Food Entrepreneur - September 15, 2020 - 15

which is unique in the food and ag industry, distinguishing
ADM Ventures from other traditional venture models in the
CPG space. Through its incubator, ADM Ventures works in
close collaboration with its portfolio companies to provide
unparalleled resources - from capital to interaction with
ADM experts across a variety of disciplines - to help drive
innovation and leading-edge product development.
The plant-based eating movement continues to gain
momentum. How is ADM meeting consumer needs on
this front?
Today's flexitarians overwhelmingly expect the taste and
texture of plant-based alternatives to mimic the real thing.
Growing acceptance in the meat alternative category
signifies that consumers are open to innovation in other
plant-based formats and categories. For example, ADM
OutsideVoiceSM research shows U.S. flexitarian consumers
identify alternative seafood as a top market innovation
growth area. Beyond seafood, we are actively working
with customers to explore new plant protein formats for
sausage and whole muscle meat alternatives.
The dairy case is also experiencing tremendous
plant-based innovation. While growth in segments such as plant-based ice cream and milk
alternatives is prevalent, the category still
falls short in meeting consumer expectations for nutrition, flavor and texture.
Products that stand out will deliver
more protein than traditional dairy, offer
a nutritional label fortified with vitamins
and minerals, or provide the functional
ingredients, like probiotics, that consumers are looking for.
What solutions has ADM developed to help
manufacturers achieve sugar reduction?
Today, shifting consumer beliefs have led to the next
generation of sweetening solutions, including clean-label
sweeteners that appeal to individuals who perceive ingredients derived from natural sources as better aligned to their
health and wellness priorities. Our broad portfolio of sweetening solutions is continuously evolving to include new and
improved options to address the primary motivators driving
purchase decisions.
ADM launched SweetRight™ Edge stevia in 2019
with the goal of targeting the best aspects of the stevia

U.S. ﬂexitarian consumers identify alternative
seafood as a top market innovation growth area.

ADM launched SweetRight™ Edge
stevia in 2019 with the goal of targeting the best
aspects of the stevia plant to provide a sweetening
solution with exceptional functionality.
plant to provide a sweetening solution with exceptional
functionality. The stevia leaf extract has a superior taste
profile when compared to other stevia glycosides and is
suitable for clean-label applications. We created
a new approach for stevia extraction and
purification, ultimately leading to a better
performing sweetening solution with
qualities that appeal to both formulators
and consumers.
Successful sugar reduction formulations start by identifying the best
sweetener or combination of sweeteners
for the application, factoring in consumer preferences, functionality, flavor and
mouthfeel. We leverage our Sweet SavvySM
expertise, technical ingenuity and sensory
capabilities to deliver consumer-preferred products that hit all the targets across flavor, color, texture,
nutrition, packaging and shelf-life requirements.
Speed to market has never been more critical as
manufacturers keep pace with rapidly evolving
consumer tastes and trends. How is ADM helping the
industry accelerate product development?
Innovation and speed-to-market are critical factors in
helping our customers stay ahead of rapidly changing consumer trends. To push the pace of innovation, we recently
implemented a virtual approach to customer collaboration
and product development.
E-nnospark, ADM's new virtual innovation platform,
develops tailored, future-forward solutions that get our
customer's creations to market faster. The process leverages
our trend anticipation platform, robust consumer insights,
broad portfolio and product development expertise to
deliver consumer-validated food and beverage innovation.

adm.com/food | 844-441-FOOD | food@adm.com

http://www.adm.com/food

Food Entrepreneur - September 15, 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food Entrepreneur - September 15, 2020