Dive Brief:
- Grain-based companies looking to innovation to make their offerings more attractive may consider fortifying those products with vitamins and minerals that experts suggest consumers need more of and that consumers themselves are asking for.
- Some of the vitamins and minerals currently en vogue include calcium, potassium, vitamin D, vitamin E, and choline as well as fiber.
- However, companies have to contend with flavor and texture differences as well as different production strategies, such as adding overages or an encapsulation layer, for products that have these fortifications. Adding these ingredients must also be economically viable, as they can come at a cost for manufacturers.
Dive Insight:
With the 2015 Dietary Guidelines in discussion, many food and beverage manufacturers are preparing for recommendations that could significantly affect their products. Based on these recommendations, companies may consider changing their products to better fit within those guidelines or offer more of what the guidelines say consumers aren't getting enough of, such as certain vitamins and minerals.
"The scientific report released earlier this year by the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee said vitamin D, calcium, potassium and fiber are not consumed enough, so much so that it may pose a public health concern," according to Food Business News.
After the official guidelines are announced, companies may then retool their products or create new ones to address these potential "public health concerns." Products offering these fortifications may be more attractive to health-conscious consumers and could be helpful to processed foods companies struggling with falling sales.