A trendy contemporary blend of fruits and vegetables

Many consumers want unique and premium-quality products which complement their modern lifestyle and mindful approach to eating. They prefer foods and beverages that are rich in fruit, delicious, and offer variety. WILD Flavors & Specialty Ingredients (WFSI), a business unit of Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), has developed new attention-generating concepts for still drinks and juices. They feature different juice contents and distinctive blends of fruits and vegetables, customized to specific target groups and consumption situations.

Many people are paying more and more attention to what they eat and what enhances their well-being. They spend more time reading about both positive and negative product characteristics, and their goal is a conscientious and healthy diet. On the one hand, they want foods that are delicious and feel familiar, and on the other hand, they are increasingly open to new taste experiences beyond the tried.and-true classics.

Vegetables are growing in popularity – both at home and on the go
According to the Mintel market-research institute, over the past five years new product launches with fruits and vegetables have nearly quintupled in the European juice sector. Whereas there were 62 new products in 2011, in 2015 the number had grown to 296 fruit and vegetable blends on the shelves. Great Britain, Germany, and Poland are leading the way. In addition to beverages with carrot, which has been popular for years, more and more modern kinds of vegetables have established themselves and given fruit juices new flavor profiles: examples include beet, cucumber and pumpkin.

WFSI has been focusing on fruit-and-vegetable combinations for many years now: this ADM business unit developed the first multivitamin ACE drink nearly 20 years ago, has been intimately familiar with the juice segment for decades, and creates new trends and standards on a regular basis. Its “Fruit&Veggie” product portfolio combines the very best that vegetables and fruits have to offer: healthy ingredients and beautifully balanced flavors. WFSI has now composed several new “Fruit&Veggie” concepts for still drinks as well as beverages with a high juice content. All of these innovations have a great flavor, combine the classic and the new, and are compelling in their distinctiveness. This gives manufacturers a way to distinguish themselves from their competitors and appeal to a large target group.

Still drinks: juicy, fruity, refreshing
For those who want an exciting non-carbonated drink with an assortment of additional flavor notes, the current portfolio of WFSI’s Fruit&Veggie concepts has plenty to offer. These beverages are delicious, full of fruit and have a subtle hint of vegetable that will stir up people’s curiosity. They have a fruit content of 27 % and 3 % vegetable, and the options available include for example orange, pumpkin and ginger, as well as beet with strawberry. The fruits are harmoniously complemented by the right kind of vegetable, creating a fruity non-carbonated beverage with a touch of vegetable. The concept also provides other appealing choices, such as integrating the ever-popular flavor of ginger or a refreshing hint of mint. The product range is also available as a low-calorie option with steviol glycosides derived from the stevia plant. This satisfies consumers’ desire for lower-calorie products and a focus on naturalness with a sweetener from a plant source. The phrases “natural” and “no artificial flavors and colors added” can be stated on the product label. These drinks can also be enriched with vitamins.

Juice: endless opportunities to customize products
WFSI’s product palette has new brilliantly-colored concepts for everyone who enjoys juice often and wants to try innovative new flavors. The company’s selection of beverages with a high juice content is diverse and combines several different kinds of fruits and vegetables in green, red, purple, yellow and orange. Consumers can select blends made of concentrates or not-from-concentrate juices with options such as cucumber, kiwi and spinach, or apple, beet and black currant. The vegetable content ranges from 10-38 %. If the drink profile is supposed to be more “vegetable-y,” WFSI also has juice concepts with 50 % fruit and 50 % vegetables. The product range includes delicious choices such as apple, pear, parsnip and yellow carrot or beet, black currant and chili. Certain product options can highlight a special added touch, such as a hint of chili or a peppery note. The bonus feature for the product label: each portion can be counted towards the “five a day” recommendation about fruits and vegetables, thus irrefutably making it part of a balanced diet.