Kerry Insider Interview: Using Functional Ingredients To Create Disruptive Products

Speaker 1 [00:04] All right, it's Ray Latif with Taste Radio, and right now I'm joined by Donald Cox, who is the R&D director for Kerry. Donald, how are

Speaker 2 [00:11] you? I'm doing fine today. How are you doing, Ray?

Speaker 1 [00:14] I'm doing great. Thanks so much for joining me today. Uh, Kerrie, can you give us a little bit of a brief history about the company and what you guys do and how you work with, uh, beverage companies?

Speaker 2 [00:25] Sure. Uh, Kerry is a full-service taste and nutrition company. So we offer a wide range of products and services to support the formulation and development needs for our customers in the beverage industry. So anything from flavors to any proteins or other materials that they need, as well as a wide range of functional ingredients.

Speaker 1 [00:51] Now, as you know, and as has been reported on, on Bevnet and across the beverage industry. Uh, more and more brands are looking to add functional ingredients, functionality to their products. Uh, you know, in your opinion, in your experience, what are some of the most important, uh, things for brands and entrepreneurs to consider when they are introducing an added functionality into a new beverage product?

Speaker 2 [01:14] For brands that are looking to add functional benefits to their beverage offering, I'd say there's a few key points that we need to keep in mind, and we'll talk a little bit about. For example, science, branding, and formulation. In the area of science, for customers and brands that are looking to formulate with an ingredient to add a functional benefit, generally you want to search out ingredients that have significant clinical research supporting product efficacy. And any research should be on the ingredient or if it's a probiotic strain on that strain itself. We don't do any borrowed science and it should also be high quality studies, and this revolves around or refers to randomized double-blind placebo-controlled studies, and all of our studies are in, are in that realm. When we talk about branding, using a branded ingredient provides a finished product with a point of differentiation versus other products on the market, so it really helps branded products stand out, and it's a means to communicate the product and the benefits, the promised health benefits that they're proposed to deliver, which ultimately will build trust with the consumers. And then finally, when we get to formulation, I think that each and every functional ingredient is unique, and the way that these products are processed and the conditions under which they're processed are also unique, and they're going to impact the efficacy of the finished product. So it's important to work with a supplier that can help provide guidance through the formulation process so that you know that the product that ends up ultimately in the consumer's hands actually contains what is claimed to be on the front label. And obviously with Kerry's long history of customer support, formulation development, guidance for proper nutrition, etc. were a key player in that area. When it comes to Kerry's portfolio for functional or health enhancing ingredients, we have really two flagship branded ingredients that we'll just present very quickly. So Wellmune, which is our baker's yeast beta glucan supported by well over a dozen clinical studies to date, it can easily be formulated into a wide range of beverages whether they're dry form sachets, powders, or liquid beverages. And it's differentiated because it's based on a proprietary strain of baker's yeast, and the science supporting the ingredients and the immune health benefits are specific to that brand. So there are of course competitive products on the market vitamins, minerals, mushrooms, etc. There really are very few that can offer the clinical support like Wellmune can. And then finally, BC 30, which is our spore forming probiotic with digestive, immune, and protein utilization benefits. It's unique because it's a spore-forming probiotic, uh, which means it can, it can withstand some of the hardy and, and challenging manufacturing processes, as well as survive the, the digestive tract. So, it remains viable in, in the formulated products throughout the shelf life. Uh, it's also backed by a wide range of studies. There's more than 25 published research studies to date. So, uh, it's a product that we have confidence in. Both of these products, Rmune and BC-30, are products that we're confident. That we're formulating with a well-characterized product, uh, and both of which are proven to be safe and effective.

Speaker 1 [04:32] Well, a lot of great points, a lot of excellent points, Donald, and I appreciate you sharing them with us. Uh, I have a feeling a lot of our viewers are gonna want to know how do I get involved with Kerry? How can I, uh, align with a company like this? Um, what's the best way to get in touch with Kerry? What's the best way to initiate a conversation with your company?

Speaker 2 [04:50] Well, I would say that contacting your local carry sales representative and if they're not sure of that, they can go to the carry.com website and log on or just rather seek to contact their salesperson through that that venue as well.

Speaker 1 [05:06] Great. Well, uh, outstanding conversation. Really appreciate the time, Donald, and, uh, please stay in touch.

Speaker 2 [05:12] OK, thanks very much, Ray.