IAFP 2018

We are at IAFP in Salt Lake City this week! Look for our poster P1-05 on food microbiomes.

Deli Salad Month

As RFA members, Third Wave is proud to support and celebrate Deli Salad month during July!

Food Safety Summit

Join us May 7-10th at the Food Safety Summit in Rosemont, IL.

More about the Food Safety Summit:

"Addressing Food Safety Throughout the Supply Chain"

At the 20th Annual Food Safety Summit we will address the importance of food safety throughout the supply chain and how each community that makes up the ecosystem is connected. It is vital to understand not only your roles and responsibilities but also those in the rest of the process.

With case studies, educational sessions, peer-to-peer conversations, and new technologies, we will provide a wide range of applicable, real world solutions to identified needs and situations for the food community.

Clean Label Conference Summary

For the second year in a row, Third Wave Bioactives was a sponsor, exhibitor, and attendee of the Global Food Forum’s Clean Label Conference outside of Chicago, IL.  This year’s conference was well attended and provided ample opportunity to collaborate with food manufacturers and ingredient suppliers all looking to create or help provide clean label solutions. 

The conference kicked off with an insightful look at You Are What You Eat: New and emerging consumer views of what should be in foods presented by Elizabeth Sloan, President of Sloan Trends, Inc.  Elizabeth spoke about growing trends of today’s shoppers with statistics such as over 50% of shoppers prefer foods and beverages with no artificial additives and the same percentage are looking for foods that exclude unwanted ingredients, which is higher than those looking for foods with added beneficial ingredients.  In addition, over 40% of shoppers have stopped buying a particular food based on the ingredient list.  This information was then tied into some trends that are being found in the Clean Label market today, in that over 30% of all food & beverage sales are now considered clean label.  In more specific categories, the growth of clean label deli & dips have increased 12% compared to an increase of only 4% for the same foods using traditional preservatives and additives.  Her talk also included insights into megatrends, big opportunities for clean label, as well as predictors for the next opportunities in this market.

The next speaker, Lauren Swann, President of Concept Nutrition, Inc. followed with Ingredient Labeling to Capture Consumer Confidence Considering Regulatory Risk.  Lauren began with an overall idea of what consumers feel “clean” labeling is or should be, such as fewer ingredients and recognizable, familiar, and pronounceable ingredients.  Although an ingredient list is a required label element for food, there is no official government definition or regulation on “clean” labeling.  Some ingredients have related claims associated with clean labeling such as natural, organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, [allergen]-free, real, etc… however, the FDA has rules on how an ingredient can be added to a label, but these rules can confuse consumers.  For example, “flour” can also be labeled as “wheat flour” which can imply to a consumer that it is “whole wheat” but that is not the same.  You can use functional labeling to describe the purpose of an ingredient and this is required for preservatives and colors.  Lauren also spoke on spices and flavorings and how those are regulated by the FDA and USDA and on incidental additives which do not require labeling, unless they bring in an allergen or significant nutritional aspects.  She ended her talk with a few statistics, such as that over 70% of consumers say they are willing to spend more for food with ingredient labels they can understand.

Peter Taormina, President of Etna Consulting Group, gave a more technical talk on Microbial Control in Clean Label Products: Pathogens are the easy part.  He spoke of some common spoilage organisms in food and then on how to control these, such as by keeping the environment in which the food is made clean, checking for background contamination in raw materials and ingredients, and using more robust processing and packaging.  On a microbial level, “Hurdle Technology” is used to create challenging conditions that the microbes have to overcome such as temperature, water activity, pH, oxygen, and preservatives, all in the hopes to exhaust them to the point of not being able to replicate and grow.  He then took a deeper dive into antimicrobials for food.  Chemical preservatives such as inorganic and organic salts, organic acids, weak acids, and phenolic compounds can sound unappealing to consumers, however, they are often common, natural ingredients found in a home kitchen. For example, acetic acid is also vinegar, benzoic acid is found in cranberries, and salt is the most low-cost and readily available preservative, however it is not always consumer friendly.  Microbially-derived antimicrobials are natural preservatives that can also control spoilage in foods.  Some examples are bacteriocins (nisin and pediocin), the use of live microorganisms, and fermentation products which can contain bacteriocins, acids, and peptides.  Peter finished his talk in that although pathogen control in food is well researched and ingredients used for the control of these have been in place for years, consumer demand for clean labels has threatened the safety of some products.  Nitrate and nitrite are used for the control of Clostridium botulinum, a severe food pathogen, however, consumers dislike these ingredient names, and therefore, pre-converted celery powder is used in its place as a natural source of nitrates. 

Another interesting talk was The Cost of Clean Label: Challenges and solutions for managing a clean label supply chain, given by Will Lennon, COO of Imbibe.  He spoke on the cost of going clean label which starts with your raw materials.  Natural sweeteners and preservatives are already going to cost more than traditional, but there are other costs such as tougher packaging so you can hot fill which all add up even more.  There is also a cost involved with new suppliers and new ingredients in that they are not as established, not as well versed in documentation and not enough transparency or even supply to negotiate a lower price.  These can lead to an increase in your organization overhead by adding staff for regulatory, strategic sourcing, and R&D.  After all of these costs are put in, there is still consumer testing to determine how people like the changes or differences made to your product and testing to see how well it holds up with shelf-life. 

There were many speakers which focused their talks on oxidation, dairy ingredients, ancient grains, top ingredient trends, natural colorants, and sugar replacement, reduction, and reformulation.  Overall, we made some great connections and had positive interactions with many food manufacturers that are working on creating label-friendly, healthy, and shelf-stable food products for their consumers.

Food Trends and Consumer Marketing

California was a buzz with food industry events last week. Between RFA (Refrigerated Foods Association), Southern California IFT Suppliers Night, and Natural Products Expo West; California was the place to be to see what is coming to the food space in the next year.

Natural Products Expo West gives you a micro glimpse at all the new products and marketing of both major food brands and innovate start-ups. As in years past, there was an abundance of new products and new variations of favorite brands. There were 5 top trends that seemed to stand out this year.

1.     Healthy Indulgence: “better for you” was the marketing buzz of choice at the show. Gone are the days of flavorless fat-free desserts. These are indulgent foods with just a kick of “good”.

2.     Functional Water: water with this and water without that, water with added benefits is all the rage.

3.     Tropical Fruit: from dragonfruit, to coconut, and acai – frozen, fresh or as a flavor; tropical fruit is working its way into all sorts of products.

4.     Sustainability: sustainable agriculture, sustainable production, sustainable packaging. If you can’t produce it without being a determinate to the environment, consumers don’t want it.

5.     Free From: it’s becoming less about what’s in your product and more about what’s not. GMO free, gluten free, and free from synthetic preservatives arebecoming common front of the package claims.

What’d we miss? With thousands of exhibitors and hundreds of new products it’s impossible to get to everything. What was your take away from the show? What are you expecting for the next year?

Come see us at RFA!

Third Wave Bio collaborated with University of Minnesota researchers on published work

Third Wave Bio collaborated with University of Minnesota researchers to analyze microbial data of the microbiotas of two kinds of fish. The work was published in Copeia, from The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.

The Diet and Gut Microbial Communities of Two Closely Related Combtooth Blennies, Chasmodes saburrae and Scartella cristata
Peter J. Hundt, Matthew J. Hundt, Christopher Staley, Michael J. Sadowsky, and Andrew M. Simons
© 2017 by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
 

The digestive tracts of fishes contain a diverse set of gut associated microbiota known to contribute to many functions of the fishes' biology. Furthermore, it has been suggested that divergence in diets between two species is also associated with shifts in gut associated microbiota. Herein, we describe and compare the diet and gastrointestinal microbiota of two closely related combtooth blennies, Scartella cristata and Chasmodes saburrae (family Blenniidae) from Florida, USA. The diets of the two species were significantly different; C. saburrae consumed benthic or epiphytic crustaceans, while S. cristata consumed plants and detritus. Similarly, the gastrointestinal microbiota were significantly different between the two species. Gammaproteobacteria were the most abundant class identified in all samples, regardless of species, but S. cristata had higher relative abundances of Vibrionaceae, Methylococcaceae, and Fusobacteriaceae than did C. saburrae. These findings suggest that closely related species with vastly different diets results in distinct gastrointestinal bacterial communities. Lastly, digestive tract length and diet of these blennies were correlated with specific gastrointestinal microbiota, providing further evidence that these two factors may play a critical role in shaping gut microbial communities. Further research is necessary to tease apart the gut associated microbiota and transient microbiota and determine the role they play in digestion and trophic status of these fishes.

READ MORE HERE

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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