Vitafood Europe 2019 focused on bringing the industry together to discuss key challenges such as sustainable sourcing, and wider trends including free-from, plant-based ingredients, and hemp extracts and CBD; it was also a place for launching and presenting interesting ingredients for the bakery industry.
Taking place at the Palexpo, in Geneva, Switzerland, Vitafoods 2019 welcomed 22,000 visitors and hosted over 1,200 leading global suppliers active in ingredients and raw materials; dietary supplements; contract manufacturing and private label; and services and equipment, exhibiting thousands of quality ingredients and products.
Asking the Consumer
At the trade fair, Royal DSM unveiled the findings of two studies that interviewed a combined total of over 25,000 consumers worldwide.
The DSM Global Health Concerns study 2019, a follow-up of the company’s 2017 study, gathered interviews from 17,000+ consumers across 23 countries and was conducted to identify current health concerns. Data from this year’s survey shows that energy levels/tiredness is among the biggest issues worrying people around the world. It replaced weight as the number one health concern for consumers in EMEA (67%), compared to DSM’s previous study, and was followed by protection against disease later in life (64%) and eye health (62%). Among parents of children aged under 16 years, almost 70% are most concerned about their child’s immunity, followed by the quality of their nutrition – especially for picky eaters – and protection against diseases later in life.
The DSM Global Health Concerns study 2019 was also conducted to quantify awareness and attitudes towards dietary supplement usage. Data shows that there is a significant increase in usage in the EMEA region compared to previous research (37% in 2019 vs 28% in 2017), with products primarily taken to boost health in general (56%), improve the immune system (46%) and increase energy levels (41%).
Meanwhile, the aim of the DSM Naturalness Research study 2019, which interviewed 8,000 consumers from 16 countries worldwide, was to discover what consumers think about naturalness in the context of purchasing food, beverage and dietary supplement products. Results from the study reveal that over 80% of the global population strongly agrees with the statement: ‘natural products are better for me’. In addition, 40% of those interviewed consider that “naturalness” is important when buying a dietary supplement.
Maria Pavlidou, head of marketing communications DSM commented: “Together with DSM’s science-backed customized solutions and scientific expertise, these new findings will help support customers in bringing innovative products, inspired by consumers’ needs, to the marketplace. We will launch a range of new consumer-driven product forms and customizable natural nutrient premixes at the show.”
Innovative Solutions
Among the exhibitors at the trade show, DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, a business unit of DowDuPont Specialty Products Division, highlighted innovative solutions to help the food and dietary supplement industries. Among them were chocolate and mint flapjack – a high nutritious cereal-based bar; dark granola clusters and crispy granola clusters of oats, honey, pea protein crisps, nuts and seeds.
Furthermore, at Vitafoods 2019, Brenntag Food & Nutrition showcased their new range of recipes and food formulations. Demo sets and new recipes such as collagen shots with Aloe Vera and inulin, protein enriched flapjacks based on oat and new Crema Fredda recipes were presented at the booth. The Brenntag food technologists addressed all the key global foods trends: mineral fortification, flavors and textures, calorie control, vegetarian to vegan, sugar reduction, salt (sodium) reduction, clean label, and look for innovative and efficient approaches to formulate products that appeal to all senses. Whether formulating for bakery, beverages, deserts, dairy, confectionery, sports nutrition, or convenience food, the team says it takes an individual approach to each formulation challenge.
On the other hand, Roquette presented its pea protein solutions, including the Nutralys range made to enhance texture in protein-enriched baked goods. “Our ingredients are not only high quality and affordable, they are also entirely plant-based. These consumer-friendly solutions address key challenges related to health, including Sports Nutrition, changes in food consumption patterns and growing supplement consumption around the world,” Roquette said in a press release.