Food fermentation companies align to enhance the flavor and maintain the quality of fresh prepared foods

August 11, 2017 (Milwaukee, WI) — Third Wave Bioactives™, a research company specializing in microbial technology, today announced the formation of a strategic alliance with Biorigin, an ingredient company specializing in yeast, yeast extracts and other fermentation derived ingredients that enhance the natural taste, mouthfeel and umami of many foods.

“There is an increasing consumer call for greater transparency in food production, and, in particular, more natural alternatives to synthetic ingredients,” said Matt Hundt, President of Third Wave Bioactives. “Combining the strong discovery capabilities and innovation of Third Wave, with the established manufacturing presence and know-how of Biorigin will allow us to bring truly novel fermented ingredient technologies to the marketplace on a global scale.”

Consumer preference is raising mainstream awareness for cleaner labeled and minimally processed food options and as a result food formulators need an increasing array of natural alternatives to align with these consumer trends. The collaboration between Biorigin and Third Wave Bioactives will help meet this demand by harnessing the power of natural fermentation to bring new food ingredient products to customers.

The team of researchers at Third Wave Bioactives will collaborate with Biorigin to expand into new market applications with additional fermentate products sold under the bioVONTAGE™ brand of Third Wave Bioactives and the Biogard brand of Biorigin. These fermented products can help maintain the quality of many perishable foods during shelf-life and can be used to help build unique and complex flavor profiles, making them valuable ingredients for food manufacturers today. 

“Third Wave Bioactives’s approach to developing novel products using next generation technology is a perfect complement to our biotechnical processes in the development and production of natural ingredients. This partnership reinforces our strategy in creating added value to our customer’s business by innovation in a sustainable manner, focusing on consumer health and well-being” said Mario Steinmetz, CEO of Biorigin. “With our shared ambition, we hope to help food manufacturers around the world meet the growing natural, clean & clear label and specific healthy needs of consumers.”

About Third Wave Bioactives

Third Wave Bioactives is focused on developing novel, science-based, microbial solutions for the food and pet industries.  Our bioVONTAGE cultured dextrose products are designed to enhance the flavor profile of perishable foods while maintaining product quality, helping customers adapt to meet the growing consumer demand for healthier, cleaner labeled foods. Our open innovation platform and collaborative team make product selection and project engagement simple. For more information visit www.thirdwavebio.com  

About Biorigin

Founded on 2003, Biorigin is a Brazilian multinational company concerned with the health and wellbeing of people and animals. The company is dedicated to the development of solutions providing sustainable and innovative ingredients derived from biotechnology. Biorigin is part of Zilor, a company that has more than 70 years and is included in the list of the 200 largest Brazilian companies. Zilor transforms sugarcane into ethanol, food and clean energy, respecting the environment and the communities where it is located.

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IFT 2017 Wrap Up

IFT’s theme for 2017 was “Go With Purpose” and as 19,000 food science professionals filled the convention space for four days of education, expo and networking, it felt like we had a purpose. The purpose wasn’t just to meet potential customers or launch new products, although there was plenty of networking and selling, the purpose was to really explore the food industry and direction of food technology.

The screening of the IFT sponsored film Food Evolution was an interesting experience. To see dichotomy of the consumer perspective and the food industry response was eye opening. Too often, as people embedded in the industry, we forget that someone misinformation is driving consumer habits. 

Additionally, IFT was full of engaging educational sessions on everything from new technologies to consumer trends. Add to that the vibrant expo floor of new and past exhibitors. For someone with a background in marketing, the expo is always my favorite part. The chance to get your brand in front a large group like this is exciting and challenges. Seeing the ways, and snacks, companies use to lure people to the booth is amazing.

For Third Wave, this was the first time we had a booth, it was a great opportunity for us and gave us a platform we haven’t had before. We met with customers, collaborators and cohorts. We are looking forward to IFT 2018 in Chicago!

Brett Thompson to Join Third Wave Bioactives as Sales Director

MILWAUKEE, WI (PRWEB) JUNE 26, 2017

Third Wave Bioactives, LLC announces the addition of Brett Thompson. Brett joins the team today in role of Sales Director, focused on leading new business development and ensuring quality customer experience.

Brett brings to Third Wave Bioactives more than 10 years of experience in the food ingredient industry in technical, marketing and sales roles. “Brett’s background working with customers and eye for market opportunities make him a great asset to help drive Third Wave’s growth. We are excited to add him to our team and look forward to the future,” said Matt Hundt, President of Third Wave Bioactives.

Third Wave Bio’s current commercial line of products, bioVONTAGE™, is a range of cultured dextrose and whey-based products that help food manufacturers develop unique flavor profiles while maintaining shelf-life, helping their customers meet growing opportunities in the food industry.

Located in the Technology Innovation Center in the Milwaukee County Research Park, Third Wave Bioactives provides clean label solutions for the food industry. To lean more visit http://www.thirdwavebio.com

About Third Wave Bioactives
Third Wave Bio is focused on developing novel, science-based, microbial solutions for the food and pet industries.  Our bioVONTAGE cultured dextrose products are designed to enhance the flavor profile of perishable foods while maintaining product quality, helping customers adapt to meet the growing consumer demand for healthier, cleaner labeled foods. Our open innovation platform and collaborative team make product selection and project engagement simple. For more information visit http://www.thirdwavebio.com

New Company Bringing Innovation to the Food Ingredients Industry

May 4, 2017 (Milwaukee, WI):  Formally part of Agro BioSciences, Third Wave Bioactives, LLC is now operating as an independent company focused on developing novel solutions to help food manufactures compete in the growing consumer space for natural, clean-labeled and fresh foods.

Third Wave Bio’s current commercial line of products, bioVONTAGE™, is a range of cultured dextrose and whey-based products that help food manufacturers develop unique flavor profiles while maintaining shelf-life, helping their customers meet growing opportunities in the food industry.

“We are excited to be part of this growing market segment. Consumers are looking at labels and want more natural ingredients in their food and we can help food formulators meet these demands while providing the technical service and support that they need,” said Matt Hundt, President of Third Wave Bioactives.

Located in the Technology Innovation Center in the Milwaukee County Research Park, Third Wave Bioactives provides clean label solutions for the food industry. To lean more visit www.thirdwavebio.com 

About Third Wave Bioactives

Third Wave Bio is focused on developing novel, science-based, microbial solutions for the food and pet industries.  Our bioVONTAGE product are designed to enhance the flavor profile of perishable foods while maintaining product quality, helping customers adapt to meet the growing consumer demand for healthier, cleaner labeled foods. Our open innovation platform and collaborative team make product selection and project engagement simple. For more information visit www.thirdwavebio.com  

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Clean Label Conference

Third Wave Bioactives was a recent sponsor of the 5th annual Clean Label Conference outside of Chicago, IL which was put on by the Global Food Forums.  It was well attended and provided good collaboration among food manufacturers and ingredient suppliers all looking to create or help provide clean label solutions. 

The conference started with a talk by Alan Rownan, a Research Analyst with Euromoniter International, on Increasing Consumer Confidence and Driving Value Through Clean Label Claims Globally. Alan addressed the term “clean label” and that it does not have a true definition, however, there is a consistency of what consumers are looking for: a short ingredient list, recognizable ingredients, an absence of artificial and chemical ingredients, and an absence of unnecessary ingredients.  Alan’s talk ended with the trend of food companies moving away from “no artificial” to “all natural”, however, this broader claim was addressed in the talk given by Chip English, a partner with Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP, who spoke about Emerging Clean Label Claims: Regulations & Liabilities.

Chip’s experience of food labeling claims found that the terms “100%”, “Pure”, and “All” will be looked at more closely as they can bring false or misleading claims on food products.  Chip also addressed that some food companies have adopted the term “natural” on their product labels to market to consumers looking for clean labels.  The FDA, however, is still working on the definition of what a “natural” ingredient is and is also in the process of redefining the “healthy” claim for food labeling.  Consumers should be aware that many words on a food label are for marketing purposes and not necessarily for nutritional claims, so they should check the ingredient list and nutritional facts to make informed purchases.  For more information on how the FDA is defining the term “natural” you can visit their website.

To help provide insight into tools for maintaining high quality and safe products throughout shelf-life using “clean” alternatives, Dr. Matthew Taylor, an Associate Professor at Texas A&M, spoke of Emerging Research to Practical Approaches on Natural Antimicrobial Use.  The FDA classifies food antimicrobials as preservatives and they fall into two main categories: traditional which are synthetic and regulatory approved, and natural which are plant and microbial derived. The natural antimicrobials are desirable for a clean label; however, their effectiveness is best described as static, in which they help inhibit the microorganisms present in food from causing spoilage, but they do not have cidal activity, or kill the microorganisms present.  There is much work being done in this area to bridge the gap between traditional and natural antimicrobials.

Other speakers focused on the use of natural sweeteners and flavorings as well as naturally-derived antioxidants and new product offerings to bring cleaner label alternatives and enhance shelf-life.  Overall, we brought home knowledge of what consumers are looking for, how the FDA is handling these constant labeling changes, and the challenges that food manufacturers are facing on creating healthy and shelf-stable food products that offer clear and clean labeling for their consumers.

Clean Label Trends

There is no standard definition of Clean Label (much like natural but at an earlier stage) but in short, you can think of Clean Label foods as minimally processed, containing no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or anything else consumers cannot pronounce or don’t understand why it's in their food. A Clean Label food has a relatively short ingredient list (somewhere between 7-10 seems to be a reasonable cutoff). Other taboos for Clean Label often include GMOs, antibiotics, and hormones. 

Although there is general agreement that Clean Label is real and not going away soon, there is little consensus on what to do about it. There is the “Scientist” view that believes consumers need to use their critical thinking skills and make better scientific judgements when making their food purchases.  Prepare in advance by reading up on the latest science about what’s safe and nutritious, keeping in mind that scientific consensus is developed over many years of scientific study. Somehow, this doesn't seem likely in the world of multi-tasking people consuming information 140 characters at a time, but in the processed food industry, you can imagine this school of thought has supporters.

Another view is that the the industry should start renaming ingredients on the labels, changing from scientific names to fanciful names that won’t frighten consumers.  For example, one could relabel Xanthan Gum to a Natural Thickening Ingredient.  This approach may have some merit but you can imagine if taken to the extreme, you might end up with relabeling such as:

“Enriched Wheat Flour, Corn Syrup, Baking Soda, Monocalcium Phosphate, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Cocoa processed with Alkali, Corn Starch, Modified Corn Starch, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil,Propylene Glycol, Mono and Diesters of Fatty Acids, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate Red 40, and Artificial Flavor”
becomes
“Wheat Flour, Sugar, and ingredients for Leavening, Thickening, Coloring, Preserving and Flavoring"

This approach may satisfy some consumer’s desire for simpler food labels, but the lack of transparency may lead to further lack of trust when some consumers realize what is actually in their cake mix.

The takeaway from industry discussions is that consumer opinion is very individualized and evolving.  As marketers, we like to segment these opinions into groups sharing common beliefs, but the segments are far from homogeneous at this stage. Utilizing natural high quality ingredients and minimal processing, bioVONTAGE ingredients harness the power of natural fermentation to help you maintain the flavor and quliatity of your foods, giving you the options you need to compete in the evolving clean label market.

Perspectives from Under the Arch….

The International Associations of Food Protection (IAFP) held its 2016 Annual Meeting and Trade Show a couple weeks ago in St. Louis, Missouri.  Like previous years, the symposia, roundtables and technical session were a blend of Academic, Regulatory and Industry leaders discussing the latest in microbial food safety and related human health issues. 

As a molecular biologist who now finds himself on the business side of product development, I was excited to see the number of talks and discussions this year around microbial ecology, microbiomes and the role that next generation sequencing and other molecular tools can play in helping the food industry understand the complex microbial communities throughout the food chain.  Like many new technologies some speakers and audience members embraced the opportunity to utilize these tools while others remained cautious even though most agreed that there is a tremendous amount of information than can be gained. The question quickly became not how much we can learn but what will the information tell us, will it lead to bigger issues, or what liability do I now have in knowing this?  It is clear that increasing acceptance will come only after the tools and techniques are refined and the results of such undertaking and the value that they can provide as tools is better understood.  Regulatory bodies like the USDA, FDA and others play an important role in easing the concerns of industry and supporting collaboration between Industry and Academia to design, conduct, and report on the utilization of these advanced tools in the food industry so that basic research can be done under representative conditions without unwarranted legal action.

St. Louis is known as the Gateway to the West, and as a symbol of opening the country for westward expansion, I hope the 2016 IAFP opens doors to future collaborations and the melding of industry, academia and regulatory agencies in embracing the study, understanding and utilization of food microbiomes as a next step in the evolution of food safety and quality.

At Agro Bioscience, we utilize internal capabilities and external partner relationships to understand microbiomes throughout the farm to fork continuum.  From on farm probiotics and environmental control products to clean labeled fermented ingredients that enhance flavor and maintain the quality of varying foods, we strive to provide our customers with eth understanding and solutions they need to reduce food waste and improve animal health.  I encourage you to visit our website and learn more about the exciting opportunities at Agro Biosciences.  

bioVONTAGE™, a new cultured ingredient

bioVONTAGE™, a new cultured ingredient product-line focuses on enhancing the flavor and maintaining the quality of fresh prepared foods

August 2016 (Milwaukee) – Agro BioSciences, Inc, a biotechnology company focused on innovative microbial research, announced today the launch of a new business division focusing on enhancing the “Microbial Terroir” that impacts the freshness, flavor, and quality of food.

Consumer preference is raising mainstream awareness for cleaner labeled and minimally processed food options. Food formulators need an increasing array of natural alternatives to align with these consumer trends. Agro BioSciences will help meet this demand by harnessing the power of natural fermentation and
industrial know-how.

“There is an increasing consumer call for greater transparency in food production, and, in particular, clean label alternatives to synthetic ingredients,” said Doug Willrett, Vice President of Food and Wellness for Agro BioSciences. “The strong discovery capabilities and innovation research at Agro BioSciences will allow us to bring new technologies to the prepared foods marketplace.”

Food fermentates produced through the natural fermentation of bacteria will be sold under the bioVONTAGE brand of Agro BioSciences. They will provide a broad range of solutions for food manufacturers, use Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) bacteria, and will be free from genetically modified materials and allergens when and where possible.

“It’s an exciting time for us at Agro BioSciences during the natural food revolution that is occurring throughout the industry. We are eager to meet with customers to better understand the issues they face and how our bioVONTAGE products may help in their efforts to address the changing consumer demands,” said Matt Hundt Director of Business and Product Development. “With quality manufacturing partners and a dedicated R&D team we look forward to bringing new and innovative solutions to the market while also supplying more traditional and established products.”

For more information, please contact Matt Hundt.