Healthy, local and sustainable food… This is how we can summarize the direction that the agri-food sector as a whole is taking today. But expectations are even more diverse, demanding... and sometimes even paradoxical. "We" expect our food to be good for the palate, good for health, minimally processed, respectful of animals, the people who produce them and the planet. More concretely, "we" want products with more and more social security, transparency,informations (composition, nutritional, origin, etc.) and all this without packaging if possible. Products must be healthy and safe, practical, have a long shelf life, and all this without packaging if possible...
What challenges for food processors – whether industrial or artisanal!
At the heart of this global transition, organic farming is both increasingly recognized and increasingly challenged. 4 fundamental principles founders[1] are no longer enough today to stand out in the market. But the players, committed for a long time, as we find many on the Natexpo trade fair, have in their DNA always seeking to “do better”. It is therefore a swarm innovations, eco-concepts and ambitious approaches that we will observe once again in the 2021 edition.
A short history of organic ingredients at Natexpo
Since 2017, Natexpo has hosted a Center dedicated to Ingredients and Raw Materials organic, for supply, dietetic and cosmeticsWhat role do these suppliers have to play in the current transition? How do suppliers of organic ingredients, the intermediate link between agricultural production and processing, anticipate and meet downstream expectations?
This link in the agri-food chain is often overlooked by consumers. And yet, it plays a key role in the value chain. Each specialist in their own field of expertise, they support, advise, and secure the processors' supplies. Especially in a responsible purchasing policy, they are essential partners for buyers, who cannot manage all the raw materials directly, and for factories, which cannot "prepare" all the ingredients either.
If the supply of certified organic ingredients was still very timid 10 years ago, considered a niche market and an "opportunity", it has gradually revealed itself with the strong growth of the organic market in recent years. Historical organic players have increased their visibility, taking advantage of new spaces like the Natexpo Center. And conventional players have begun to develop their organic offerings... and, above all, to promote them.
360° innovation in the organic ingredients sector
Today, as we observe with our media ingrebio.fr, we are witnessing an explosion of solutions that are available in organic form. Not only are functional ingredients increasingly available, but their range of functionalities is also expanding. We see this, for example, in the flavoring sector, where – boosted by new regulatory standards – the offering is expanding both in terms of ranges and players. Suppliers are working on all areas: taste and texture, but also (more natural) preservation and the nutritional value of products. This is expressed, for example, by the proposal of support for improving the Nutriscore, or the deployment of studies to better evaluate the nutritional value of ingredients.
Finally, providers of organic ingredients are keen to respond to the demand for greater transparency throughout the supply chain. Many of them are communicating about their supply chains, their partnerships, etc., as well as through Fair Trade labeling tools or private alternative brands (Nature et Progrès, Demeter, etc.). And more and more of them are guaranteeing sourced ingredients to processors who can then add value to their finished products. Blockchain tools are already available to support some, and will be deployed.
Differentiation in the growing organic market is clearly achieved today through the quality and care taken with the ingredients used. (Even if other criteria are increasingly important, such as the choice of packaging or the CSR commitments of companies). The selection of raw materials, whether it belongs to the processing company or to an intermediary supplier (wholesaler or processor of 1st transformation), is obviously crucial. And is facilitated when it is done in the context of a long-term, equitable partnership. But it is also aided by the innovation of increasingly respectful technologies and processes (in the field of plant extraction, for example). This is proving particularly important in order to be able to exploit the wealth of agri-food co-products to the fullest. And we can already see the flourishing future of these circular economy projects involving the various stakeholders in the chain...
[1] The 4 founding pillars of organic farming are the principles of Health, Ecology, Fairness and Precaution (according to IFOAM Organics)
Article written by Ingrébio