FoodBev Media stated that 2016 saw a 21% increase of new product launches that contained turmeric. With the growing trend of clean label and healthy products, consumers are becoming more aware of the health benefits turmeric provides. Food and beverage manufacturers are adapting their products to include turmeric, not only for the increase in demand, but also for the ability it has to meet other consumer demands that are on the rise.
Beverage Company harnesses potential of Turmeric
One of the 2016 product launches that contained turmeric was ARYA sparkling water. ARYA used turmeric to market their product as an “affordably-priced luxury beverage.” This approach fits into Mintel’s 2017 food and beverage trend Balancing the scales: Health for everyone. Mintel reports that “the affordability of healthy food and drink is important because many lower income consumers intend to improve their lifestyles.” Manufacturers who realized this trend have obtained an acquired advantage over their competitors. According to Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD), the number of food and drink launches worldwide with ‘economy claims’ increased 25% between 2011 and 2016.
Turmeric helped position ARYA sparkling water as a healthy beverage, but ARYA did not choose this ingredient for its taste. “ARYA’s highly absorbed turmeric extract is water soluble and tasteless, which is the beautiful thing about it. It makes it ideal to be infused into sparkling water,” explained ARYA founder and CEO George Uy. The highly soluble turmeric extract also doesn’t leave any sediment at the bottom of the container. With turmeric, ARYA was able to produce an affordable luxury drink that didn’t fault their desired taste.
Natural Coloring
“Across the world, consumers are sending a powerful message to manufacturers that they want the colors in their food and drink products to be natural,” stated Christiane Lippert, head of marketing at Lycored. “The trend is expected to continue well into the future, with more and more manufacturers keeping pace with customer preference by swapping artificial colors for natural alternatives.”
General Mills recently made this change when they replaced the colors in Trix Cereal with natural colors, including turmeric. The main concerns General Mills had with this change was keeping the bright colors and not affecting the taste. After releasing the new product to their consumers, they were pleased with the results.
“The new yellow color closely matches the old synthetic color, and the new orange is similar to the old one,” stated Erika Smith, technology director for General Mills. “We have got some excellent feedback from consumers and sales are great.”
Inflammation: “The Next Gluten Free Trend”
One of turmeric’s most popular health benefits is its anti-inflammatory capabilities. According to WebMD, “Inflammation is a process by which the body’s white blood cells and substances they produce protect us from infection with foreign organisms, such as bacteria and viruses.” Lately, a variety of health conditions (like diabetes and digestive issues) have been linked to inflammation. Now consumers are turning to turmeric as a preventative to avoid these health issues. This rise in awareness and popularity is similar to the start of the ‘gluten-free trend’.
“Just like gluten-free back in 2001, many people say inflammation faces several challenges: consumers don’t understand it, it doesn’t have strong scientific support, and you cannot immediately feel the benefit of anti-inflammatory foods,” explained Julian Mellentin, author of a new report 10 Key Trends in Food, Nutrition and Health 2017. “In fact, all of these objections are rapidly becoming overcome.”
The consumer’s belief in the multiple health benefits associated with anti-inflammation supplements is a main factor for the growing trend. This is very similar to the growth of the ‘gluten free trend’. The surging sales of anti-inflammation supplements, especially turmeric, are a strong indicator of the future potential for the ‘inflammation trend’.
“Super Food of 2017”
Based on the health benefits and growing popularity, USA Today is calling turmeric the “superfood of 2017”. Known to be a key ingredient in curry, turmeric is starting to pop-up in other products like salad dressings, smoothies, broths, juices and even cheeses. “It’s going to be a flavorful trend to follow,” stated Christine Couvelier, food trendologist and chef.
Between 2011 and 2015, Mintel reported a 202% increase in new food and beverage products that use the term “superfood,” “super-fruit,” or “super-grain.” This popularity of “super” foods doesn’t seem to be dying down either. In 2015 alone there was a 36% increase of new “super” food and beverage products launches.
“The popularity of ‘super’ products is clear as food and drink manufacturers globally are tapping into a demand for these nutritionally dense ingredients,” explained Stephanie Mattucci, global food science analyst at Mintel.
What is Turmeric
With a 56% increase in Google searches in 2016, many consumers are curious about turmeric. Turmeric is an Indian perennial herb that is part of the ginger family. 75% of the world’s production comes from India. There are 3 main forms of turmeric that are available to meet manufacturer’s needs:
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Ground Turmeric
All natural turmeric is most commonly used in ground form. It has a peppery, slightly bitter flavor which is a key ingredient in many Asian dishes.
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Spray-Dried Turmeric
Cost effective for use in health beverages. It possesses a more subtle flavor than ground. It allows for a longer shelf life due to its lower micro count.
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Turmeric Extract
Great for use in applications that need to retain potency of health benefits. Extract is an excellent natural coloring additive.
How American International Foods, Inc. Can Help You:
Suppliers of Turmeric
American International Foods has vetted the very best and has established a world class turmeric supply chain. We want to make sure we offer our customers the best product, at the best price, at the right time.
Profitability
American International Foods saves their customers both time and money by consolidating ingredients. Along with supplying you with turmeric, we can also supply you with your other needed ingredients. That means fewer phone calls to make, fewer PO’s to write, fewer shipments to track, fewer trucks to set up and fewer headaches.
Powerful Solutions
American International Foods takes pride in making the process of finding and ordering ingredients less stressful for our customers. With consistent communication, accessibility to over 2,500 ingredients, and reliable delivery operations, AIFI creates an easy solution for all of your ingredient needs. Give us a call today to see how we can show you the same benefits we are currently showing our customers. 866.944.2434