Global food and beverage ingredient supplier Kerry is working alongside its CPG clients to develop the next-generation low-sugar and -sodium foods and beverages, while also adding functional benefits, Vivien Sheehan, VP of business development for nutritional and functional ingredients at Kerry, shared at the Natural Products Expo West.
“We are doing a lot of work right now in terms of reformulation and helping customers to reformulate their products, to mitigate potential tariff risks, to enhance the nutritional profile, to reduce sodium, reduce sugar or add an ingredient that can enable further proactive nutrition,” Sheehan elaborated.
EU and US regulations cut sodium and sugar
Global regulations around sugar and sodium are driving reformulations, with Kerry helping their CPG clients understand these challenges with its science and regulatory team, Sheehan explained.
For instance, the FDA’s voluntary Phase II sodium reduction goals would reduce daily intake of the nutrient by 20% to 2,730 milligrams per day, which is higher than the 2,300 recommended in the Dietary Guidelines. The comment period for Phase II sodium reduction ended on Jan. 16, with guidance forthcoming.
Additionally, the FDA updated its definition of “healthy,” putting a 2-20% added sugar limit, depending on the product type. For instance, vegetables, fruits, game meats, seafood and eggs cannot exceed 2% of the daily value of added sugar, while the daily value of added sugar cannot exceed 20% for meal products, the FDA stated.
Last year, the WHO urged European countries to reduce sodium in foods and beverages to reduce heart disease and related death in a paper titled “Action on salt and hypertension.” The WHO recommends that adults consume less than 2,000 mg of sodium a day.
Kerry Tastesense Sweetness is a suite of natural sweetener blends that can reduce sugar, with Tastesense Plus providing a one-to-one replacement for sugar. Additionally, Kerry offers a Tastesense for sodium reduction that can reduce sodium up to 60%, depending on the application.
Consumer trends: Functional and women’s health
Kerry also is tapping into consumer demands for functional benefits with new ingredients, including its rice-based postbiotic Plenibiotic, which offers digestive and skin health benefits based on clinical studies, Sheehan explained.
Nearly all consumers (84%) understand the gut microbiome’s importance in overall health, according to a survey of more than 2,000 US consumers from biotech company Verb Biotics.
Additionally, Kerry concluded clinical studies on its ashwagandha extract Sensoril, showing the ingredient provides menopause relief in addition to stress and sleep support, Sheehan noted.
ADM addresses gut and women health at Expo West
Similarly, Kerry competitor ADM shared its latest innovation across several key need states and topics - including gut health, women's health and GLP-1 support products at Natural Products Expo West. Ahead of Expo West, ADM signed a partnership deal with Ashai Group to market its lactobacillus gasseri CP2305, which offers mood and sleep support and is currently undergoing clinical studies to determine if the ingredient can provide menopausal and premenstrual support.