News & Updates - Stewart Ingredient Systems

Flavor Combinations are King

May 13, 2024 by Kim Stewart

One of the biggest shifts we’ve seen in consumer demand since living through Covid lockdowns and subsequent long-term inflation is the constant desire for MORE… more bang for your buck, and more from the food you buy. We’ve seen that play out in many ways, including the ever-growing demand for functional ingredient additions and in surging participation levels in cost-savings programs. At the present moment, we’re seeing a different demand for more showing up in nearly every food segment, and that demand is for more flavor.

Flavor combinations are nothing new, but at the moment they are all the rage. Regardless of food segment, consumers are looking for something new and/or exciting. In the snacks segment, everywhere we look there’s a combination of punchy sweet and spicy flavors. In bakery, we’re seeing some lesser-known, more “exotic” flavors surging, as well as a resurgence of traditional flavor combinations like fruit and cream. Cereal bars are increasingly including two co-extruded flavors rather than single flavor offerings.

This trend is wholly unsurprising. After a difficult number of years, of course consumers are looking for the most pleasurable, fulfilling experience possible! Not long ago we were frantically washing packaged goods and paying exorbitant amounts of money for things like hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes. It’s been… interesting. So, why shouldn’t every bite of food transport you to a happy place? Why not want more from the food you eat?

For those of us in the food industry, the only way to keep up with these ever-evolving and changing demands is consistent dedication to R&D and innovation. Our lab is always busy testing new ingredients, working with new flavor varieties and combinations, and determining the best functional formulation for every possible application.

If you’re looking for a nimble partner in R&D and a reliable supplier dedicated to quality and service, please reach out today. We are prepared to help you develop a new product, work towards a product match, or optimize existing products for maximum machining efficiency. Fill out our Sample Request Form or call us today 312-254-3539 to get started!

Continually Evolving Flavor Trends

February 14, 2024 by Kim Stewart

As consumers taste preferences change, and flavor trends continue to evolve, how do we stay ahead of the curve? Items with sweet heat, exotic citrus fruits, mushrooms and truffles, and global cuisine as a whole, are on the rise. How do we harness those trends and turn them into opportunities as food producers?

One of the biggest challenges we face in terms of “remaining nimble” is the length of the sales cycle itself. From ideation to commercialization can take as long as 2 years. So, how do we stay on trend and react to ever-changing tastes and trends? At SIS, we continually test new ingredients, processes, technologies, and varieties of product in our R&D Lab. We remain ready and able to turnaround benchtop sample material, plant trials, and full production orders rapidly, regardless of the challenges the requests themselves may pose.

Looking for a strong supply chain partner to help you stay on trend? Whether you’re looking for sweet or savory, fruit or cream based, baked or frozen fillings or toppings, we have the answers to your ingredient needs. Give us a call at 312-254-3539 or fill out our Sample Request Form today to get the ball rolling!

Snack and Bakery Continue to Win Despite Inflation

August 30, 2023 by Kim Stewart

At a time when money is tight and consumers have fewer opportunities to splurge on premium items, the snack and bakery segment continues to outperform total edible food sales, both from dollar and unit perspectives. This says a lot about the average consumer and their unwillingness to give up the things that bring them joy. Whether that’s a bag of salty chips or a fruit filled danish, people still seek out the items which satisfy cravings despite penny pinching.

The snack industry is a behemoth. Our economy depends on it. The challenge facing food producers in the snack and bakery segments is finding ways to marry the convergence of quality, convenience, and price. If the industry remains nimble and continues to stay ahead of, or at least on food trend, if we continue to innovate quickly enough and give the people what they are looking for, both in terms of experience, and functional benefits, the future will continue to look bright. Will inflation continue to limit our spending? Perhaps. The good news for the industry is that consumers will continue to buy anyway, if we just give them what they want.

The best way to stay nimble, to innovate rapidly, and to deliver relevant food items to consumers, is to align yourself with likeminded supplier partners that can make it all possible. This is one of our greatest strengths at SIS. We’re ready to take on any ingredient challenge, any water activity guideline, any bake performance parameter, and rapidly turnaround sample material. We are the partner you want to align yourself with to go from ideation to commercialization as rapidly and successfully as possible.

Want to win in the snack and bakery categories? Give us a call at 312-254-3539, or fill out our Sample Request Form today to get started.

Summertime and Lab is Busy

July 20, 2023 by Kim Stewart

All year every year our R&D lab stays busy. We’re always working with new and existing customers to develop new formulations, to optimize existing ones for performance or cost, and testing new ingredients. With as little information as variety, finished product application, aW guidelines and ingredient prohibitions, we can get to the drawing board for a new formulation.

We work with all of the usual suspects in traditional fruit fillings like blueberry, cherry, strawberry, and raspberry. We also work with more exotic and seasonal fruits, as well as cremes, chocolates, caramels, and yogurts. We formulate fillings and toppings for pastries, muffins, donuts, co-extruded bars, and more!

If you’re looking for a reliable supplier who can also be your partner in R&D, from ideation to commercialization, on product matching, or in performance optimization, get in touch with us today!

Give us a call 312-254-3539 or fill out our Sample Request Form to get started!

Food Inflation and Consumer Trends

December 19, 2022 by Kim Stewart

I’ve recently heard that saving money is becoming a “pass-time” for many Americans. When I think of pass-times, I think of sports, fishing, traveling, being with friends and family… not saving money on groceries. With grocery-specific inflation at 12%, it’s wholly unsurprising that frugality at the store has become front of mind for most consumers. I would personally stop short of calling it an emerging hobby, though.

Some of the consumer behaviors we’re seeing in response to elevated grocery costs are high enrollment and engagement in loyalty groups, couponing, fewer luxury items, fewer snack foods, fewer items purchased per trip, and a decline in online grocery shopping. One of the positives we can take from these emerging trends is that more consumers are stepping foot into grocery stores, more frequently than they have over the last 3 years. We know that while in-store, people are still seeking out “cheap thrills”. That little serotonin boost or a small moment of zen in an otherwise difficult week is still part of the equation. Baked goods like donuts, muffins, cakes, and fritters still fill that need.

We know that in-store bakery offers us opportunity in 2023. We also know that ingredient and supply chain challenges will continue to complicate our reality well into the new year. In these final days of 2022, we are focused on continued improvement, remaining dedicated to producing the highest quality food ingredients at the most competitive pricing possible, to constant innovation, to being the most reliable business partner in the game. This is the most challenging time we can remember in our company’s history. Challenge accepted.

If you need a reliable custom developer to charge into 2023 with, give us a call at 312-254-3539 or fill out our Sample Request Form to get the ball rolling.

How Clean is Your Label and How Much Does It Matter?

August 26, 2022 by Kim Stewart

If you’re paying attention to food industry news, you know Clean Label is the buzzword of the moment. Clean Label essentially means avoiding any substances that consumers might find unacceptable or undesirable in your products. In some ways, that’s easy. In others, it’s abstract. No added artificial color or flavor. No preservatives. Got it. But, how far beyond that does it go?

Do Non-GMO and Organic now fall under this Clean Label umbrella? Are all health claims now just a piece of the Clean Label puzzle? Will this overarching idea continue to grow in scope? Does Clean Label suit all categories of consumer goods or is it really an issue in health food? Does Clean Label have a place in snack foods? Baked goods? Are consumers looking for health claims in their sweets and snacks? Are there people looking for Clean Label items at fast food restaurants? Obviously, there are lots of questions.

I don’t have answers to all the questions, but I can tell you this much: We are ready to formulate with any ingredient inclusion, exemption, or Clean Label requirement your next project may call for. Fill out our Sample Request Form or call us at 312-254-3539 to get started today!

A Bit of Good News for the Baking Industry

June 8, 2022 by Kim Stewart

It’s been a long while since every headline in world news, and industry news alike, wasn’t troubling. “Doom-scrolling” used to apply to the endless heaviness of social media feeds. Nowadays, reading the news, wherever you consume it, has become doom-scrolling in and of itself. Why am I pointing this out? Because last month I read an article with a positive outlook, and it’s become such a rarity that it’s still stuck in my head.

The best news for those of us in the baking industry is that the beacon of positivity is directly tied to the outlook of in-store bakery. Technomic data, as reported by our friends at The Food Institute, is predicting 18% higher in-store bakery sales than pre-Covid numbers. I could read that sentence over and over again. Hello, good news! It’s so nice to see you!

One of the main reasons for this sunshiny outlook is that consumers are returning to the stores – not just for their big grocery hauls – but for smaller trips as well. The increased frequency of store visits leads to more impulse purchases. After a few years with little to celebrate, more indulgent, convenient items are making their way home with more consumers. Emotional eating is real. Sometimes that pastry in the middle aisle is just what you need to get through another tough day/week/month/doom-cycle.

This outlook presents a big opportunity to the baking industry at large. Whether fresh or frozen, 2023 is going to be a big year for in-store bakery. The only way to win in this space, with the supply chain challenges we’re facing, is aligning yourself with strategic partners you can count on. That’s where SIS comes in. We pride ourselves in rapid product development and unparalleled technical experience that can help you go from ideation to commercialization quickly and smoothly.

Give us a call today 312-254-3539, or fill out our Sample Request Form today to get started!

How Functional Are Your Ingredients?

March 23, 2022 by Kim Stewart

In a sense, we’ve always made functional ingredients at SIS. Formulating fillings and toppings for specific water activity levels and machining performance, with specific ingredient inclusions and exclusions, IS creating functional ingredients. Over the last few years, however, the entire idea of functional ingredients has taken on a whole new meaning.

All natural and organic products, which were once the primary challenge, are now only part of the puzzle. “Better for you” foods with functional ingredients continue to grow in popularity and availability. We’re seeing new products hit the market everyday which highlight the inclusion of ingredients meant to support memory and cognitive function, digestion, energy levels, and even disease prevention. The pandemic brought about a demand for immunity boosting ingredients. CBD products are popping up in nearly every aisle.

Consider a product like kombucha. Due to its vinegary odor and intense tartness, you might not expect it to have mass appeal. A global value of roughly 6 billion dollars certainly suggests otherwise. Would the market for kombucha be nearly as big if it wasn’t rich in probiotics? You have to assume not. That’s the power of functional ingredients.

The growing interest in functional ingredients is clearly not a passing trend or food fad. How do you respond to the demand as a food producer? R&D, innovation and strong supplier partnerships are essential. If you’re looking for a reliable partner to help formulate new products that answer these emerging consumer demands, give us a call today at 312-254-3539 or fill out our Sample Request Form!

New Year, Same Problems

January 21, 2022 by Kim Stewart

Not to state the obvious, but 2021 was a challenging year in business. The supply chain issues we’d hoped would only be short term challenges eventually turned into long term nightmares. Unpredictable, unreliable ingredient and packaging supply, skyrocketing costs, unexpected Covid-related absences and more combined and conspired to make the future feel more uncertain than ever.

When the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s, nothing really changes. The problems don’t disappear. The nightmare doesn’t end. Regardless, there is still something so refreshing about a new year. A fresh chance to make this year better than the last. To be more adaptable. To be more nimble. To come up with creative solutions you couldn’t quite envision in the trenches of 2021. We’re facing the same old problems with renewed tenacity and fresh eyes. We WILL continue to be the most reliable supplier our customers know because that’s what we do.

Will future outlooks on starch availability improve for us, and the entire baking industry as a whole? Only time will tell, unfortunately. Do we have the time and resources to determine perfect replacements and alternatives if the outlook doesn’t improve? If we identify perfect alternatives, can we secure necessary volumes in order to continue production uninterrupted? Can we weather this storm?

I’m not sure how I would have answered you at the end of 2021, but with the sun shining and a fresh outlook in 2022, the answer is emphatically YES. We will continue to do what we’ve done since my Great-Grandfather started this business: adapt, innovate, develop and deliver. We will continue to be a certain during times of great uncertainty. We WILL continue to be the most reliable business partner in the industry.

Navigating the market volatility without solid, innovative partners is simply not an option in times like these. Looking to change that reality? Give us a call 312-254-3539 or fill out our Sample Request Form today and let us show you how we can help.

The Seasonality of Food Cravings

November 19, 2021 by Kim Stewart

Since the beginning of time, humans have eaten seasonal diets. What was borne of necessity and availability has become, in many ways, more about trends and marketing in the modern era. Am I craving a Peppermint Latte because of the chill in the air, or because the idea has been sold to me throughout my lifetime that this is peppermint’s time to shine? Frankly, it makes almost no difference. I’m having the latte either way.

This time of year, in the bakery fillings category, consumers typically demand more from apple, pumpkin, stone-fruit, and cream based products. The things we typically consider “summer fruits”, like strawberries, take a back seat to highly seasonal items like cranberries. We know that limited time, seasonal products sell. Whether it’s a genuine personal craving or one highly influenced by beautiful advertising and catchy jingles, consumers buy in. All the way in.

Formulating new seasonal products is one of the things we love most at SIS. Knowing the product you created is going to enhance someone’s enjoyment of the season, the holiday, the year, is truly a special feeling. Whatever the season, whatever the craving… whether you’re looking to fill a donut, top a coffee cake, or co-extrude fillings into a bar… we’re here to help you create the perfect consumer experience.

Every product we make is custom developed to meet your sensory and performance requirements. Ready to turn an idea into reality? Give us a call today 312-254-3539 or fill out our Sample Request Form!

It’s all-things-pumpkin season!

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