Kirsten Lauridsen, principal application
specialist at IFF: The recent survey shows
that consumers largely agree on the ingredients
they see as healthy, highlighting
protein, fiber and probiotics (photo: IFF)
in Germany, France and Russia to investigate
how specific consumer groups – millennials,
families and seniors – perceive the
yogurt category. The findings show that
protein, fiber and probiotics are the ingredients
consumers most often associate
with natural nutritional benefits.
To gain deeper insights into actual preferences,
IFF presented the survey respondents
with a series of fermented dairy and
plant-based product concepts – each one
tailored to the anticipated needs and expectations
of individual family members.
Michelle Nguyen, regional dairy marketing
manager at IFF: The pandemic led to
an increased demand for comfort food
in the form of indulgent dairy desserts
(photo: IFF)
“The concept that performed best
across the board was a fermented plantbased
snack developed for the family’s teenager
which was seen to unite healthiness,
environmental awareness and indulgence,”
says Kirsten Lauridsen, principal application
specialist at IFF. “The overall feedback to the
concepts confirmed that personalized nutrition
has strong prospects.”
Defining clean label
The IFF survey shows that consumers
largely agree on the ingredients they see as
Ingredients ¦ IDM
healthy, highlighting protein, fiber and probiotics.
But, when it comes to definitions
of clean-label, opinions are more diverse,
as Mintel reveals in a review of the dessert
category across the EMEA region.
While clean-label product launches in
Russia, the UK and Denmark continue to
rely on a no additives/preservatives claim,
Mintel points out that manufacturers in the
Netherlands and Germany increasingly put
a sustainability claim on product packaging.
In France, consumers tend to equate cleanlabel
with organic, and, in Spain and Italy,
the most popular claim is allergen-free.
“In other words, perceptions of cleanlabel
are complicated. Generally speaking,
though, the shorter and simpler the
ingredient list, the better the chances of
satisfying a wide range of consumer expectations.
This can drive premium pricing in
some markets,” Nguyen adds.
Uncompromised desserts
On the face of it, a basic yogurt recipe may
seem the most favorable starting point for
developing clean-label dairy products that
meet consumer demands for health and indulgence.
It is no secret, for example, that
the right starter culture can restore fullbodied
creaminess to a low-fat yogurt.
In the dairy dessert category, on the
other hand, ‘better for you’ products with
reduced fat and sugar have typically relied
on tailored blends of emulsifiers and stabilizers
for their rich taste and texture.
However, thanks to the latest developments
in ingredient technology, new clean-label
opportunities are now becoming available
to manufacturers of dairy and plant-based
desserts – drawing on kitchen-cupboard ingredients
that consumers know well. Just as
important, these solutions are being designed
for manufacturers’ existing processes.
Natural functional blends like these are
well timed to meet the expectations of consumers
who have had plenty of time over the
past year to reconsider their priorities. In the
dessert category, the quest for healthy indulgence
has usually been linked with compromise
– sensory or nutritional. Manufacturers
can today look forward to delivering the best
of both worlds, topped off with a clean label.
Through well-aimed innovation, the
dairy industry has renewed opportunities
to capture the consumer’s heart. Ingredient
technology is ready and available to cater
for today’s personalized needs.
In the dairy dessert category, ‘better for you’ products with reduced fat and sugar have
typically relied on tailored blends of emulsifiers and stabilizers (photo: AdobeStock)
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