Asia Food Journal | May-Jun 2023

Sip, savour, and satisfy: Combining the best of coffee, tea, baking, and confectionery with a splash of colour

Dear Readers,

Welcome to our latest issue of Asia Food Journal, where we’re excited to delve into the dynamic world of food and beverage and explore the latest trends and innovations transforming the industry.

Our focus this month is on the intersection of taste and aesthetics and the power of colours to elevate the sensory experience of food and drink. From the subtle nuances of a perfectly brewed cup of tea or coffee to the eye-catching hues of vibrantly coloured confections and baked goods, we’ll be exploring how F&B companies are using flavour and aesthetics to captivate consumers and drive innovation.

But our exploration doesn’t stop there. We’re also taking a closer look at how consumer preferences and a growing focus on sustainability drive change in the industry. From eco-friendly packaging to ethically sourced ingredients, companies strive to meet the evolving demands of consumers who are increasingly conscious of their choices’ impact on the planet.

In this issue, you’ll find expert insights, innovative systems, and in-depth features that take you behind the scenes of some of the most exciting F&B companies and products on the market. So, sit back, sip your favourite beverage, and enjoy the colourful journey ahead.

Cheers,

Cath Isabedra

Cath Isabedra Editor

EDITORIAL/PUBLISHER

Keen Whye Lee Publisher

Cath Isabedra Editor editor-afj@harvest-info.com

Danico Acosta Layout and Design OPERATIONS

Mari Vergara Head of Operations mari@asiantvawards.com

SALES

Simon Lee Hong Kong, U.S.A. sales@harvest-info.com

Chua Chew Huat Asia Pacific sales-sg@harvest-info.com

Erhardt Eisenacher Europe info@eisanacher-medien.de

MARKETING

Lali Singson mktg@harvest-info.com

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Michael Magsalin tech@harvest-info.com

150 Orchard Road #07-05 Orchard Plaza

Singapore 238841

AsiaFoodJournal AsiaFoodJourna1 asia-food-journal-magazine

Healthier Indulgence: How Fibre and Taste Can Go Hand in Hand

More and more consumers are now shifting towards a proactive approach when it comes to their health: interest in food and drinks that are known to boost health has increased significantly in the overall population — from 26 percent in 2019 to 42 percent in 2021.1 At the same time, they adopt a longterm perspective, with two in three consumers globally believing that choosing healthy food gives them control over their future health.2

For instance, in Asia Pacific, over 30 percent of consumers are aiming to cut back on sugar, salt, and fat while at the same time increasing their protein and fibre consumption in an attempt to adopt healthier lifestyles and eating habits.3 But

embracing such lifestyles doesn’t have to come at the expense of giving up your favourite sweet treats. Nowadays, food manufacturers can look towards ingredients such as chicory root fibres when developing bakery products, desserts and snacks for consumers who want to stay healthy but wish to indulge every now and then.

BENEO’s chicory root fibres, Orafti® Inulin, and Oligofructose, are soluble dietary fibres that can be easily incorporated into a wide range of products to increase the amount of fibre while reducing the sugar or fat content. They also belong to the very few scientifically proven prebiotics that comply with the ISAPP (International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics) definition of prebiotics. In fact, a recently published systematic literature review with meta-analyses explored the effects of inulintype fructans derived from chicory root based on 50 human intervention studies. The findings revealed that chicory root fibre intake (starting at 3g/day) promotes significant growth of beneficial Bifidobacteria in the gut microbiome in all age groups and improves bowel function parameters.4

Increasing Fibre, Reducing Sugar, and Fat with Chicory Root Fibres

While some very high-fibre products develop a typical cereal or wholemeal taste, inulin and oligofructose do not negatively affect the taste or mouthfeel of the end products. This means that even high amounts of dietary fibre can be incorporated into baked goods such as bread or biscuits. Moreover, Orafti® Oligofructose can ensure a longer shelf life in baked goods such as muffins or cakes by binding moisture and thus protecting them from unwanted drying out.

Concurrently, manufacturers can use Orafti® Inulin and Oligofructose to reduce sugar in recipes. Chicory root fibres can be easily applied in many baked goods without requiring

major, if any, changes to the recipe or processing. In addition, thanks to their texturizing properties and mild taste, they allow to maintain an appealing taste and texture of the final product. In one trial, the BENEO-Technology Center developed a cookie with chocolate chips that had a sugar reduction of 30 percent using chicory root fibres. In a sensory test, the sugar-reduced chocolate chip cookie showed no differences in sweetness, taste, and texture compared to the reference product.

Lastly, chicory root fibres can even help to reduce the fat content in products. For example, for water-based bakery fillings that also contain fat, Orafti® Inulin can be incorporated as a fat replacer. It can stabilise water into a creamy structure with a similar mouthfeel to fat. Therefore, Orafti® Inulin perfectly suits lowfat products, improving their body and mouthfeel while maintaining the same anticipated indulgence as the full-fat option. This enables product developers to replace part of the fat content with inulin and reduce the caloric value of products without compromising taste and texture.

With indulgent baked goods, it is key to maintain the appealing taste and texture of the end product to convince consumers. As they adopt healthier lifestyles and

eating habits, manufacturers can look towards prebiotic chicory root fibres when developing baked goods to let consumers live a sweet life while maintaining their health.

1 FMCG Gurus, Active Nutrition Survey, conducted in 2019 and 2021 (26,000 respondents across 26 countries)

2 BENEO’s Global Consumer Survey on Prebiotics; conducted by One Inch Whale in February 2023 in France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Thailand, UK, US (N=9243)

3 Innova Health & Nutrition Survey 2021 (average of China, India, and Indonesia

4 Nagy DU, Sándor-Bajusz KA, Bódy B, Decsi T, Van Harsselaar J, Theis S & Lohner S (2022) Effect of chicory-derived inulintype fructans on abundance of Bifidobacterium and on bowel function: a systematic review with meta-analyses. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. Published 14 July 2022, DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2022.2098246

Futureproof mineral ingredients for value-added solutions

May 31 – June 2, 2023, Hall 10/C510: At Food & Nutritional Ingredients 2023 Istanbul, Omya will present functional ingredients for creating safe and natural clean-label products.

Istanbul (Turkey), May 2023

– Mineral expert Omya will showcase at Food & Nutritional Ingredients 2023 a range of natural ingredients that address processing challenges while also offering health benefits. Nonnano Omyafood® 120 and Omya Calcipur® are two new flow aids that offer superb anticaking functionalities while providing a source of calcium.

Particles provide a highly porous structure with high moisture binding capacity to assist in the free flow of powders without lumping or dusting. Also, the very fine particles are ideally suited for applications requiring a reduction in a mechanical interlocking or colour enhancement thanks to the ingredient’s characteristic white pigment. Though powders in convenience foods, drinks, sports nutrition, and nutraceuticals are often in high demand, there are frequent processing challenges,

such as powders caking due to temperature and moisture, resulting in a loss of quality in the finished product.

Highly porous and non-nano Omyafood® 120 particles counteract these issues thanks to their strong absorption and moisture-binding capabilities. Their advanced porous structure also means reduced mechanical interlocking. The lowdust ingredient enhances flow and allows for improved storage and product quality throughout the supply chain, resulting in better performance for the end user.

The Calcipur® range of products can be used for a broad range of applications: to enrich vegan drinks with Calcium, increase the crispiness of wafers and create brilliant white-coated chocolate lentils - all demonstrated with inspirations and prototypes at the show.

For nutraceutical applications, the two innovative excipients Omyanutra® 300 DC and Omyanutra® 300 Flash will be presented. Their extremely fast disintegration is possible due to a porous structure that supports the safe carrying and release of active ingredients. Both ingredients allow for free-flowing, directly compressible blends and provide better compactability at low compression forces compared to benchmark excipients such as lactose and microcrystalline cellulose.

Omyanutra® 300 For the press Flash contains a superdisintegrant making it a perfect all-in-one solution for oral and fast-dissolving tablets (ODTs/FDTs) regardless of the hardness of the solid dosage form. Stefan Lander, Vice President of Consumer Goods, Group Sales & Marketing at Omya, says:

“For more than 130 years, Omya has been committed to producing sustainably processed, high-quality ingredients using state-ofthe-art technology to achieve utmost functionality while also respecting nature. We are happy that our mineral specialities and exclusive distribution portfolio allow manufacturers to create futureproof finished products that are natural, effective, and easy to process.”

Minebea Intec, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of weighing and inspection technology, will be presenting a number of new products at interpack 2023 in Düsseldorf from 4–10 May. The focus will be on the pioneering MiWave technology of the metal detector Mitus® as well as a newly developed user interface for checkweighers.

There will also be much more to see beyond this. With new EMFC load cells developed in-house, Minebea Intec is expanding its portfolio and offering even more plant engineering products. In the area of checkweighers, the company will present new highlights for the checkweigher Essentus®. The new X-ray inspection system Dypipe will also be on show. The new touch weight indicator Midrics 3 is the latest

display solution for platform scales. All products are versatile and meet the industry requirements with extremely high-quality standards. Always a wavelength ahead of foreign objects with the MiWave technology

The highlight of the Minebea Intec exhibition stand is the new metal detector Mitus® with innovative MiWave technology. It enables extremely precise detection of foreign objects, even with large product effects. Reliable metal detection devices in the food industry are characterised by the fact that they compensate for product effects, i.e. the influence the product itself has on the electromagnetic field. The metal detector Mitus® combats this challenge with MiWave technology. MiWave is used to modulate the transmission signal for a number of frequencies, then separate them and evaluate them individually using an intelligent algorithm. As a result of this division into several signals, the products can be symbolically inspected from several perspectives. This significantly increased information content means that high search sensitivities can be achieved in spite of large product effects. In addition, this technology is less susceptible to fluctuations such as temperature changes or thawing processes. The result for food manufacturers is maximum product safety and output.

The metal detector Mitus® is available in standard sizes as a rectangular, round or compact detection coil, which means that it can be integrated into production systems even with limited space. This means the Mitus® can also easily be combined with additional weighing technology if required. “With the Mitus®, we are offering a premium metal detection solution for users,” says Linus Dellweg, Global Product Manager at Minebea Intec. “Users can also rely on our high quality ‘Made in Germany’.”

New interface for checkweighers makes production lines more efficient

Another highlight of the exhibition stand will be a new user interface for checkweighers. The interface features intuitive operation and therefore offers maximum user-friendliness. Checkweighers can be easily configured, controlled, tested and audited with the interface. Whether users are programming a new product, adjusting line parameters or defining a batch record, the interface simplifies work and makes it more efficient. The operator terminal displays the Overall Equipment Efficiency

Minebea Intec presents new, innovative weighing and inspection solutions at interpack 2023

(OEE) and other statistics based on current weighing results. There are various log functions for audits. The operator terminal is fully MID-certified with Minebea Intec weighing technology.

X-ray inspection system Dypipe for tube-fed products with “real part” test specimen validation

Visitors to the stand will also experience the new X-ray inspection system Dypipe live. Dypipe guarantees an extremely high level of safety for viscous and liquid products. It was developed to reliably detect foreign objects made of metal, stone, plastic, bone and glass while also separating defective or contaminated products. The Dypipe is fitted with an innovative test specimen feed system which enables verification of test specimens in live operation. This means that you can always be sure that your production process will function without any problems, with no time lost for checking while the system is down.

The Dypipe is fitted with an easy-to-open separator specially developed to meet the high hygiene requirements for meat applications. This system guarantees outstanding results and assures you will produce highquality meat products that are safe for your consumers.

Arla Foods Ingredients squeezes more protein into juice-style supplements

Arla Foods Ingredients has developed a new solution to increase the protein content of juice-style oral nutrition supplements (ONS) for medical nutrition. The concept will be on show at the forthcoming Vitafoods Europe (May 9th to 11th). Most ONS are milky beverages, but recent years have seen juice-style drinks emerge as a fresh-tasting alternative. However, such products remain niche, accounting for just 3.7 percent of adult liquid ONS launches over the past five years.* One reason for this might be that the average protein content of ONS juice-style drinks is just 4.2g per 100g.

Arla Foods Ingredients has now created a solution that makes it possible to increase the level of protein in ONS juice-style drinks to 7 percent without compromising on taste or mouthfeel. The new concept incorporates Lacprodan® BLG-100, a 100% pure beta-lactoglobulin with an outstanding nutritional profile. It contains 7g of protein per 100g and is high in essential amino acids, including leucine (1.13g per 100g).

Juice-style medical drinks made with Lacprodan® BLG-100 are an excellent source of protein and energy. The new solution is fat-free, and using BLG-100 enables very low viscosity and stability over shelf life. In addition, it tastes less astringent than typical ONS juice-style products and provides a more pleasant mouthfeel, encouraging compliance with medical nutrition.

Troels Nørgaard Laursen, Director for Health & Performance at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “Juice-style options are a promising alternative to traditional milky oral nutritional supplements, but there has been room for improvement when it comes to their protein profile. Lacprodan® BLG-100 is a great solution to this challenge. It’s rich in essential amino acids – in particular leucine – and helps ONS deliver a more palatable drinking experience.”

Arla Foods Ingredients will exhibit at Vitafoods Europe on Stand G30. Other concepts on show will include innovative solutions for high-protein ready-to-drink tea and coffee, and a multi-textured bar with protein in every layer, a special edition of which has been created for Vitafoods.

Disney and Tetra Pak collaborate to bring magic to dairy drinks

Tetra Pak and The Walt Disney Company are collaborating to bring Disney and MARVEL magic to popular dairy drinks categories. Eighty Disney and MARVEL-inspired designs will be showcased on Coop’s Qualité & Prix brand ambient white milk, fresh white milk, flavoured milk, and protein drinks in beverage cartons in Switzerland.

According to FAO 2022, every day, milk and dairy products provide essential nourishment to billions of people worldwide. From young children to older adults, milk can contribute to healthy and active lives. Thanks to its nutrient-rich composition, milk is the thirdbiggest supplier of protein and the fifth-largest provider of energy, improving global nutrition and strengthening human health.

This is the first Tetra Pak campaign to revitalise dairy categories with characters inspired by Disney and MARVEL, helping to make Coop products stand out for consumers in honour of Disney’s 100th anniversary.

Marc Becker Floris, General Manager of Consumer Products, Games, and Publishing at Walt

Disney Company in Europe, says, “Together, we are dedicated to creating magical moments that families can enjoy while making smart choices that support their overall health and well-being.”

Cartons will feature a QR code enabling consumers to access fun and educational information highlighting dairy’s health benefits while engaging families and kids through the magic of Disney characters.

Farahnaz Mohsenin, Project leader for Coop Disney collaboration at Tetra Pak, adds, “It’s exciting to see our collaborative approach opening new opportunities for our customers. The campaign includes one of Switzerland’s largest retailers, Coop, Swiss dairy market leaders, Emmi Group, and Cremo SA. This is yet another example of the benefits of teaming up with Tetra Pak. We are delighted to see this rollout over the next nine months, coinciding with Disney and Marvel movie release dates for maximum impact.”

“We understand how important dairy beverages are to shoppers and their families. We believe that by offering a wide range of dairy drinks, we can empower families to make healthier choices and create memorable mealtime experiences that support their overall health and wellness. Shoppers will be able to purchase products featuring the designs at Coop stores across Switzerland,” concludes Darko Stojanovic, Purchasing Product Manager at Coop.

Tetra Pak and The Walt Disney Company are collaborating to bring Disney and MARVEL magic to popular dairy drinks categories. Eighty Disney and MARVEL-inspired designs will be showcased on Coop’s Qualité & Prix brand ambient white milk, fresh white milk, flavoured milk, and protein drinks in beverage cartons in Switzerland.

According to FAO 2022, every day, milk and dairy products provide essential nourishment to billions of people worldwide. From young children to older adults, milk can

contribute to healthy and active lives. Thanks to its nutrient-rich composition, milk is the third-biggest supplier of protein and the fifth-largest provider of energy, improving global nutrition and strengthening human health.

This is the first Tetra Pak campaign to revitalise dairy categories with characters inspired by Disney and MARVEL, helping to make Coop products stand out for consumers in honour of Disney’s 100th anniversary.

Marc Becker Floris, General Manager of Consumer Products, Games, and Publishing at Walt Disney Company in Europe, says, “Together, we are dedicated to creating magical moments that families can enjoy while making smart choices that support their overall health and well-being.”

Cartons will feature a QR code enabling consumers to access fun and educational information highlighting dairy’s health benefits while engaging families and kids through the magic of Disney characters. Farahnaz Mohsenin, Project leader for Coop Disney collaboration at Tetra Pak, adds, “It’s exciting to see our collaborative approach opening new opportunities for our customers. The campaign includes one of Switzerland’s largest retailers, Coop, Swiss dairy market leaders, Emmi Group, and Cremo SA.

This is yet another example of the benefits of teaming up with Tetra Pak. We are delighted to see this rollout over the next nine months, coinciding with Disney and Marvel movie release dates for maximum impact.”

“We understand how important dairy beverages are to shoppers and their families. We believe that by offering a wide range of dairy drinks, we can empower families to make healthier choices and create memorable mealtime experiences that support their overall health and wellness. Shoppers will be able to purchase products featuring the designs at Coop stores across Switzerland,” concludes Darko Stojanovic, Purchasing Product Manager at Coop.

Bostik unveils solvent-free solution for food, fastmoving consumer goods (FMCG), and pharmaceutical industries in China

Sidel guides Niche Cocoa Industry Ltd’s move into aseptic beverage production to pioneer aseptic in PET for the first time in Ghana

Niche Cocoa Industry Ltd, Ghana’s largest fully integrated cocoa processor, has successfully installed its first-ever aseptic line through Sidel. The line marks a significant milestone for the company as it makes its first venture into milk-based products in PET with the assistance of Sidel’s long-standing expertise in aseptic production.

“We selected Sidel because of its leadership in aseptic beverage production and packaging design,” said Edmund A. Poku, Niche Cocoa Industry Ltd’s Chief Executive

Officer. “Our expectations were fully satisfied. Aseptic Liquid Dairy Products (LDPs) are complex to produce, and this was a new area for us. Sidel’s technical experts and dedicated local sales and project management teams partnered with us: sharing knowledge and competencies and providing guidance every step of the way. As a result, we have successfully introduced Ghana’s first and only locally produced and aseptically bottled chocolate milk.”

Bassam Oussaifi, Sidel’s Vice President Sales, Middle East & Africa, said: “We are delighted that this project is helping our customer move a further step towards its vision of becoming Africa’s leading producer of cocoa products.”

Having chosen PET for its 100 percent recyclability, affordability, food integrity, and lightweight properties, Niche Cocoa Industry

First SingaporeBased Commercialization of Robot Fryer Unveiled by Chef

Chef Roboto has also inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks to explore the development and customisation of the Fryerbot for the franchise’s 240 outlets globally

Chef Roboto, a Singapore-based company specialising in kitchen technology, unveiled its latest invention, Fryer-bot, at FHAFood & Beverage 2023, ASEAN’s international food and drinks trade event. Chef Roboto is a subsidiary of HOPE Technik, Singapore’s homegrown leading engineering system integrators for robotics and automation.

Chef Roboto marks HOPE Technik’s expansion into the F&B industry and aims to transform

the industry by combining advanced robotics engineering and cooking techniques to automate cooking processes with an affordable monthly rental rate of SGD950.

Commenting on Chef Roboto, HOPE Technik CEO Daniel Nia shared, “HOPE Technik is proud to launch our new subsidiary, Chef Roboto, marking our expansion into the Food and Beverage industry. We believe that there is demand and potential for growth for automation and robotics in the industry. Through Chef Roboto, we are excited to create unique solutions to modernise the way food is prepared and served.”

The company has signed an MoU with Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks, a leading franchise player in the Taiwanese style quick service concept with 240 outlets around the world, to explore further development and customisation of the Fryer-bot for increased efficiency and to serve food of the highest quality to its patrons. Chef Roboto’s Fryer-bot: Revolutionising the future of cooking Following Covid-19, the F&B industry and consumers have become accustomed to automated services such as selfservice kiosks and robot waiters.

According to Report Ocean’s Asia-Pacific Food Robotics Market report, the Asia-Pacific food robotics market will reach $1,162.3 million by 2026, and grow at a 14.6 percent CAGR over 2019-2026, remaining the largest regional market across the globe. This highlights the large growth potential and adoption of robotics within the F&B industry. Deep frying food poses several challenges for chefs including ensuring that the food is consistently cooked, overcooking, undercooking, and the dangers of oil splatters.

The introduction of Chef Roboto’s Fryer-bot promises to avoid such issues, enabling chefs to reproduce the dish precisely, and efficiently and replicate the dish across multiple restaurant outlets. Designed and manufactured locally, Chef Roboto’s Fryer-bot is a revolutionary new robot fryer that has been tailored for commercial kitchens.

Dubbed the future of cooking technology, Chef Roboto’s Fryerbot features a state-of-the-art robotic arm that performs several

tasks, from raw food storage, preparation, and cooking, to the plating of food.

“We are excited to launch and showcase our invention: Chef Roboto’s Fryer-bot. At Chef Roboto, we believe that automation and robotics play a pivotal role in automating the cooking process and making cooking a hassle-free experience,” said Michael Leong, the CEO of Chef Roboto.

“We are confident that Chef Roboto’s Fryer-bot is a game changer that will minimise or even eliminate the challenges chefs face when deep frying food, and create delicious dishes with greater efficiency without compromising on taste. The automation will also allow the augmentation of the kitchen workload, providing chefs with more time to engage with customers or create new recipes.”

Additional features of Chef Roboto’s Fryer-bot include temperature-controlled food storage and a ready built-in application that can be easily integrated with Point-Of-Sale restaurant ordering systems as well as local food delivery apps to receive food orders. The Chef Roboto’s Fryer-bot is also designed to be space-efficient to maximise the use of kitchen space.

Available for rent globally at SGD950 per month, Chef Roboto’s Fryer-bot can be customised to individual preferences and has pre-programmed recipes to cook and prepare a wide range of dishes. Chef Roboto Partners with Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks Chef Roboto and Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks, a Taiwanese food chain featuring favourite snacks from night markets, have announced a partnership through the signing of an MoU.

Through the partnership, Chef Roboto and Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks will work together to explore further customisation of Chef Roboto’s Fryer-bot for eventual use at more than 240 global outlets of the popular food chain.

“We are excited to partner with Chef Roboto as we believe their innovative robotics technology will help to streamline our operations, enabling our team members to provide a better

experience for our patrons,” says Esmond Han, COO of Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks. “The introduction of Fryer-bot at our outlets allows us to manage our human resource costs more efficiently while ensuring that we serve our patrons with consistently delicious snacks each and every time. We are committed to driving change in the F&B industry with the utilization of innovative technologies.”

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks to further customise our Chef Roboto’s Fryer-bot for their use. Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks is well-known and loved for their tasty deep-fried Taiwanese snacks, and we believe that Chef Roboto’s Fryer-bot will be able an empowered addition to their kitchen,” commented Leong.

What is Chef Roboto cooking up next? Chef Roboto’s Fryer-bot is the first of the family of Chef Roboto’s robots and has attracted interest from restaurants and food suppliers, including Kinn Derm and 88 SGMY Seafood. It is available for rent globally at SGD950 per month.

Chef Roboto is also currently in the midst of developing more robots that can cook different dishes. More details will be released when ready.

Pomegranate extract linked to eye health benefits

In-vitro study explores the potential of Pomanox® as an ocular antiinflammatory agent

A recently published study in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Ophthalmology shows the anti-inflammatory effect of Euromed’s Pomanox® in a common cell model for testing eye damage and irritation.[1] This trial suggests for the first time that the pomegranate extract may have potential as an ocular antiinflammatory agent, which could be promising for the growing eye health market. The study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of Pomanox® on cytokine secretion activity in a model of reconstituted human corneal epithelial cells (SkinEthic™ HCE), which is a proven in-vitro

tool for testing eye damage or irritation of different substances. The researchers found that the culture of corneal cells with Pomanox® significantly decreased the production of the cytokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) after inducing inflammation triggered by bacterial material. The inhibition of the cytokine release was higher than that obtained with an anti-inflammatory control substance. In addition, the percentage of viable cells was also higher in the sample treated with Pomanox®, indicating that the extract was able to maintain the survival of the cells better than the other conditions.

Pomegranate has been used for centuries in traditional and folk medicine for its multiple effects on various cellular pathways, especially those triggered by oxidative stress and mediators of the inflammatory cascade. These health benefits come from punicalagins, which are among nature’s strongest antioxidants. Euromed’s pomegranate extract Pomanox® contains up to 30 per cent punicalagins, and has been the subject of many clinical studies, all of which found that the pomegranate extract provides cardiovascular, cognitive and skin health benefits, as well as enhancing sports performance and promoting satiety, and better mood.

Andrea Zangara, Head of Scientific Communication & Medical Affairs and one of the co-authors of the study, says: “Despite pomengranate’s various benefits for overall wellbeing, there is limited data on how it can support eye health. So far, experimental studies have mostly examined the antioxidant activity and not the anti-inflammatory potential of Pomanox® in corneal tissue samples. This latest study provides evidence of its possible use for eye health, which is promising. Considering the ageing population and increasing screen time embedded into our daily lives, vision health looks set to become one of the key concerns for consumers globally.”

[1] Peñalver-Mellado M. et al.: In Vitro Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Pomegranate Extract (Pomanox®) in a Reconstituted Human Corneal Epithelium Model. J Clin Transl Ophthalmol. 2023, 1, 52–60. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcto1020007

Tetra Pak Reveals Key Consumer Trends for the F&B Industry via ‘Trendipedia’ 2023 Report

Tetra Pak, a world-leading processing and packaging solutions company, released key findings and insights from its full report, Trendipedia 2023. The annual global report monitors changes in consumer behaviour, identifying and analysing interesting consumer trends and opportunities for businesses in the food and beverage industry to take advantage of.

“The world is always evolving, and we continue to face emerging new trends. At Tetra Pak, we believe innovation is the answer, and through a collaborative approach, we gather customers, industry partners, and experts to tackle the most challenging issues in our industry. We remain committed in playing our part to develop breakthrough solutions that will help shape a more sustainable tomorrow for people on our planet. The Trendipedia report holds many insights that can help our customers improve any dimension of their business and drive performance,” said John Jose, Marketing Director of Tetra Pak Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, and Indonesia.

In the post-pandemic times, many have seen macro-level changes resulting in supply chain disruptions, pricing increases from inflation, and labor shortages that have caused businesses to scale back services. This has caused consumers to rethink and change their ways. “These days, consumers are setting new priorities and standards regarding where and when they use their money, impacting their spending habits. As a result, companies need to be more creative in attracting consumers to choose their products today,” said Billie Ing, Global Head of Trends and Foresight at Ipsos Strategy.

Report Highlights

According to the latest report, the main trends in Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia are ‘Flexi-shopping,’ ‘In Control,’ and ‘Eatertainment.’

Flexi-shopping – This trend refers to consumers living with a flexible mindset, cutting back where needed but treating

themselves occasionally, especially where there are perceived additional benefits around health or sustainability.

In Control – This trend refers to how consumers use the way they eat and drink to bring a feeling of control to their lives. The choice of whether to indulge or moderate their consumption can help people take their physical health into their own hands.

In recent times, consumers have been embracing plant-based options in their diet to support healthy living, and this trend shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, the global plant-based beverage category is predicted to experience a remarkable growth rate of 1.9 percent by 2024.1

Eatertainment – While connecting with like-minded people, some are looking to be entertained as they dare to try new flavours, recipes, and trends from cyberspace.

The food community is filled with Gen Zs, gamified, and creative consumers, empowered by social media. In Singapore, 54 percent of millennials and 53 percent of gen Z experienced virtual gaming and played immersive open-world video games2

The Rise of Specialty Teas and Adaptation of the Tea Industry to Changing Consumer Preferences

By Cath Isabedra

We spoke to Gigi Ng, Director of Dreiheit Group of Companies, about the rise of specialty teas and how the industry adapts to changing consumer preferences.

On plant-based alternatives and the tea industry

One of the more noticeable consumer trends is the preference for plant-based alternatives, and it’s obvious to expect that tea would be at the center stage of all this. But innovation should be a game-changer. It’s no longer enough to present new flavours.

As the popularity of tea continues to grow, specialty teas have become an increasingly popular category for consumers looking for unique and high-quality teas. And thus, specialty teas were born.

Specialty teas are a unique and diverse tea category, becoming increasingly popular among consumers. These teas are often made from high-quality ingredients, blended with unique flavors, and sold in small batches. They offer tea drinkers a chance to explore new and exciting flavor profiles and indulge in the experience of a genuinely handcrafted beverage.

Dreiheit, for example, took it a step further. During the FHA HoReCa 2022, where I met Gigi, their brand, Gifel Tea™was engaged by MilkLab to develop a whole new drink–both alcoholic and non-alcoholic tea-based recipes using plantbased milk.

“Our tea innovations with plant-based milk are very well received in terms of flavours, mouthfeel, and overall liking by the hospitality trade and media, and consumers when we launched the recipes at select HoReCa in Singapore, followed by Hong Kong and Macau. For non-alcoholic beverages, we compressed Gifel Tea™ Black Tea Cocoa at 75°C, topped it with cold foam oat milk, and garnished it with the tea leaves for a nose experience. We served our Strawberry Cream with raspberry, apple, and oat milk and introduced Yuan Yang Chendol with coconut milk. For alcoholic beverages, we infused our silver award-winning Singapore Dream with whiskey shaken with lemon juice, almond, and oat milk.

The shift in consumer preferences

The tea industry has seen a significant shift in consumer preferences and consumption habits over the last few years. An ever-growing variety of products is available, from traditional black tea to green, oolong, herbal, and other specialty teas.

As consumers become more health conscious and aware of the potential health benefits of different types of tea, they are increasingly looking for healthier options that fit into their lifestyles. This shift in consumer preferences has resulted in a surge in demand for specialty teas such as matcha, chai, and turmeric tea, to name a few.

Companies have responded to this trend by introducing new varieties

of tea that cater to different tastes and needs.

Gigi believes that this demand isn’t short-lived, and it’s something that will inspire tea producers to innovate. “We expect premium and specialty teas will continue to stay at the forefront of consumers’ minds. In turn, these desires fuel the growing demand in the foodservice segment to expand their tea menu offerings and increase the demand in the retail segment to make available tea products in different flavour profiles to satisfy every consumer’s taste.”

While conserving the traditional tea industry is still top of mind for many organizations, the impact of consumer preferences cannot be ignored. Gigi shares, “As a company, we evolve and rethink the way we do innovation in balancing nutrition, taste, and profitability. We learn and look at how consumers today eat, shop, and engage with brands and the new expectations they have from brands.” She adds, “At Dreiheit House, we blend and process high-quality fresh tea leaves and turn them into innovative beverages and products. We use goodgrade teas for blending with dried botanical ingredients like flowers, fruits, herbs, and spices that offer great health benefits alongside great flavour. The varied flavours extracted from teas are a viable alternative to wine and alcoholic beverages in food pairing, especially when served in different temperatures.”

Traditional tea: is it a dying industry?

While the consumption of traditional tea may be declining in some parts of the world, there is still a strong demand for highquality specialty teas.

One of the main challenges facing the traditional tea industry is competition from other beverages. In many countries, consumers are turning to coffee, soft drinks, and energy drinks, which are more convenient and appealing to younger generations.

Another challenge is the rise of tea bags and ready-to-drink tea products, which are often marketed as more convenient and

more accessible to use than looseleaf tea. These products have been successful in many markets, but they also tend to offer lower-quality tea blends and can contribute to the commodification of the tea industry.

However, despite these challenges, there is still a strong market for traditional tea, particularly in countries like China, India, and Japan, where tea is an integral part of the culture. There is also growing interest in specialty and artisanal teas, which can command high prices and appeal to a more discerning consumer base.

Gigi explains, “Specialty tea shops have become increasingly popular as consumers seek out unique and high-quality tea blends with new experiences that provide them a deeper level of engagement from sensory to emotional to thinking to action and association experiences. These shops often feature various teas, including rare and exotic varieties. In today’s rush through life, these spaces remind us to take time for ourselves and focus on the relaxing rituals of the brew and reconnect with ourselves.”

She furthers, “We believe traditional tea ceremonies, traditions, and cultures can be restored through specialty tea shops. We witnessed

certain tea traditions gradually fading away, for example Chanoyu, which is the art of preparing and serving matcha. More than just tea, chanoyu practitioners must know about kimono, flower arrangement, calligraphy, ceramics, and many other Japanese arts that contribute to the tea ceremony.”

But hope is not lost. There are still many ways to keep the tradition alive while welcoming modern tea practices–only if companies are willing to address these challenges.

“We directly work with private, family-owned tea estates to supply high-quality single-origin, small-batch teas to these specialty tea shops,” Gigi shares. “Often, we will organize tea appreciation workshops to establish a human connection with the consumers through tea.”

“We are on a mission to change the world, one cup at a time. Every cup fill another.”

Embracing modern tea development and production

One area where modern tea development is making an impact is tea processing. Traditional tea processing methods can be timeconsuming and labor-intensive, but modern technologies such as mechanized plucking and withering and machine-aided rolling and drying can significantly improve efficiency and reduce labor costs.

Modern technology is also being used to improve the quality and consistency of tea. For example, advanced sensory analysis tools can help tea tasters evaluate and grade teas more accurately, while digital tools and data analytics can help tea companies track and

optimize the production and supply chain.

In addition to technology, modern tea development also involves innovation in product development and marketing. Tea companies are developing new blends and flavors to cater to changing consumer tastes. They use digital marketing and e-commerce platforms to reach new customers and expand their markets.

Modern tea development also emphasizes sustainability and social responsibility. Tea companies are adopting sustainable sourcing practices, reducing waste and carbon footprint, and investing in community development and welfare programs to create a positive impact in the communities where they operate.

“The technology landscape changes rapidly, impacting how we bring our products to the market and how we market.

There are new ways of producing, distributing, and communicating with target markets.” Gigi adds, “We believe in the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning, particularly how it can be applied to create value across our platforms in saving costs, making work more efficient and service-oriented, developing and launching innovative new products with a higher success rate, and most importantly, delivering bespoke experiences for each individual consumer. The increased use of technology to automate and digitalise tea farming to consolidate financial and field-level records of complete plantation activity and supply chain management.”

She further explains, “This significantly cuts down on the entire activity’s costs and time consumption. The use of technology makes the processes more precise and accurate, which reduces the probability of mistakes and wastages, thereby bringing about ease in the process. Tea production technology aimed at modifying the chemical composition of the raw material in order to produce new taste and aroma compounds responsible for the taste, color, and aroma of the manufactured tea that the consumer so highly values.”

Redefining natural color for a new generation

By: Victor Foo, General Manager of GNT Singapore Pte Ltd

A disruptive new trend is rapidly changing perceptions of natural color. Driven by Generation Z, “Healthy Hedonism” is inspiring a new wave of healthy and sustainable products with bold and bright colors.

Modern shoppers want food and drink to deliver pleasure and excitement. The more a brand stimulates the senses, the more deeply their products will resonate –and visual impact is more important than ever. A recent FMCG Gurus survey of Asia-Pacific consumers found:

• 65% say they like the food they eat to have bright and intense colors

• 60% say they like products with new and experimental colors

Thanks to Gen Z’s creativity and digital fluency, all the hottest food trends are coming from social media, which has ensured that color is center stage. TikTok, in particular, has proved a catalyst for viral videos featuring colorful recipes that showcase food as experimental expression, from cloud bread to watermelon mustard. ASMR – or autonomous sensory meridian response – content is helping to elevate fun and aesthetics over taste, with clashing colors, playful textures, and satisfying squelching sounds coming to the fore. The hashtag #foodasmr has over four billion views on TikTok, where influencers rack up millions of followers for videos of them preparing and eating food.

While sensory stimulation is vital, Gen Zers are also conscious consumers who want ethical, sustainable products. This is a disruptive demographic that is determined to rewrite the rules. They are making political statements through the food and drink

they buy and supporting brands representing their agendas.

Holistic mind and body wellness is another key focus. As we emerge from the pandemic, there is strong demand among Gen Z and beyond for natural, healthy food and drink that influences a positive state of mind.

This means we are now set to see a global surge in demand for eyecatching products that are good for people and the planet. For food and beverage brands, this means adopting a new visual language for guilt-free food and drink.

New color directions

We’ve identified three new “color worlds” that are emerging as a result of the Healthy Hedonism trend.

The first is Soft Play Pastels

Using soft, luminous, tone-ontone pastel hues, it has a serene, uplifting effect with cool, calminducing aesthetics. Its cute and playful colors create a spark of joy while showcasing products’ fresh flavors. It can provide unexpected color reveals and textural changes that offer sensorial satisfaction – think biting into squidgy mochi balls to reveal soft fillings with different colors or breaking open vibrant, fluffy cloud bread.

The second color world is Altered States, which uses psychedelic and cosmic color schemes to signal the connection between

mind and body. It can involve mind-altering or mood-boosting ingredients and products that literally change states. For example, herbal teas with oneirogens can deliver natural color through functional ingredients such as turmeric, lavender, and blue lotus. Effervescent tablets can be used to transform water into a colorful drink spiked with fruit, vegetables, and electrolytes.

Riotous Joy is the third color world, and is characterized by bright, clashing, highly saturated shades. It questions aesthetic norms by being bold and loud, indulging the senses through combinations of slick, gooey, gelatinous, and syrupy textures in hyper-tactile food and drinks. It’s all about celebrating Gen Z creativity and challenging tradition in a rebellious but superpositive way. For example, stacks of plant-based, low-carb pancakes with rebellious natural color combinations can turn perceptions of healthy eating on their head.

Plant-based colors

Consumers are demanding more from their food and drink than ever before – and GNT’s plant-based EXBERRY® concentrates are the ideal option for the Healthy Hedonism era. They’re made from edible fruit, vegetables, and plants using traditional, physical processing methods such as chopping and boiling. We’re also committed to becoming the leaders in our field on sustainability by 2030, unveiling an ambitious plan with 17 targets.

Just as importantly, EXBERRY® colors can be used to achieve striking shades from across the rainbow in almost any food and beverage application. We have vast experience bringing spectacular concepts to life using plant-based concentrates, showing that sustainable, natural color can be truly bright and beautiful.

Consuming food and drink is an emotional, sensory experience. We’re here to inspire brands to connect with consumers’ needs through color and unleash their products’ true potential. To appeal to the Healthy Hedonism generation, use bold, vibrant hues and play with color combinations. Try sugary pastels alongside vivid reds, an offbeat all-in-one monochrome for a daringly bold statement, or contrasting, clashing color for an enjoyably jarring, rebellious look.

Look around at nature, be inspired by the rainbow, and reflect

that kaleidoscopic joy in your products. It’s time to celebrate disruption with bright, impactful, and unexpected color choices that make people smile.

To access GNT’s exclusive color trend analysis on Healthy Hedonism, visit: exberry.com

1FMCG Gurus ‘Custom SurveyGlobal and Regional - Flavor, Color & Texture’ (Q4 2022)

Victor Foo, General Manager of GNT Singapore Pte Ltd, has spent his career in the fragrance, flavors, and food ingredients industries, with the last 12 years with EXBERRY® by GNT. EXBERRY® is the global market leader in Coloring Foods, used by more than 2,000 food and beverage companies, including the leading food and beverage producers in the world.

How ProfilePrint’s technology is set to change the game in the coffee industry with the introduction of AI

Challenges facing the industry

How quality is defined across the coffee supply chain has been one of the key challenges for the industry. Cupping, a widely accepted method for sensory evaluation of coffee aroma and taste, is highly subjective and timeconsuming, as beans have to be roasted, ground, then brewed before cupping even begins.

Not to mention, this onerous process first necessitates traditional methods of sample shipping for physical assessment – resulting in high sample shipping costs and wastage. As coffee production conditions vary across high-tech farms and small producers, properly ascertaining the quality of coffee beans becomes even more important for buyers and traders.

Unfortunately, at the producer level, coffee farmers often lack access to knowledge and tools to understand the true value of their produce, and hence are often underpaid for their crop. This leads to a situation where producers lack the incentive motivation to improve the quality and yield of their crop.

To tackle these challenges, the coffee industry must adopt a more objective and efficient method for sensory evaluation.

Harnessing the power of A.I. technology to bridge subjective quality standards

Recognising the challenges faced by different players in the industry, ProfilePrint, a Singaporebased company, took to

developing an innovative A.I.-driven solution that assesses the quality of coffee beans at every stage of the supply chain – from producers to traders to buyers. By acting as a “standards translator” amongst parties, ProfilePrint is able to help its clients better understand their buyers and suppliers based on an agreed set of quality parameters, streamlining the buying process.

The technology works nondestructively by using data from molecular signatures captured from green coffee bean samples. This data is then processed in the ProfilePrint’s SaaS Platform, where the A.I. predicts the quality

of the sample and matches the digital fingerprint of the buyer’s desired bean with the seller’s bean samples. Within seconds, a comprehensive digital report is generated detailing the green coffee bean’s sensory profile and quality assessment score.

Alan Lai, CEO and founder of ProfilePrint says, “Today, one of the biggest challenges facing the coffee supply chain is that there is no agreed set of standards when it comes to quality assessment. This makes trading difficult and onerous, as every stakeholder along the supply chain trades based on different quality standards.”

ProfilePrint, beyond generating quality assessment reports using industry standards, also allows users to digitally “translate” the report according to their tailored considerations – offering a more expedient, efficient, and transparent way of evaluating quality.

Empowering human graders ProfilePrint’s innovative A.I. technology also empowers human graders and speed up assessment processes. The technology is not only able to provide a quality assessment of the food ingredient using its baseline A.I. model based on the industry standard, but it also has the ability to customise its assessment prediction based on unique requirements which may differ from the industry standard.

Beyond that, human graders can also calibrate the baseline

A.I. model provided by ProfilePrint towards their own sensory preferences to predict the result as if it were graded by the same graders.

“Our alliance with Anacafe allows producers in large coffee producing regions like Guatemala build their knowledge and understanding of their beans, that was not available before.

ProfilePrint will empower Guatemalan coffee producers to better assess the quality of their crop, more efficiently grade their beans, and to compete more confidently on a global scale

Ellis Chua, Chief Commercial Officer at ProfilePrint.

says

A more sustainable supply chain Another key benefit of ProfilePrint’s A.I.solution is that it promotes sustainability in the coffee supply chain. The traditional method of shipping physical samples can now be replaced by a digital sampling process, significantly reducing sample wastage and lowering the carbon footprint from having to ship samples.

For buyers, this not only results in a lowering of cost as sourcing becomes more accurate, but it also shortens the sales cycle by up to 10 times. For producers, ProfilePrint’s A.I. technology is a game-changer as it can rapidly assess the quality of the green coffee bean and tailor it to meet the buyers’ needs, reducing quality rejection. This allows producers to justify the prices of their crop, thus improving their profitability and uplifting their livelihoods.

Similarly, the technology also empowers small-scale producers to compete more effectively with the larger industry players, resulting in a more equitable and sustainable coffee industry.

“Our vision for ProfilePrint is to revolutionise the coffee supply chain by leveraging our A.I.- driven solution. Despite the widespread use of A.I. in the coffee industry in recent times, we have yet to witness a system that can effectively align quality standards on a global level. This is why we are committed to continually enhance and refine our A.I. capabilities that will efficiently streamline transaction process, benefiting buyers and producers across supply chains.” Alan concludes.

With insights from ProfilePrint’s CEO and founder, Alan Lai and Chief Commerical Officer, Ellis Chua.

Alan is the founder and CEO of ProfilePrint, and the inventor of its patented A.I. digital food fingerprint technology. Before starting ProfilePrint, he was the Assistant CEO of IHDpay Group, a Hong Kong investment firm focusing on digital payment KYC in China. Prior, his professional experience with CapitaLand includes heading M&A / investment in the United Kingdom, General Manager South China Ascott and Assistant to Group CEO President CapitaLand. He is concurrently a reserve deputy Squadron Commander at the Singapore Air Force with previous key appointments, including Flight Commander and Staff Officer at the Chief of Air Force Office. He was a PhD

candidate in Operational Research at INSEAD, completed a postgraduate management program at Tsinghua University, and graduated with French Singapore Double Engineering degrees (1st Class) from Ecole Centrale Paris and the National University of Singapore under a government scholarship.

Ellis Chua is the Chief Commercial Officer of ProfilePrint, spearheading the company’s commercial strategy. Before joining ProfilePrint, Ellis was a co-founder of a medtech startup which has since been acquired by a listed company. With a diverse background in engineering, finance, and technology, Ellis has over 10 years of banking experience. He also served as the general manager of an engineering technology startup in Hong Kong. Ellis completed a post-graduate program from Singapore Management University with a Master of Science in Wealth Management and a Bachelor of Engineering program in Electrical Electronic Engineering from Nanyang Technological University.

Simple Label Sweets: Switching to Natural Colors in Confections

By Kelly Polte, Applications Scientist, DDW

When you think of confections, you most likely imagine vibrant, colorful shades. To achieve those vivid hues, confections are typically colored with synthetics, but as consumers lean more toward ‘clean label’ options, demand for switching to natural colors in confections is skyrocketing.

As you start the replacement process, you may hear things like: ‘natural colors aren’t as vibrant as synthetics’ or ‘natural colors aren’t as stable as synthetics,’ but don’t fear! Natural colors can successfully replace synthetic colors in confections. We’ll share some tips to ensure success and bust a few common myths.

Myth #1: Natural colors aren’t as vibrant as synthetics

While natural colors may require higher usage rates or care during manufacturing, they can achieve some beautifully bright shades. One reason synthetic colors appear so vibrant is fluorescence. Fluorescent substances, such as Tartrazine, or Yellow #5, absorb radiation at the UV range and reflect it, sometimes as visible light.

Luckily, some natural colors share this fluorescent characteristic. Curcumin, for example, absorbs UV light and blue light and emits back yellow light which is why it appears like it’s glowing under a black light! Natural colors can provide

that dramatic, vibrant, glowing look, so the fun doesn’t have to be compromised when switching to a natural label.

You may also need to adjust when or how you add a natural color to get the brightest shades. For example, vibrancy can be impacted by the base color of the confection – turmeric will appear bright yellow in translucent confections like gummies and hard candies, but if it’s used on panned candies, you’ll need to add a white base coating to the chocolate first to give a more reflective background and minimize visual darkness. Otherwise, the color will appear darker and more muted.

Success Tips

• To achieve the vibrant, ‘fluorescent’ look, try options like curcumin, spirulina, beet, and carmine

• Use a white base over darker shades whenever possible

Myth #2: Natural colors aren’t as stable as synthetics

While synthetics are extremely stable (which is often why companies use them), natural colors can compete – especially in confections! Many confections are in opaque packaging which helps to prevent photodegradation, and gummies and hard candies have low water activity, which helps limit color fade. Gummies are also acidified which is ideal for natural colors like anthocyanins and carminic acid.

One area of concern when using natural colors in confections is heat stability. Some colors are very heat stable, like anthocyanins, carminic acid, beta-carotene, turmeric, copper chlorophyllin, and caramel. But with a slight adjustment in processing, colors with lower heat stability, like spirulina and beet, can still be used. In these cases, it is often best to add colors as the sugar mixture is cooling, rather than heating. This

will help to mitigate color fade from the heat exposure.

It’s also important to select the natural color that’s best suited for the type of confection you want to produce. This ensures the best stability throughout your product’s shelf life. For example, anthocyanins would provide a stable and bright red in acidified gummies but would turn purple or start to fade in confections with a higher pH, such as marshmallows.

Success Tips

•

To achieve the best stability, add your color at the optimal step to minimize heat-related degradation

• Use the color that is best suited for your specific confectionery application

Myth #3: Natural colors can’t match synthetics

If you’ve historically used synthetic colors and don’t want your end consumer to be surprised by color changes, don’t worry! Natural colors can closely match synthetics.

To get a good color match, we start by quantifying the color using a colorimeter, which measures the transmittance or reflectance of light through a sample and provides measurements for different aspects of color such as: hue, saturation, and lightness/darkness. We then make up several natural blends and use visual observations to select the ones that appear to be a close match in the application and measure again using the colorimeter.

The measurements tell us if the hue values are close which means the candies are perceived as the same color. If the lightness and chroma

values are also close, that indicates the samples are very similar in terms of brightness and saturation. By looking at these measurements we can understand the breakdown of the color and decide which components may need to be adjusted to get a closer match.

Success Tips

• To achieve the best match to synthetics, use a combination of visual cues and color measurement tools like a colorimeter or spectrophotometer

While these are just the basics for switching to natural colors in confections, it’s a great place to get started on your natural color search. For a more in-depth look at how to replace natural colors in confections, download the webinar, Simple Label Sweets: Replacing Synthetic Colors with Natural Colors in Confections. With so many options to choose from, there’s a natural color out there that can make your eye-catching confections stand out on the shelf.

Kelly is an Applications Scientist for DDW, The Color House – part of Givaudan located in Louisville, KY. She has a Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Human Nutrition from Clemson University. She loves this industry because it allows her to blend her colorful, creative side with the more technical side of food science.

Trends in the Bakery and Pastry Market

The bakery and pastry industry is a dynamic sector that produces a variety of grain-based foods, such as bread, cakes, pies, pastries, cookies, frozen desserts, baked pet treats, and related items. Bakeries, baking ingredients, equipment, and supplies largely support the sectors. Ingredients include flour, butter, eggs, milk, sugar, leavening agents, and other related items needed to produce baked goods.

The appearance, taste, texture, shelf life, smell, and fortification of baked goods all significantly impact consumers’ purchasing decisions. While the pricing of bakery items strongly impacts older consumers, younger consumers are more influenced by the quality. Consequently, bakers largely employ baking ingredients to maintain the quality of baked foods and cater to the demands of the expanding population.

There is also a growing market for sustainable and natural bakery ingredients like fibers.

This is secondary to the shift in food patterns brought on by food crises, environmental issues, and lifestyle disorders. Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, consumers stranded at home turned to baking more frequently, driving up the demand for different bakery items. The global baking ingredients market is projected to reach USD 22.3 million by 2026 growing at a CAGR of 6.0% from 2021.

The most prominent players in the baking ingredients market are AAK AB (Sweden), Associated British Foods Plc (England), Cargill (US), and Kerry Group Plc (Ireland). Equipment includes industrial ovens, scales, mixers, and refrigerators. Automating bakeries can reduce the expenditure on labor & energy and increase the flexibility between different operations. The latest advancement in processing technology is robotic automation, which food manufacturers adopt to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and improve throughput.

Adopting robotics during bakery processing reduces waste and increases the quality of products by almost 20%.

Automation enables the proper handling of large bulk bakery production. Also, it allows a precise and consistent mixing of ingredients during processing. Operations such as depositing, baking, and handling are relatively easy to automate.

Global Bakery Solutions (UK) and Erica Record (US) provide robotic equipment for panning and depinning bread and other bakery products. Bakery supplies are items such as food-grade packaging, pans, and utensils.

The baking market is divided into four divisions in all industrialized nations: retail, wholesale, in-store, and food service. The pillars of this industry are wholesale bakeries. A retail bakery is a low-volume establishment where a number of baked items are created and sold to customers from one location.

While whole-grain and multigrain bread are now widely available in retail bakeries, flavor is still seen as being a crucial component by customers. Cake, bread, related products, frozen bakery items, and crackers and cookies make up the three components of the wholesale baking industry.

A wholesale bakery often has substantial production facilities and serves customers through retail establishments like grocery stores and food joints.

A growing number of whole-grain breads are manufactured in in-store bakeries in grocery stores and are relatively small but offer a wide selection of freshly baked goods.

For the most part, a wholesale bakery manufactures the baked goods consumed in cafeterias and restaurants in the food service industry. Sales of retail bakeries have decreased in the past ten years, along with those of in-store bakeries and food service businesses.

The three main trends in bakery and pastry product innovations are convenience, pleasure, and health.

Convenience correlates heavily with shifting societal norms, longer workdays, and altered family patterns. Owing to long working hours, hectic lifestyles, and lack of time, consumers choose foods that save time in procurement, preparation, and cleanup. In developed countries like the US and the UK, local bakery businesses, cafes, and supermarkets have catered to the increased demand for fresh and frozen bakery goods and varied bakery ingredients.

There are three distinct avenues for new items in the ‘Pleasure’ category: ‘novelty and fun,’ ‘ethnic and exotic,’ or ‘indulgent and premium.’ Pleasure was the major trend in the past and accounted for half of all new launches.

In fact, the health trend is a significant driver of innovation in the bakery and pastry sectors. Many bakery products are perceived as healthy by consumers, while those perceived as decadent, such as cakes and pastries, are typically successful when given ‘low and light’ attributes, allowing for ‘guilt-free pleasure.’

The present-day purchasing behavior of consumers is largely influenced by the rising concerns of sustainability, animal welfare, and climate change. Considering the detrimental impacts of animal-based foods, many consumers are adopting veganism and choosing plant-based, natural food products that ensure reduced carbon footprint.

As such, there has been a great demand for vegan cakes, muffins, pastries made from plantbased bakery ingredients like dairy-free milk alternatives, fibers, and natural colors and flavors. Bakers are incorporating functional ingredients like oats, millets, fortified flour, and prebiotics to cater to the specific needs of health-conscious consumers.

One of the latest advancements in the bakery sector is the development of bread that does not require yeast as a leavening agent. A yeast substitute accelerates the proofing process and diminishes the sour aftertaste of bread. The rising trend of nutritious bread in the bakery market has influenced producers to accelerate their production of gluten-free, protein- and fiberrich, sprouted, and seeded bread.

Flours fortified with a certain vitamin or mineral are also utilized in bread baking to increase their nutritional value. Eggs have been replaced by commercial egg replacers, or natural alternatives like applesauce, mashed banana, yogurt, and buttermilk which give the cake, biscuits, and cookies a comparable texture.

There are also non-dairy whipping creams in the market. Natural colors such as turmeric, beetroot, and annatto are used in place of artificial ones to make the product additive-free and nutritious.

The taste, texture, easy availability, extended shelf-life, convenience, and health benefits linked to frozen bakery items increased their popularity among consumers. The demand for frozen bakery foods has opened opportunities for frozen bakery manufacturers to grow their business. It is forecasted that frozen bakery products have potential prospects for growth in fast-growing countries like China, owing to the increased disposable income and purchasing power parity

(PPP). Bakery premixes are gaining traction in the food industry due to the increased demand for customized bakery products at a global level.

Bakery premixes include unique formulations that offer various textures, tastes, and colors to bakery products, such as cakes, pastries, baking flour, white bread rolls, bakery improvers, muffins, donuts, and bread rolls. They provide numerous benefits to manufacturers, such as reducing the chances of incorrect weighing of raw materials used in the production of bakery products and enhanced product consistency.

Additionally, bakery premixes decrease the inventory and labor costs involved in producing bakery products. Some of the leading players offering bakery premixes include Archer Daniels Midland Company (Finland), Puratos (Belgium), Lesaffre (France), and Nisshin Seifun Group (Japan).

The retail food industry, including quick-service restaurants (QSR), has shown impressive growth over the past few years globally. The growth in the Asian market can be attributed to Foreign Direct Investment, domestic conglomerates, and government investments. Owing to high competition, QSRs are focusing on improving customer experience. Installing automated bakery equipment helps them to improve their overall productivity.

Moreover, online food ordering has led the foodservice players to adopt machines and systems that can provide them with a quick baking experience. To keep up with the emerging demand for bakery processing equipment, companies such as Bühler (Switzerland), Rheon Automatic Machinery (Japan), and GEA Group AG (Germany) are expanding their facilities and adopting new & upgraded technologies.

In February 2019, The Haas Group (Austria), which Bühler acquired, expanded in India by adding an oven manufacturing plant to its service and support facility.

Artisan bakeries are becoming popular due to the increasing demand for fresh bread and other bakery products. Artisan bakery products are fresher and softer than regular ones, making them uniquely preferred in the bakery market. Consumers are looking for fresh products because they are free from preservatives and are good for health. The increasing number of in-store bakeries, such as supermarkets and hypermarkets within big retail stores, also drives the bakery and pastry market.

These large food chains and artisan bakers form an important growing outlet for bakery products, owing to the latest on-the-go consumption trend.

In low-income countries like India, home bakery trends gained much popularity. The palatability, extended shelf-life, rich texture, easy accessibility, inexpensiveness, and nutrition linked to bakery foods influence their sustenance in the modern

market. Ultimately propelling the growth of the bakery and pastry industry.

According to the American Bakers Association, bakery products account for 2.1% of the gross domestic product of the US. The USD 153 billion American bakery industry is primarily driven by high baked food consumption.

The market for bakery and pastry is expected to grow exponentially, affected by changes in disposable income, consumer preferences, and economic conditions.

Large food processing players such as Associated British Foods Plc, Mondelēz International, and Grupo Bimbo will continue to dominate the competition in the market. These brands may continue to acquire other brands and regional bakeries, focusing on expansion strategies to widen their geographic reach.

As a result, they will increase their customer base and continuously upgrade their product portfolio to meet the ever-changing consumer demands.

KEY PLAYER STRATEGIES

Associated British Foods Plc

In June 2019, Associated British Foods Plc and Yihai Kerry Arawana Holdings Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of Wilmar International Limited (Singapore), executed a binding term sheet, setting out their intention to form a 50:50 joint venture in China for the manufacture, sale, and distribution of yeast and bakery ingredients.

Lallemand

British Bakels

In April 2019, Lallemand Baking introduced Lal^ferm–a new brand of fresh baker’s yeast. This has expanded the organic yeast portfolio of the company.

Tate & Lyle

In January 2020, British Bakels introduced vegan-suitable indulgent fillings to its vegan range of products to meet the consumer demand for quality vegan bakery products.

Lantmannen Unibake International

In June 2019, Associated British Foods Plc and Yihai Kerry Arawana Holdings Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of Wilmar International Limited (Singapore), executed a binding term sheet, setting out their intention to form a 50:50 joint venture in China for the manufacture, sale, and distribution of yeast and bakery ingredients.

In June 2021, Lantmännen Unibake, a leading global provider of fresh and frozen bakery products, continued to invest in Poland and announced a significant expansion plan for its bakery products in Nowa Sol.

Disclaimer: MarketsandMarkets™ provides strategic analysis services to a select group of customers in response to orders. Our customers acknowledge when ordering that these strategic analysis services are solely for internal use and not for general publication or disclosure to any third party.

MarketsandMarkets™ does not endorse any vendor, product, or service profiled in its publications. MarketsandMarkets’™ strategic analysis constitutes estimations and projections based on secondary and primary research and is therefore subject to variations.

MarketsandMarkets™ disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness, for any particular purpose.

MarketsandMarkets™ takes no responsibility for incorrect information supplied to it by manufacturers or users.

Trademarks, copyrights, and other forms of intellectual property belong to MarketsandMarkets™ or their respective owners and are protected by law. Under no circumstance may any of these be reproduced, copied, or circulated in any form, without the prior written approval of MarketsandMarkets™ or its owner—as the case may be.

No part of this strategic analysis service may be given, lent, resold, or disclosed to any third party, without express permission from MarketsandMarkets™.

Reproduction and/or transmission in any form and by any means, including photocopying, mechanical, electronic, recording, or otherwise, without the permission of MarketsandMarkets™, is prohibited.