supply chain issues with ingredient availability and a record growth year outpacing supply over the last two years. However, a shift in consumer views of the category regarding health and wellness and taste is also a significant factor. Commonly used ingredients in all plant-based meats – such as methyl cellulose, gums, starches, and carrageenan – are primarily used as binding agents and texturizers but skew the “clean label” perception. Instead, the products made with these ingredients are categorized as “heavily processed.” This categorization presents a new challenge for formulators, who must now find other solutions to better support clean label claims for the process involving how plant-based meat is made. Cleaner alternatives to the texturizers and binding agents for plant-based meat include: Citrus fiber Lentil flour (including garbanzo flour) Potato flour Pregelatinized corn starch 4. Functional foods and beverages What are functional foods? Functional foods provide extra health benefits for shoppers beyond their inherent nutritional value. It can be considered an add-on bonus for the product’s original purpose. Foods with added fiber, minerals, probiotics, nootropics, and fortified foods (such as eggs enriched with Omega-3 or tuna enriched with vitamin B) are examples of this trend galvanizing the food and drink market recently. The added benefits of functional foods are attractive to health-conscious consumers looking for the convenience of fulfilling general nutritional needs while also making healthy strides toward gut and heart health, boosting energy, and reducing fatigue. During the pandemic, the demand for immunity-focused food and ingredients surged (with zinc seeing a 161% year-over-year growth in 2021 from 2020) and remains popular among consumers today. These products will likely see even further development in 2023 and serve consumers searching for sustainably healthy food options under microbiome health, plant-based, low-glycemic, and nutrient-dense categories. Niche functional ingredients such as turmeric, collagen, and spirulina will continue to penetrate mainstream products such as beverages, snack bars, pastas, shake powders and mixes, cereals, and more. 5. Healthy indulgence foods The long-villainized dessert aisles and bakery shelves seemed like forbidden places just a couple of decades ago when brands promoted “diet culture” throughout the 80s and 90s. Before the pandemic, consumer awareness focused heavily on the physical effects of the most common indulgence ingredients like sugar, salt, and fat while remaining mindful of their health. Additionally, these ingredients drive the taste and texture in a wide array of food products, making them reliable staples in toolkits for

How do you reduce acrylamide in food? Understanding sources of acrylamide and how to meet the demand for safer, healthier ingredients  The most common way for people to cook their food is through heat. Thermal processing has a great importance in terms of microbiological safety, nutritional quality, and the preferred sensory properties, such as taste, texture, color and flavor; however, unwanted chemicals can arise as problems associated with food processing techniques. Heating food can generate chemical reactions that lead to the formation of heat-induced toxic substances, in other words, thermal process contaminants. One compound that has received increased scientific interest over the recent years is acrylamide. This contaminant is present in an extensive range of staple foods, which makes our exposure to this toxicant seemingly unavoidable. However, efforts to reduce the formation of acrylamide in food have resulted in some success. Here, we aim to summarize the occurrence of acrylamide and offer potential mitigation strategies of its formation in foods. What is acrylamide and is it harmful in food? In April 2002, scientists in Sweden released information on their research that had found high levels of a substance believed to cause cancer in staple foods, such as bread, rice, and potatoes, eaten by millions of people around the world. Researchers at Stockholm University’s department of environmental chemistry in cooperation with Sweden’s National Food Administration, a government food safety agency, showed that baking or frying carbohydrate-rich foods such as potatoes or cereals formed acrylamide, a substance classified as a probable human carcinogen. They also reported that foods cooked or processed at temperatures lower than about 120°C, such as boiled potatoes, did not contain detectable levels of acrylamide, and attributed this to the higher temperatures reached in Maillard nonenzymatic browning reactions required for desirable color, flavor, and aroma production. This reaction occurs when sugars and amino acids are heated above 248°F (120°C). The chemical acrylamide, or acrylic amide, is a white, odorless, crystal compound. It has the chemical formula C3H5NO. Acrylamide is a chemical used in the manufacture of plastics, in some food packaging, as a coagulant in drinking water, and in grouts for construction of drinking water reservoirs. It is not a substance that is added to foods, yet it is still being found. Because other food, such as fruits, vegetables, meats and seafood, and beverages and other exposures such as cigarettes, can also result in acrylamide entering the human body, it is not known what percentage of the total acrylamide in a human body is from food sources. According to the FDA, the acrylamide monomer has been implicated as a genetic and reproductive toxicant. It has also been reported to be a neurotoxin. Appropriate laboratory safety precautions should be used when working with this chemical. It is stable in acid, decomposes in base, and is sensitive to light. Reactions and recommendations to increase safety The FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) monitors contaminant levels in foods, including acrylamide, to inform FDA actions and protect public health. In 2003, the FDA developed methods to detect and quantify acrylamide, and has used this methodology to assess how much acrylamide the average U.S. consumer is exposed to through food. To help mitigate potential human health risks, the FDA’s guidance recommends that companies be aware of the levels of acrylamide in the foods they produce and consider adopting approaches, if feasible, that reduce acrylamide in food products. The guidance also offers a range of steps that growers, manufacturers, and food service operators may take to help reduce acrylamide levels. Background on the FDA’s efforts to understand and reduce acrylamide is available on the FDA.gov. website. Five international research groups have separately confirmed a major Maillard reaction pathway for acrylamide formation. Using elegant radiolabeling experiments, they conclusively demonstrated in model systems that significant amounts of acrylamide are formed by the high-temperature reaction of glucose and the common amino acid asparagine. Since potato products are especially high in asparagine, it is now thought that this Maillard reaction is most likely responsible for the majority of the acrylamide found in potato chips and French fries. 5 ways to reduce exposure to acrylamide in foods, according to the FDA: Limit foods that might be high in acrylamide, such as potato products (especially French fries and potato chips), coffee, and foods made from grains (such as breakfast cereals, cookies, and toast). Limit certain cooking methods, such as frying and roasting, and limit the time certain foods are cooked. Boiling and steaming do not produce acrylamide. Soak raw potato slices in water for 15 to 30 minutes before frying or roasting to reduce acrylamide formation during cooking. (Soaked potatoes should be drained and blotted dry before cooking to prevent splattering or fires.) If frying potatoes or toasting bread, cook them to a lighter color (as opposed to dark brown), which produces less acrylamide. Avoid storing potatoes in the refrigerator, which can result in increased acrylamide levels during cooking. The FDA also noted that acrylamide levels peak early in the heating process of coffee and then decline. So lighter-colored coffee beans have more acrylamide than darker ones that are roasted longer. Coffee contains many other chemicals that may be beneficial to your health so completely cutting it out isn’t necessary. Enzyme solutions for healthier, safer baking processes Univar Solutions enzyme supplier, Novozymes, manufactures an enzyme “Acrylaway” that effectively reduces acrylamide by up to 95% in a wide variety of baked goods, breakfast cereals and coffee as well as potato based snacks. Novozymes’ Acrylaway can bypass the formation of acrylamide. It converts a specific amino acid, Asparagine, into Aspartic Acid which means that less is available to form acrylamide. The other amino acids and sugars in the food remain active to contribute to the Maillard Reaction.  If you’re ready to rethink baking processes with more sustainable solutions, contact us today and see how we can help you create safer, healthier products.

Wholesome Cravings: Healthier eating trends in ingredients and product development “Healthy nutrition” is the new norm as focus intensifies on boosting and maintaining health. Consumers have become mindful nutritionists, educating themselves on what they need for health and what the nutrient density and functionality of their food need to be. Markets show rising demand for healthier foods, as consumers look for cleaner labels; less sugar, salt, and fat; fiber and protein fortification; and choice under the free-from and flexitarian nutrition. They routinely scrutinize ingredients lists and educate themselves on risks such as acrylamide. Product safety, quality, and traceability matter like never before. From supporting mental health to improving the way we look and feel, self-care is a trend that’s gaining more importance for the health-conscious consumer and will continue to guide purchasing choices. And so is the quality experience which enhances all senses. Taste, texture, flavor, and appearance of goods matter alongside convenience and a healthier nutritional profile. Sustainable, healthier foods Today’s health-conscious consumers are increasingly demanding that ingredients are Better for Me and Better for the Planet. Delivering more sustainable and nutrient-dense, functional products is becoming a prerequisite for a successful product launch and brand longevity. Clean labels are essential in providing the health-conscious consumer with information, and therefore confidence in their chosen products, as Front-of-Pack labeling is well established globally. The concept of “clean conscience” is beginning to supersede clean labeling, as it goes beyond what is good for the body and reflects what is good for the planet, the provenance of ingredients, and their environmental sustainability. Formulating for this new generation of health-conscious consumers sounds challenging, right? We hope our Wholesome Cravings concept will help formulators, purchasers, marketers, and brand owners alike to advance innovation for stronger consumer choice.