Anke Golde, senior director of R&D at Ardent Mills, discusses the growing demand for protein and fiber, the role of ingredient functionality in benefits stacking and how food manufacturers are approaching formulations for consumers using GLP-1 medications. She also shares why successful product development starts with understanding what consumers want to achieve, rather than simply adding more nutrients to a formulation.
NutraIngredients (NI): Besides your core wheat flours, Ardent Mills also combines chickpea flours, lentils, flax seeds, chia seeds and partners with suppliers to increase protein and fiber in your products. How difficult is it to stack ingredients that lead to desired health benefits?
Anke Golde (AG): I think it really depends on how you approach it. I think the way I look at it from strictly a formulation perspective is really trying to understand what our customer is trying to accomplish here and then go backwards versus starting with, ‘Oh, I need to have two more grams of protein or three more grams of fiber or whatever that value might be.’ From an Ardent Mills portfolio perspective, I think we’re very fortunate because, if we think about legumes, if we think about our core flours, they already bring a lot of those nutrients. We’re in a way set up for success here because they deliver whole grains, they deliver protein and fiber. And then I would say it’s really a matter of how we combine them and process them in that finished product to make it work for the consumer.
I think that the true way for success for me is always thinking what are you trying to accomplish and what is that consumer looking for? Then you go backwards and then you can make it work.
NI: When you consider the consumer, are you pushing trends from the company or are you responding to the trends that consumers are pushing your way, or is it a combination of both?
AG: It’s always a combination of both. We work with our marketing team because we don’t want to be just reactive. I mean, it should be a combination of being reactive, meeting what the customer wants, but then also being proactive to show them ways to maybe use a new ingredient or use an ingredient in a new, different application.
When we were talking about and promoting the benefits stacking, our insight marketing team found that consumers are looking for not just a single benefit, they want multiple ones. They want the whole grains, they want more protein, more fiber, something clean label.
For example, we’re getting a lot of requests for pizza that’s better for you. How can you boost it without alienating any of the traditional customers and what they look for in taste and texture? We seem to be meeting what our customers want, and I think we see that reflected in the market as well.
NI: Can you speak more to this from a dietary supplement perspective?
AG: From a supplement perspective, it’s about augmenting what consumers are using. We have some products with vitamin fortifications and things like that. I would say there’s definitely opportunities to combine and have the food also deliver some of those nutrients customers are looking for, especially higher levels of minerals.
NI: Your company has promoted the use of chickpeas. Would that be something that you use in a protein powder mix?
AG: You could use it, yes. I think where we’ve seen the chickpea flour going more into the snacking side and more of the baked items. I think it’s just an ingredient we’ve been focusing on to show that it can be used in a lot of different versatile ways. It’s truly a nutritional powerhouse. I think people are looking for recognizable ingredients, and I think it’s just an easy way to incorporate that across a multitude of applications.
NI: Companies have put protein in a lot of items. Do you think that trend is going anywhere or is it here to stay? Have you seen any pushback, especially when people want more fiber in their diets?
AG: I think it will probably stay, but I think people want more than just protein. It’s really a combination. How can you have high enough protein content, but then also have a high enough fiber content in that same product? How can you pack that all into one product? And if you put everything in a product, it might not be the most appealing product for anyone to consume. Food is still a big part of enjoyment. You know, you enjoy it needs to smell and taste and have the right texture.
NI: Your company has used the term ‘GLP1 friendly.’ What does that mean? What considerations do companies need to make for customers when it comes to GLP-1s and how does Ardent Mills fill that need?
AG: For us to get that kind of designation for our product range, it’s really working very closely with our regulatory team and with nutritionists. When it comes to GLP-1’s, the main thoughts around it are protein and fiber and can it also be easily digestible? And we went through every single ingredient we have and did a literature review to determine what kind of clinical data is around any of those individual ingredients. When it comes to chickpeas, they definitely have benefits. The protein is easily digestible; the fiber has a relatively high tolerance. I think when the USDA did the research and they found that 95% of Americans are not consuming enough fiber.
NI: So, the desire for fiber trend still high. Protein is still high, but the combination of the two is what’s newer to the market, correct?
AG: Relatively new, yes. I think now there is a renewed focus on, you know, delivering enough of both in a single item. I think to come back to the benefits stacking, what we found is that it’s not only protein and fiber, but whole grains were also big on the list. I think on average, our research showed that there are actually seven things consumers are looking for in one single item.
NI: What do you see coming down the ingredient pipeline in the future?
AG: I think the protein and the fiber is truly No. 1 and making that work in regular food is the objective. I would say a lot of it is true for reformulated products because consumers are very familiar with things. I think that the challenge is that where in the past you saw a product was one or two grams of fiber or maybe three to four grams of protein. Consumers want to see the double digits on the protein side and at least five or six grams on the fiber side. So that way you can make claims as well. So now you must take something out and put more protein, more fiber in, and they don’t work the same.
NI: What’s the big challenge there?
AG: The main thing is truly understanding your ingredients, what they do, what that functionality is. And then starting with what you are trying to accomplish. So, defining what is that end product and then you can work with the formulation skills, processing skills to then create that product the consumer really wants to eat or drink.
