News
Take the Discovery Tours at this year’s FIE in Paris
12 Nov 2015
Food Ingredients Europe (FIE) is fast approaching! To help you get the most from your time at this hugely informative event, there are six Discovery Tours focusing on specific areas of interest in the food and beverage industry. Take a tour around the show floor to visit selected key exhibitors innovating in each of these six areas, and find the ingredients solutions to meet your formulation needs.
The Discovery Tours are produced in conjunction with Leatherhead Food Research’s team of product development and ingredients specialists. They can be followed by you in your own time using the mobile app, printed maps onsite or map in the show catalogue. This year the following choice of tours is available;
- Sugar, Salt and Fat Reduction
- Clean-label Solutions
- Natural Colours
- Protein Innovation
- Free From Solutions
- Functional Ingredients
Sugar, salt and fat reduction is an area of ongoing focus for the food and drink industry. Sugar in particular has been back in the spotlight after the recent Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) report advised that individuals should get no more than 5% of their total daily energy intake from free sugars. However, reformulating to reduce these three key components present significant challenges to product developers. That said, there are a variety of innovative ingredient solutions such as natural sweeteners and flavour enhancers to assist with sugar, salt and fat reduction in a range of different product applications.
Whilst still undefined terms from a regulatory perspective, consumer demand for ‘natural’ and ‘clean label’ products show no sign dwindling. In turn, this means a heightened interest in ingredients that can be used as alternatives for certain additives and ingredients that are seen as ‘unnatural’. This tour focuses on clean-label innovations such as natural plant extracts with antioxidant properties.
Similarly, artificial colours continue to be removed from food and drink formulations resulting in an increased demand for natural colours that can produce bright hues and have excellent stability in a range of applications. This tour will show you a range of natural colouring solutions derived from a variety of ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices.
Protein has become a very hot topic in the food industry, with high and added protein claims appearing in a range of food and drink product categories. There are now a variety of dairy, vegetable and cereal-derived protein ingredients available. However, finding the protein ingredient that is right for your application requires considerable research. This tour aims to show you innovation in the area of protein ingredients
Gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free! Interest in free-from foods has intensified in recent years. The gluten-free market in particular continues to grow with consumers looking for products that are not only free from gluten but also high in fibre and other nutrients. However, removing ingredients such as wheat, dairy and eggs from formulations without compromising the taste and textural attributes is not as simple as it sounds. This tour will help you discover new ingredient solutions, such as pulse flours, that can be used when formulating free-from products.
Last but not least, food and drink concepts offering functional benefits continue to be launched across almost every food and drink category. However consumers are becoming more discerning in terms of product benefits and health claims. Functional ingredients with well researched health benefits that can deliver functionality to products whilst ensuring trends towards naturalness are becoming popular.
We’ll be back again soon with more blogs on the highlights and trends on the key topics of the Discovery Tours.
The FIE Discovery Tours are intended to be informative rather than definitive, and provide some insight into key areas influencing the food and drink industry. Don’t forget, however, to stop by the other stands along the way, and of course come and meet the Leatherhead Food Research Team at Stand 6F39. See you in December, and enjoy the show!
Fiona McPherson, Leatherhead Food Research