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How plant science is adding value to commodity crops

Plant science is reshaping ingredient development, with texture, sweetness, stability, and fibre all part of commodity crops’ functional innovation.

Plant science is reshaping ingredient innovation - and the big players want everyone to know about it.

“A corn kernel may seem small, but its impact across the food system is enormous,” wrote Sarah Jelken, Cargill senior vice president and managing director of starches, sweeteners and texturisers in North America recently. She also noted how ingredient performance “begins in the field”.

Her thoughts echo those in a recent blog by Lora Kilgore-Norquest, Ingredion senior manager for plant science, who talked of “redefining how texture is created, controlled, and delivered in food products”.

This might all sound like the magic of marketers but Soledad Gurovic, an independent functional food innovation strategist, suggested there is a “big shift” going on in food innovation: the reshaping of the value chain from land to plate.

“Corn is no longer discussed only as a commodity crop, but as a multifunctional system capable of delivering texture, sweetness, stability and fibre across modern food applications,” Gurovic explained.

Gurovic said the companies capable of understanding and positioning functionality with clarity may shape the next generation of food systems.

“[...] The industry is beginning to rethink where the real value of crops is,” she said. “Not only around calories or yield, but around functionality. Honestly, ingredient houses may become key players enabling a more natural food design approach in the next generation of food systems.”

Suppliers are developing proprietary corn and cassava hybrids tailored for specific texture outcomes, for example. These hybrids are bred with starch traits that support clean label requirements, consistent functionality and climate resilience.

Upcycled innovations

Other crops are also beginning to reshape the value of what, for decades, was discarded or underestimated in food systems.

Oats, barley, wheat, chia, flax, carrots and citrus are all being targeted as companies look for upcycled ingredients for everything from sweeteners and stabilisers to texturisers, fibre, and proteins.

No longer a niche curiosity, squeezing more out of every crop is quickly becoming a strategic advantage, noted Indonesian manufacturer Satoria Agro Industri in May. Indeed, it feeds into demand for “natural” options.

Fibre the big focus as spotlight shifts

Fibre is set to be a major focus. Higher dietary fibre intake is associated with lower risk of multiple chronic diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease mortality, pancreatic cancer, and diverticular disease, according to research published in the journal Clinical Nutrition in August 2025.

Despite these benefits, intake remains below recommended levels worldwide. Children and adults need at least 25g to 35g of fibre per day for good health, but most Americans get only about 15g a day.

Most European dietary guidelines recommend a daily intake of dietary fibre of 25-35g for adults (30-35g of fibre per day for men and 25-32g per day for women). However, most European adult citizens fall short: intakes average from 18-24g per day for men and 16-20g for women.

“In Europe, consumers are looking for products that naturally deliver added benefits, such as protein, fibre, antioxidants, and probiotics, without requiring major lifestyle changes,” noted Innova Markets in its “Functional ingredients in Europe: consumer insights and preferences” report in March.

UK daily fibre intakes average around 16g per day, with only 4% meeting dietary fibre guidelines. However, the “tide may finally be turning”, according to Emma Derbyshire from Nutritional Insight, an independent scientific consultancy.

“[...] now is a critical moment for actionable dietary, food industry, and public health measures to help close the gaping fibre gap,” she wrote in a piece for the journal Translational Food Sciences, in February.

She added: “This shift reflects the convergence of scientific advances - including mechanistic insights into soluble and insoluble fibres, whole grains, and the gut microbiome - with cultural and market trends, such as plant-based dietary patterns and growing consumer interest in gut health.”