FiE fever - IFI DecJan 10

From the first effervescent day of November’s FiE 2009 exhibition, the aisles were packed and business brisk. Here is a taste of the atmosphere, the issues and just some of the many innovations at the Frankfurt show

If anyone had any doubts about visitor interest in this year’s Fi/Ni Europe in Frankfurt, those doubts were very soon dispelled. As event director Greg Cherry put it on the second day of the show: “You only have to try to weave your way through the crowds to know it’s been a major success. And the feedback from exhibitors is confirming that this is by some way the best show so far.”

Unofficial and unaudited figures from the show suggest that attendance topped 20,900, or 18% more than the 2007 edition. As IFi went to press, we were still waiting for independently-audited attendance figures from ABC. The figure of over 1,250 exhibitors at this year’s Frankfurt show represented a 12% increase on 2007 figures, and included 350 first-time exhibitors, while total booked floor area was also up – this time by 8%.

“What marks Fi/Ni Europe out, and what makes it special, is that it is, first and foremost a show about doing business: the first priority is work,” said Parry Malm, marketing manager for show organiser and owner of IFi UBM International Media.

“It’s the opportunity to meet qualified buyers and do real deals that delivers the value that exhibitors get when they invest in the show,” he added. Cherry said: “The success of the show is a good reflection of the overall resilience of the market. While some segments have prospered more than others, what all the exhibitors seem to share is the ability to find ingenious ways to succeed.”

The same theme of ‘resilience’ was picked by exhibitors in the context of their own innovations. On the first day of the show, launching the new Beneo Institute, Beneo Group executive board member Yves Servotte said: “The food industry may be recession-resilient, but it is still suffering. We can help to provide it with more oxygen.”

Where would that oxygen come from? The new institute would focus on nutritional and health benefits in relation to ingredients from its three businesses: Orafti, Palatinit and Remy. The regulatory climate made the services of a partner such as Beneo particularly important, said the group. Servotte added: “This is a strategic choice, a reflection of our belief that functional foods will change the face of the food industry. But it won’t be easy.”

The major functional themes that Beneo hopes to pursue are weight management, gut health, tooth-friendliness, mental performance and low glycemic index. Fellow board member Matthias Moser said: “Our customers need innovation, but they operate in a hostile environment. We have proven expertise in the nutritional sciences, in communication and in regulatory affairs. Good interaction between these three areas of expertise is essential.”

Under that heading of ‘hostile environment’, Beneo Group would probably include regulatory as well as economic conditions. And given the significance of current developments in European health claims, it is hardly surprising that this regulatory topic cropped up in discussions and presentations on many FiE stands. So CreaNutrition, for instance, was able to highlight the fact that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) had published a positive scientific opinion with regard to its OatWell oat bran beta-glucan and its cholesterol lowering potential in the month before the show.

But of course, there are other areas – such as probiotics – where the going has been much tougher. The negative opinions and requests for clarification are generating an entire sub-sector of consultancy, claims management and clinical trials. They are also causing ingredients suppliers and their customers to be cautious about the claims they submit and how they substantiate them. Even while Roquette Europe, for example, was showcasing its healthier and satiety-inducing ingredients at FiE, it was warning against the urge to rush into hasty European health claim submissions.

Director of Roquette’s nutrition business unit Patrick Lapointe said: “We’ve been able to demonstrate with clinical trials that you can significantly increase the satiety effect and reduce calorie intake using our Nutriose soluble fibre, for example. “But for now, we are working with our customers on this. We would like to take this further in a health claim with EFSA. But it’s quite risky to start too early with a specific claim without sound evidence.” He added: “Once a company’s dossier has been submitted and rejected, it’s quite difficult for them to come back with something new.” Nutriose can also be combined with Roquette’s pea protein, with its weight management benefits, in soup recipes, for instance. Potential claims for Nutriose could be ‘a reduced feeling of hunger’ or ‘digestive benefits’, said Lapointe. “There are several projects in the pipeline,  and we’re very optimistic about it.” He added: “Our research shows that 98% of European consumers understand that dietary fibre is important for their health, but at the same time, 65% admit that they don’t eat enough.”

From a formulation standpoint, benefits of Nutriose include its high solubility and its lack of flavour. Also available for sampling on the Roquette  stand were examples of products incorporating its pea fibre. “We’ve developed different grades of this insoluble fibre, from 75% - for bakery applications – down to 50-55% for cost-reduction applications in products such as sausages,” said Lapointe. “ Its water-binding properties allow you to significantly reduce fat, too.”

Given the economic climate, it is hardly surprising that ‘cost engineering’ options were in evidence at FiE 2009 almost as much as added-value, functional ingredients.

Like Roquette, Cargill was putting ‘cost-reduction’ and ‘sausage’ together in the same sentence. In this case, the result was the aptly-named FiEva Frankfurter.

Here, pork fat is replaced with Cargill’s Androgel alginate-based ingredient, combined with sunflower oil and water. According to global communication director for  texturising solutions Christine Nicolay, it also features reduced salt content using a proprietary replacer.

Nicolay likened Cargill’s range of texture options to an artist’s palette, where the company was able to work with customers to combine textures for the optimum effect. Another example in the area of value optimization was Cargill’s version of tomato ketchup, applying alternative ingredients to achieve a 30% reduction in tomato paste.

In sweet products, Cargill said that probably for the first time, a combination of texturising agents was allowing manufacturers to fully and successfully replace gelatine in products such as chews. This could be achieved through the use of sunflower lecithin, for instance, or carageenan as replacers, said Nicolay. “You can use pectin, too, and you start to get some interesting combinations,” she added.

Sugar confectionery was also a focus for the sweeteners side of the business. “For the first time, using our Zerose erythritol, we are able to produce zero-calorie hard candy,” said Henry Hussell, European marketing manager for Cargill Sweetness. “That would be completely impossible without erythritol.”

Other sugar-replacement options included a yoghurt which used erythritol to achieve a 30% calorie reduction which, said Hussell, allowed brand owners to make an on-pack claim. Meanwhile, applications of Cargill’s Barliv barley beta-fibre on the stand included apple juice. Like oat bran, it is a strong source of beta-glucan soluble fibre, allowing potential claims for a cholesterol-lowering effect.

If a schoolteacher was going to single out ‘lessons to be learnt’ from the show, they would be quite likely to revolve around the ‘three Rs’ of Replacement, Reduction and Reformulation. One exhibitor taking the replacement route was Dow Wolff Cellulosics (DWC). Acclaimed chef Gérard Ladner was on the stand to demonstrate how the company’s Methocel gluten replacer could put an end to flat, stodgy, dry or tasteless gluten-free food options. This was “a bonus for manufacturers and gluten-intolerant foodies alike”, noted the manufacturer.

DWC Food & Nutrition launched Methocel gluten replacement as part of an ongoing drive to develop innovative products that benefit consumer health. The demand for gluten-free foods is on the rise, said the company, with increasing numbers of people being affected by coeliac disease. Others are eliminating gluten from their diets through personal choice.

Creating high-quality gluten-free foods is not easy, since gluten has many important properties, and finding a suitable replacement has been a significant challenge for food manufacturers.

Chef Ladner impressed audiences with his creative use of the product in a live cooking show, followed by a tasting at the DWC Food & Nutrition stand. Ladner worked in the Nestlé Group R&D centre and has taught widely. He has worked in many prestigious restaurants and is currently a consultant to the food industry.

A chef of a very different sort was stopping in their tracks anyone passing by the DSM Food Specialties stand – a chef of the all-singing, all-dancing variety. Here, too, replacement was the theme. But this time the singing chef was extolling the  virtues of DSM’s Panamore range of bakery enzymes. When replacing common emulsifiers such as DATEM (diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono/diglycerides) and SSL (sodium stearoyl lactylate), there can be a cost benefit. But product development teams were just as likely to be attracted by the novelty and quality implications of the ingredient, the company said.

Other novelties (of the singing chef, rather than hard-working enzyme, type) included the former American Strongest Man Derek Poundstone, spotted bending frying pans with his bare hands on the Solae stand.

The company was eager to illustrate the benefits of new soy protein isolate Supro XF. This is designed to allow a higher soy protein content in beverages, while also offering improved flavour. The new product is said to use proprietary technology to achieve an 'exceptional' flavour, mouthfeel and improved functional performance in high-protein drinks, whether in ready-to-drink or powder formats. Applications include sports nutrition, weight management and clinical nutrition.

Presenting the sports perspective in words rather than actions, former Mr World Dave Hawk contrasted different sources of protein. “Is soy protein better than whey protein, for instance? Absolutely not. They are equally important. In fact, a blend of proteins works best. Time release is what everyone is talking about for recovery as well as muscle mass benefits.”

Said global business development director Paul Vajda: “We working on this family of isolated soy concentrates with our open innovation partner Novozymes. It was designed to overcome the barriers of high viscosity and bitter soy flavours.” Elsewhere, it was sugar and salt which were being replaced. Ajinomoto was showcasing its range of sweeteners and salt replacers, as well as polyphenols.

In fact, visitors could be forgiven for believing that they had accidentally stepped into a small bistro. On each table was a menu, highlighting the drinks available – champagne, wine, Coca Cola Light, Coke Zero, Pepsi Max, Orangina Light and coffee.

For those looking for something more substantial, there were starters (gazpacho, vegetable soup, jambon supérieur and surimi salad), main dishes (penne with jambon, frikadelle, döner kebab and schnitzel) and desserts (homemade yoghurt and sugar-free breath mints).

This show was a double cause for celebration for Ajinomoto. Firstly, this year is the company’s 100th birthday. And secondly, Fi Europe 2009 was the first time that three of its divisions – AminoSweet, Activa and Natural Specialities – have exhibited together on the same stand.

Natural – rather than manufactured – variety featured on the GNT stand, which treated visitors to its ‘Garden of Colour’ stocked with vibrant fruits and vegetables.

The German company used this concept to demonstrate that all of its natural colouring concentrates are sourced from ‘nature’s garden’. The stand featured columns displaying end products, ranging from chocolate to confectionery, cereals, cakes, baked goods and beverages, in a full spectrum of stable colour shades.

Food manufacturers are increasingly seeking to avoid ‘artificial’ colours or those that have to be labelled as additives. GNT’s Exberry-brand colouring foodstuffs are produced directly from edible fruits, vegetables and plants using physical processes. As they are classified and declared as food ingredients and not as additives, they deliver a ‘clean-label’ declaration without E-numbers.

The problem with many natural colours is that they do have technical limitations - heat, oxidation, light, pH and interaction with other food ingredients can all affect colour performance and stability.

Digestive health remains one of the major themes in ingredient development, and those boasting strong evidence of benefits in this area are hot property. Among many other products, Tate & Lyle (T&L) was showing applications of Solactis galactofructose, produced by Solvay but now sold in all of Europe except Spain and Portugal by T&L.

The ingredient is a non-digestible carbohydrate derived from milk, said to have a mild, sweet taste. In the past, it has been used in infant formulae and in pharmaceutical products.

But product manager Jerome Tauzin stated: “It’s a new product to the food market. The two claims – prebiotic and a transit aid – are pretty rare at a dosage level quite as low as 2.5g per day.”

Galactofructose has been approved for use in Belgium and Italy, and is currently being reviewed by EFSA. Tauzin added: “It’s really easy to formulate with, since it’s available in dry and liquid forms.”

Applications available for tasting on the T&L stand included muesli bars combining Solactis with Sta-lite polydextrose, and a quince-flavoured apple-juice drink with Solactis, Sta-lite and Splenda sucralose.

Some ingredients suppliers were focusing on their own investments, and the benefits they brought to customers. Herza Schokolade, for instance, was showing its chocolate pieces and nuggets formed using a special cutting technique. This gives them a ‘random’, handmade appearance.

This is said to give a better result than traditional equipment such as drop machines and spike rollers.

“We have a passion for chocolate in all manner of different shapes and sizes. The more unusual the shape, the more we enjoy the challenge,” explained MD Torsten Wywiol.

Show on a roll: some exhibitor perspectives

For Saskia Nuijten, communications manager at DSM Food Specialties, this was her second FiE show.

“Fi Europe 2009 was certainly a busy show, and there seemed to be high numbers of visitors across the exhibition days,” she commented. “Visitors were positive and upbeat, looking forward to the year ahead, and keen to learn about the latest developments from exhibitors.”

When it comes to trends in ingredients, the attitude of FiE 2009 exhibitor Glanbia Nutritionals seems to be that ‘old’ is ‘new’.

As business development manager Paul O’Mahony put it during the show: “If you want to know what the next big ingredient is, you need to look backwards, not forwards.”

He explained: “I grew up with cod liver oil. What’s sexy now? It’s omega-3. The same ingredients are coming back into focus, but this time the consumer values them and their authenticity.”

In terms of the evolution of the show, it was the differences rather than the similarities which were most striking for O’Mahony. “When I started coming here as an exhibitor, the event was much smaller, and focused almost exclusively on commodity ingredients such as milk. And you wouldn’t have had the Russians or Chinese here.”

He added: “Functional and added-value ingredients only really started arriving over the last three or four years.” It was not that they did not exist, he explained, but that suppliers saw other shows as the natural home for these products.

MD of Dutch Protein & Services Henk Rigter contrasted the atmosphere of the show with the London event two years ago. “For various reasons, the mood was more downbeat then, even though there was no recession at the time.”

He added: “This time, we had more visitors from outside the Netherlands. We had a lot of customers from the Middle East, Turkey and Greece.”

And the exhibits? “The preparation of the stands if beautiful,” he said. “People are spending far more on them.”

FiE 09 Conference programme

Running in parallel with the show, the FiE & Ni Conference has become

an attraction in its own right – attracting, that is, not only increasing numbers of delegates, but also speakers of an ever-higher calibre

If the organisers of FiE do not conduct this piece of research, then perhaps the hotel owners of the host cities might want to: How many show visitors stay overnight?

For those who do visit for more than one day, the obvious follow-up question would be: Why?

For some at least, the answer will be that, given the growth of the show, two days are necessary in order to see everyone of interest. But it would hardly be surprising if it proved to be the conference programme which swung the argument for many.

As conference manager Louise Challis put it: “This year, the FiE and Ni Conference has exceeded our expectations and truly established itself as an integral part of the show. Packed with content delivered by leading food scientists from Heinz, Nestle, Unilever and many more major food companies, we received universally positive feedback from both delegates and sponsors. We look forward to building on this success for 2011.”

This year saw 65 speakers contribute within five topic areas, from natural innovations, ingredient applications and regulatory updates to product innovation and (for the first time this year) NPD and market trends.

As a taster of what was on offer to delegates, Nicolas Godinot of Nestlé’s Research Center looked at some of the key issues surrounding salt reduction. This included sensory drivers in the perception of salt and the ways they could be applied in reduction strategies.

By the end of 2010, Nestlé aims to have reduced salt levels to three-quarters those of the original recipes, and Godinot pointed out some of the different strategies here.

The most obvious involves gradual reduction of sodium chloride (NaCl) across all products. Then there are the options of modifying salt distribution, using interactions with other sensory modalities and using substitute salts.

The first of these strategies has been supported by research going back to 2003, said Godinot, which suggested that 25% of the salt content of bread could be cut without detection through gradual reduction.

Interesting interactions include the fact that increasing acidity or decreasing sweetness can increase perceived saltiness, he reported, and viscosity also has a significant effect.

When it comes to replacers, he noted that most rely on NaCl substition by potassium chloride (KCl), that solutions had been found to replace up to 50% of salt content, but that those solutions were almost always more expensive than NaCl.

He concluded: “By proactively reducing sodium content, Nestlé has a wonderful opportunity to be identified as a nutrition, health and well-being company.”

Of course, the multinational is not alone here. In a conference module dedicated to salt reduction, Godinot’s presentation was followed by equally high-profile papers from Heinz and Unilever.

EU Nutritional Profiles

Sandrine Begagnon, Activia formulation & process manager at Danone Research, illustrated another slant on reformulation: sugar reduction.

As she pointed out, in an area so potentially rich in health claims, the EU has made it clear that any product aiming at such a claim must conform to its Nutritional Profiles. In the same way that bread cannot make fibre-content claims when it still has high salt content, dairy products cannot make gut-health or other claims while their sugar and fat content are deemed to be excessive.

When it comes to sugar reduction in yoghurts, said Begagnon, changes can be made to both the fruit preparation and the white mass. Referring to the fruit component, she said: “Fructose is interesting due to its higher sweetening level compared with sucrose (1.2 versus 1), but the price is higher.”

Surprisingly, perhaps, the choice of acidulant used in the fruit preparation affected not only the acidity but also other taste properties, she said. Citric acid tended to dominate – but there was no reason why it had to.

Likewise, the selection of a less acidic culture in the white mass – with less post-acidification – can also make a huge difference to sugar perception, she added.

Meanwhile, principal scientist at Cadbury plc Clive Norton discussed ways in which open innovation could be combined with internal R&D for maximum growth.

As Norton explained, Cadbury’s own Gum, Chocolate and Sugar Confectionery Centres of Excellence work together with Reading Scientific Services (RSSL). In fact, he sketched out an R&D spectrum starting with fully-internal ‘highly strategic’ projects, and moving through collaborative open innovation to full outsourcing, where low confidentiality combined with requirements for external expertise.

In the current climate, Norton pointed out, open innovation projects were not only more resource-efficient, but also often quicker. There were more potential partners available for this type of open R&D relationship, too, he suggested.