“Transparency Triumphs” crowns Innova Market Insights’ 2021 Top Ten Trends list, speaking to consumers’ quest to know more about wher their ingredients come from and how their food is made. In recent years, suppliers have made significant steps to improve ingredient traceability and authenticity under pressure from consumers.

FoodIngredientsFirst speaks with key suppliers who are transforming the food system for a healthier and more sustainable future and finding the words to communicate it.

“Transparency is now a mainstream consumer expectation, and rightly so,” says Joe Katterfield, sales development manager for sports nutrition and health foods at Arla Foods Ingredients (AFI). 

The Innova Consumer Survey 2020 reveals that six in ten global consumers are interested in learning more about wher foods come from. 

Last year, AFI published details of its measures to ensure products are sourced safely and ethically, reports Katterfield. 

“We conduct numerous quality checks on whey before it arrives at our production plants and again when finished products leave. We only source whey from trusted suppliers and we have farm assurance programs in place for all of them, ensuring the ethical treatment of cows, as well as the quality of the milk,” he says. 

AFI recently made advancements in animal welfare with the Arla UK 360 scheme, which trialed 3D imagery and AI technology to take the human subjectivity out of defining a “happy cow.” 

Traceability evolves in cocoa
The chocolate industry has stepped up its game to address the long-fraught problems that can be associated with cocoa sourcing.   

“Customers and consumers alike are calling for greater transparency and traceability across all our supply chains, especially in Europe and North America and we’re responding to those demands,” says James Ede, sustainability manager at Cargill Starches, Sweetness, and Texturizers Europe.  

In collaboration with key stakeholders, Cargill is addressing some of the persistent issues in the sector, such as ending deforestation, the use of child labor and other socio-economic and environmental issues. 

“We are working toward 100 percent traceability in our Cargill Cocoa Promise supply chain and welcome the European Commission’s legislative initiative on mandatory due diligence for companies,” says Ede. 

“Overall, we have made good progress, but we are not there yet.”

Transparency in action
Putting concepts into practice, Cargill created a Sustainable cookie Concept, wher each major ingredient in the prototype cookie has transparency and sustainability benefits. 

“Made with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)-certified mass-balance palm oil, responsibly sourced chocolate chips, sustainably produced stevia, traceable pea protein, and quinoa and pastry flours that implement stewardship practices from field to bakery – the cookie demonstrates how brands can make sustainability actionable to truly resonate with consumers,” Ede explains. 

Earlier this year, Cargill launched CocoaWise, a platform to provide customers with fast, easy access to the sustainability data of Cargill’s cocoa supply chain.

“CocoaWise pulls information from a centralized data platform that is fed from a suite of Cargill’s digital tools. It enables customers to be more deeply connected to the communities from which they purchase their cocoa,” says Kate Clancy, senior sustainability manager at Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate. 

“They can see first-hand the impact of financial investments in key initiatives that meet the needs of the cocoa farming communities on the ground, such as providing sustainable agriculture coaching for farmers, entrepreneurship training for women and nutritional programs for families,” she adds. 

Olam and Barry Callebaut have also made recent strides in improving their cocoa supply chain transparency.

Single origin: authentic and traceable
Another way to communicate transparency and traceability to the consumer is through single origin products, such as vanilla, observes Prova. 

“Through the implementation of a network of partner suppliers in Madagascar and worldwide, Prova is able to guarantee the geographical origin of every bean,” says Clément Strohmann, vanilla sourcing manager at Prova. 

Other single origin products in Prova’s ranges include vanilla from places such as Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, cocoa from Ghana and coffee from Brazil, Ethiopia and Colombia. 

In addition to transparency, single origin products offer authenticity – another strong trend that Prova sees worldwide.  

Demand for natural
This trend toward natural and clean label products can be observed, not only in Western countries, but also in Asian countries, such as China and India, which is quite new, according to Kevin Bangratz, marketing researcher at Prova. 

That is why Prova considers “Closer 2 Nature” a prominent trend for 2021. It implies that the food industry must enforce the commitments it makes to consumers regarding the authenticity of their products. 

“People do not want products that only ‘mimic’ naturalness: consumers are becoming experts and they are learning how to distinguish real naturalness, especially through the taste of food,” affirms Bangratz. 

Prova is meeting the demand through its natural X flavors. “We observe a growing demand for natural sweet brown flavors, and notably for organic natural X flavors and extracts,” he adds.

Organic shows no sign of slowing down
Along with naturality, “organic” is a keyword that conveys trust and safety. AFI reports that research has shown that healthy, natural and organic are all closely interlinked in consumers’ minds

“Organic options are considered more environmentally friendly, better for animal welfare, safer and more nutritious,” says Barbara Jensen, business development manager at AFI.

Research has found that the number one reason for eating organic foods was because “organic food products are good for my health and well-being,” notes Jensen. 

Interestingly, over half (55 percent) said organic food tastes better, she explains. 

A major development for AFI this year has been the launch of our first organic lines, she says, reflecting the positive interest from consumers in organic. 

Moving “Plant-Forward” 
Innova Market Insights’ second Top Trend of 2021 is “Plant-Forward,” tapping into sustainability and consumers’ ever-diversifying shift into more plant-based options. 

ADM’s Outside Voice research affirms the growing trend, finding that 50 percent of consumers are consciously eating more plants and 42 percent identify as flexitarian. 

“Flexitarians are also seeking plant-forward products beyond burger analogs. The movement is picking up momentum with the development of plant-based cheese and alternative seafood like shellfish and shrimp,” says Ana Ferrell, vice president of marketing at ADM. 

To satisfy consumers seeking more alternatives to conventionally sourced meat, dairy and fish, ADM notes that authentic flavors will be key to replicating the sensory experience. 

In its proprietary research, ADM also found that people are looking for more personalized solutions. This correlates to Innova Market Insights’ third Top Ten Trend, “Tailored to Fit,” which will be addressed in part two of this special report.