Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Impearl (Bringing to the market the new generation of yogurts with encapsulated ingredients)

Teaser

The development of food products during the last 10 years showed that the increasing competition between food industry companies and the consumers’ needs became important factors aiming the differentiation of the food sector. Among the several consumers’ needs and demands...

Summary

The development of food products during the last 10 years showed that the increasing competition between food industry companies and the consumers’ needs became important factors aiming the differentiation of the food sector. Among the several consumers’ needs and demands, the creation of food products with new and different textures, flavors, aromas and colors while maintaining or increasing their shelf life are one of the most important.
Improveat aims to disrupt the market of food ingredients by providing a novel product with unseen features in the food industry. It is expected to be the new paradigm of flavored food products – a very thin, edible, impermeable, pasteurized and tasteless capsule that contains a pure ingredient, which is added to the food product during its production and it only releases its content when consumed. Impearl could have a high potential for application in various food products such as: yogurts, cheeses, ice creams, enabling the creation of innovative products in these sectors, since it allows the combination of different flavors in the same product, without mixing them until the moment of consumption. It can also be used to encapsulate sauces and seasonings, which will allow to consume sauces together with food in a practical and different way.
We have identified as main market barriers the difficulty to scale-up the production process and the need to validate impearl at industrial environment (proof of concept). In line with this, the main objective of Phase 1 were: a) to study the scale-up of the production, b) to make the market assessment, c) to evaluate the best business model and d) to assess the IP strategy.

Work performed

During the Phase 1 project it was possible to analyse and identify different food markets in which impearl can be an innovative solution. A market analysis was conducted, and yogurt segment revealed to be one of the most competitive and promising market for impearl application. During this stage, different business models were analysed: the production model, the outsourcing model and the licensing model. Furthermore, it was possible define the industrialization requirements to produce impearl in a large scale in a cost-efficient way.

Final results

Based on the technology, during this Phase 1, different products were evaluated and has been concluded that impearl can be inserted into different foods. It has been concluded that in the first instance, impearl should be available for the yogurt market. This was based on the size of the market but also in the number of new products launched every year, showing that the yogurt market is looking for new technologies in their products. Today the main challenges for yogurt producers are the creation of new products through the development of new flavor combinations. These new products also need to maintain a production process capable of ensuring food stability, regardless of the combination of ingredients used. This stability implies maintaining the characteristics of the different flavors without changing the safety of the product or even their shelf-life. This is possible with impearl!

Website & more info

More info: http://www.improveat.pt/pt/home/.