Cargill: Leading on Sustainable Food & Drink Products

Cargill, the US food and beverage manufacturer is set to reveal three sustainable innovations at Food Ingredients Europe 2024.

These innovations include plant-based solutions, a confectionary alternative to chocolate and a sugar reduction solution.

“We are thrilled to be showcasing our partnership with Voyage Foods at FiE," said a Cargill spokesperson.

“Together, we’re offering delicious alternative solutions to cocoa, hazelnut and peanut-based products for bakery, chocolate confectionery, ice cream and cereals. Experience a new era of indulgence with our sustainable solutions.”

EverSweet: A next-gen Stevia

The first product is EverSweet, a next-generation stevia sweetener.

“Consumers are looking to reduce their intake of sugars without compromising on taste or label friendliness," says Cargill.

“Fortunately, next-generation stevia solutions are here to truly hit this market sweet spot.”

It adds that: 

• 64% of consumers claim to avoid sugar when shopping for packaged food & beverages
• More than 1 in 3 consumers actively avoid artificial sweeteners.

EverSweet is a product of Avansya: a joint venture of Cargill and dsm-firmenich.

It recently became approved for use in the UK and following a positive safety opinion by The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), it's also expected to be authorised in the EU at the beginning of 2025.

The product enhances Stevia's sweetest elements-steviol glycosides Reb M and Reb D- through advanced fermentation techniques.

“With EverSweet, you can make significant sugar reductions to your food or beverage formulations without compromising on taste," says Cargill.

“An internal lifecycle analysis highlights improved environmental performance in key metrics such as carbon footprint, water use and land use impact compared to production from leaf or bioconversion, or traditional sugar.”

The impact of ABUNDA Mycoprotein

Cargill is also introducing ABUNDA mycoprotein – a fermented protein that facilitates the creation of delicious alternatives to chicken and fish.

The company says: “The growing meat alternatives market in Europe is shifting focus from red meat alternatives to white meat alternatives and fish and seafood alternative categories.

“As a result, today’s consumers have more choice and are expecting more from their chicken and fish alternatives in terms of taste and texture.”

It notes that consumers are less satisfied with the texture of current chicken and fish alternatives available in the market.

“This presents market opportunities for improved texture and meat-mimicking products.

“At Cargill Meat & Dairy Alternatives, we co-create tasty and nutritious products together with our customers, by leveraging ingredient solutions from our broad portfolio and those of our strategic partners.”

ABUNDA mycoprotein is developed alongside Cargill’s strategic partner ENOUGH and is described as a “more sustainable and scalable alternative protein source that is label-friendly and nutritious.”

Cargill: Future-proofing food

How can consumers enjoy maximum taste while minimising their environmental impact? This question challenges all food and drink manufacturers.

When it comes to chocolate, Cargill believes it has part of the solution. Cargill states: “We need to develop a future-proof food model that can efficiently replicate consumers’ favourite food products.”

“While consumers love indulging in treats, they don’t want to compromise the planet. More than 50% of consumers want to include more sustainable foods with a reduced carbon footprint in their diets.”

“76% of consumers want to buy more sustainable chocolate or cocoa-based products but are uncertain how to do so.”

Cargill’s answer is Indulgence Redefined, an alternative to cocoa, hazelnut and peanut-based products for bakery, chocolate confectionery, ice cream and cereals, developed in collaboration with food technology company Voyage Foods.

This chocolate alternative is made from plant-based ingredients like grape seeds and sunflower kernels, with potential for other raw materials in the future.

Cargill highlights benefits such as:

• Up to 95% lower water footprint

• Up to 90% reduced land-use-related impacts

• Up to 61% decrease in carbon footprint

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