The "next step" in natural flavoring
“Natural color and natural flavor has been popular for the last few years but we are seeing some of our customers are taking that a step further,” Thea Murphy told DairyReporter.com. “Things they would have classed as natural a few years ago – such as copper chlorophyll, which used to be considered “natural-ish” – our customers now say ‘we want you to take that out’.”
“Another issue is the responsible sourcing of vegetable fat; customers are aware of the palm oil and deforestation issue. An RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) version is available now which is certified as being more ecologically friendly.
“We also see a trend towards UTZ Certified cocoas.
“The buzz from buyers is about sourcing the natural side of things – ecological and responsible sourcing seems to be pretty hot at the moment. The UK leads the pack in that regard, and other countries follow behind.”