Conversations about the health of the planet and the limits of its natural resources are no longer restricted to a roomful of scientists at an annual meeting. It’s an everyday topic among many people, and the desire to know more and do more shows no signs of slowing down.

In response, food and beverage marketers are more mindful of ingredients they source, often with the intent to communicate an ingredient’s sustainability journey.

There are challenges to the effort and risks, but in the end, if the data support the claim, it’s a win for the planet.

“Consumer preferences are placing increased emphasis on environmental responsibility,” said Will Templeton, director of corporate social responsibility, Amway, Grand Rapids, Mich. “Brands with strong sustainability practices are attracting and retaining customers who prioritize ethical sourcing and environmentally conscious production, and this movement is reshaping the landscape of corporate responsibility.”

Amway’s consumer research shows consumers are thirsty for transparency about their products. In countries throughout the world, consumers want to better understand where their products come from and how they are made.

“The reason why they want this level of product traceability varies according to cultural needs,” Templeton said. “Some are looking for proof of safety, some for proof of authenticity and purity of the product, and others want more peace of mind in the purchasing decisions they make, and traceability can give them the insight they want. Some simply just want to feel emotionally connected to the products and the people behind those products.”

Many are looking for evidence of sustainable practices along the supply chain. The challenge is there’s no universal definition of “sustainable practices.”

The Federal Trade Commission has published its Green Guides, which are guidelines that caution against making unqualified environmental claims that may mislead consumers. It is a best practice for food and beverage companies to follow the recommendations. However, as with all marketing, there are risks involved with making sustainability claims. The risks involve future regulation, as well as deceptive practice lawsuits filed by organizations policing claims.

Suppliers vary in their approach

Ingredient suppliers are more widely using third-party validation services to manage sustainability claims. The claims run the gamut of water stewardship to regenerative agriculture to upcycling.

“There is no standard or consistency in data collection across suppliers,” said Jennifer DuCray, sustainability manager, North America, for Kemin Industries, Des Moines, Iowa. “This lack of cohesiveness makes comparisons of ingredients dependent on assumptions that may not have the most accurate data. Validation is critical to reduce greenwashing across the ingredient segment so consumers have a solid understanding of what they are buying.”

For Kemin, sustainable cultivation methods include managing plant life cycles, minimizing inputs and using good agricultural practices. Such practices enable the company’s specialty crop improvements division to grow plants with more of the desired active molecules with less land, water and other input usages. The practice may be seen in the company’s rosemary crops, which yield an extract that helps prevent lipid oxidation in a variety of foods, thereby extending shelf life.

“Focusing on shelf life is an approach that enhances manufacturing efficiencies, improves distribution channels and reduces food waste generated by manufacturers, retailers and consumers,” said Karen Winkowski, vice president, innovation, Innophos, Cranbury, NJ. “Extended shelf life lowers both the economic and environmental impacts of wasted food, helping to feed more people and sustain our planet.”

Fruit d’Or, Villeroy, Quebec, prioritizes organic farming practices intended to preserve soil health and biodiversity. The company has processing facilities near its cultivation areas to reduce transport distances and carbon emissions.

“Innovative technologies and AI-driven processes help us manage energy consumption, air emissions and water use more efficiently,” said Annie Bouchard, senior brand manager at Fruit d’Or. “Our closed-loop growing systems exemplify our commitment to resource conservation, where water collected from rain and snowmelt is reused to irrigate and protect crops during winter months.”

Most farmers look for ways to do more with less, and advanced technologies are making the effort easier.

“Advancements like precision watering and cover crops have cut irrigation water use by 60%,” said Laurie Isley, farmer director health and nutrition supply work group lead, United Soybean Board, Chesterfield, Mo. “No-till farming and smarter fertilizer and pesticide use keeps our soil healthy by reducing erosion, keeping more carbon dioxide locked up and helping the soil retain water, in tandem with detailed nutrient management plans. Precision agriculture, including drones, GPS-enabled tractors, satellite imagery, guidance control and integrated pest management, further reduce the use of natural resources.”

Minneapolis-based Cargill uses AI-enhanced remote satellite monitoring systems to monitor deforestation. Satellite data also may be used to identify and confirm certain farm management practices, offering another layer of compliance assurance.

“These monitoring and verification programs can help build trust, but only if they are accompanied by transparency,” said Julie Robey, customer sustainability leader for food solutions, Americas, at Cargill. “In response, ingredient suppliers are providing dashboards; environmental, social and governance (ESG) reports; and even digital portals that serve as a central hub for a company’s sustainability metrics. The best of these platforms give customers clear and robust information on where raw materials come from, how they are produced and how sustainability investments are supporting improvements.”

Another growing area of interest in the sustainability conversation is upcycling. Upcycled foods use ingredients that otherwise would not have gone to human consumption. They are proured and produced using verifiable supply chains and have a positive impact on the environment, according to the Upcycled Foods Association, Denver, which defined the term in 2020.

Formulators and marketers have started quantifying their use of upcycled ingredients and making this part of the product’s selling points. Ocean Spray Ingredients, Lakeville-Middleborough, Mass., for example, upcycles cranberry seeds captured through one of the company’s fruit processing side streams. Such ingredients help marketers create products that address reducing food waste.

“They are a beautiful red color, full of fiber, contain omega-3 and -6 fatty acids and protein,” said Katy Galle, senior vice president-research, development and sustainability. “They provide a healthy and colorful ingredient, especially to baking items.”

When possible, Kerr by Ingredion, Salem, Ore., will purchase produce that is not visually appealing for retail sale. The fruits and vegetables are turned into nutrient-dense ingredients for further food manufacturing.

No farm needed

Precision fermentation also is being embraced for its more earth-friendly approach to producing ingredients. Bioengineering techniques are used to program microorganisms by giving them a specific genetic code to produce a compound of interest when fermented under precise conditions. The code is the exact copy of the DNA sequence found in a digitized database of animal or plant DNA sequences; however, it requires no animal or plant involvement. The result is the molecularly identical ingredient made by microorganisms.

Such precise fermentation enables the production of large amounts of specific compounds. EverSweet stevia sweetener, for example, is produced using a technology by Avansya, the joint venture between Cargill and Switzerland-based DSM-Firmenich.

“Stevia leaves contain dozens of sweet components, but two of the best-tasting, Reb M and Reb D, comprise less than 1% of the stevia leaf,” Robey said. “We pioneered an innovative and more sustainable production process using fermentation to produce EverSweet instead of a more resource-intensive crop-based system. Our latest third-party-verified life-cycle assessment affirms that decision, finding EverSweet requires less water, less land and produces a smaller carbon footprint as compared to sugar and other stevia sweetener choices.”

Another company choosing precision fermentation is Phytolon, an Israel-based startup using technology from the Weizmann Institute of Science. The technology involves using baker’s yeast to produce natural colors.

Most natural food colors are derived from fruits and vegetables, which requires a lot of natural resources and is also dependent on Mother Nature. With precision fermentation, the company uses two strains of baker’s yeast, one modified to secrete a water-soluble yellow pigment and the other to secrete a water-soluble purple pigment. Phytolon then combines the two to produce a range of colors that are stable across a wide pH range and may be produced consistently all year long.

Wilmington, Del.-based IFF launched enzymatic technology for the development of bio-based materials in 2023. Unlike synthetic polymers, the process uses biotechnology to create structurally diverse polysaccharides like those found in nature but at scale and with a purity, quality and consistency typically only found in petrochemical polymers.

“Using sugar, water and enzymes, we can design functional materials that can be bio-based and biodegradable without compromising performance,” said Renée Henze, chief sustainability officer at IFF. “The results of an extensive, peer-reviewed life-cycle assessment validated two key sustainability benefits of these polysaccharides.”

First, the manufacturing process can be carbon-negative, depending on co-product utilization. And because it is derived from sugar, there’s net land use reduction.

“We can work together to build a more sustainable future that brings benefits to farmers, brands, investors and perhaps most importantly, Earth itself,” Robey said.