Maximize recipe cost while maintaining product quality with affordable ingredients by Ingredion

Affordability is one of your top three challenges today — alongside getting quality right and differentiating your product from those of your competitors. According to our global research in late 2014, the global trend of making goods and services more affordable must co-exist with a great eating or drinking experience unlike any other.

We agree completely. That’s why cutting recipe costs should focus on preserving or maintaining texture, taste and other sensory and functional characteristics as much as substituting more expensive ingredients with more affordable options. Reducing manufacturing costs shouldn’t mean sacrificing the quality of your products. The best way to optimize recipe costs is a holistic approach that considers all aspects of food development simultaneously.

With help from Ingredion, a manufacturer of imitation pizza cheese was able to lower costs by 22% by optimizing protein, cutting product waste by 10% and trimming gelling time from seven to five days, with sensory trials showing the same eating experience as that of a full-protein pizza cheese. Another manufacturer was able to reduce costs by 5% and deliver indulgent texture after replacing gelatin with a blend of modified food starches. Similar examples of how manufacturers can optimize recipe costs can be found across many applications, from beverages and bakery to sauces and confectionery.

Savings that span your operations

Efforts to optimize recipe costs may end up having broader benefits for you and your consumers in everything from speed to market and shelf life extension to more sustainable energy use and a reduced footprint. With our broad range of nature-based ingredients — now even broader with hydrocolloids, pulse proteins and flours, and fruit and vegetable extracts, purees and concentrates — we apply our innovation expertise to customize solutions that feature multiple ways to optimize recipe costs. Through our 29 Ingredion Idea Labs® innovation centers and proprietary processes, we can help you achieve results quickly.

Placing the consumer first

Whether your goal is increased affordability to promote on the label or reformulating to improve margins, reduce waste or improve quality, money savings is always top-of-mind. With Ingredion at your side, you can create products consumers will love, and you’ll love the look of your bottom line.

We rely on our consumer insights and CONSUMER-CENTRICITY™ design — to dig deeper into consumer preferences and find alternative ways to deliver the experiences they want. And when the consumer experience drives holistic innovation, saving money is good for everyone.