News

WILD intros beverage concepts

9 Aug 2016

WILD Flavors & Specialty Ingredients (WFSI), a business unit of ADM, has developed what it describes as new attention-generating concepts for still drinks and juices.

Many consumers want unique and premium-quality products which complement their modern lifestyle and mindful approach to eating, preferring foods and beverages that are rich in fruit, delicious, and offer variety, according to WILD Flavors & Specialty Ingredients (WFSI), a business unit of ADM. WFSI has developed what it describes as new attention-generating concepts for still drinks and juices. They feature different juice contents and blends of fruits and vegetables, customised to specific target groups and consumption situations.

Vegetables are growing in popularity – both at home and on the go, the company believes, noting that, according to Mintel, over the past five years new product launches with fruits and vegetables have nearly quintupled in the European juice sector. While there were 62 new products in 2011, in 2015 the number had grown to 296 fruit and vegetable blends on the shelves. Great Britain, Germany, and Poland are leading the way.

In addition to beverages with carrot, which has been popular for years, more and more modern kinds of vegetables have established themselves and given fruit juices new flavour profiles, WFSI says: examples include beet, cucumber and pumpkin.

WFSI notes that it has been focusing on fruit-and-vegetable combinations for many years now, claiming that it developed the first multivitamin ACE drink nearly 20 years ago. According to the company, its “Fruit&Veggie” product portfolio combines the very best that vegetables and fruits have to offer: healthy ingredients and beautifully balanced flavours. WFSI has now created several new “Fruit&Veggie” concepts for still drinks as well as beverages with a high juice content. All of these innovations are claimed to have a great flavour, combine the classic and the new, and to be compelling in their distinctiveness. This, says WFSI, gives manufacturers a way to distinguish themselves from their competitors and appeal to a large target group.

They have a fruit content of 27% and 3% vegetable, and the options available include, for example, orange, pumpkin and ginger, as well as beet with strawberry. The fruits are complemented by “the right kind of vegetable”, creating a fruity non-carbonated beverage with a touch of vegetable. The concept also provides other appealing choices, such as integrating ginger or mint. The product range is also available as a low-calorie option with steviol glycosides derived from the stevia plant. The phrases “natural” and “no artificial flavours and colours added” can be stated on the product label. These drinks can also be enriched with vitamins.