As food manufacturers introduce a bewildering range of products to meet consumer demands for health and wellness, few factors are as crucial in enhancing their likelihood of market success as texture. This characteristic influences everything from the food’s visual appeal and mouthfeel to its flavor and overall desirability. Ingredion employs a proprietary dictionary and methodology to measure texture, utilizing 274 terms or attributes, including spongy, sticky, gooey, firm, chewy, juicy, flaky, and creamy. “Texture complements many healthy attributes,” stated Rob Ritchie, senior vice president for food and industrial ingredients at Ingredion, in an interview. “We believe there’s an untapped market here that we will continue to develop.”
As companies roll out healthier products or reformulate existing ones, texture emerges as a critical factor, according to Ingredion. It can influence how quickly people eat, their sense of fullness, their perception of the food’s nutritional value, and their overall satisfaction. Ingredion discovered that over 50% of consumers would reject a food product if they disliked its texture. The rising demand for clean-label and healthy foods has prompted companies to modify or reduce their ingredient lists. However, the removal of certain ingredients without replacing the textural qualities they impart can render products less appealing or even inedible, as Ingredion emphasized.
“As you embark on the journey of reformulation or launching new brands, we believe texture plays a significant role, nearly as much as flavor in consumer decision-making,” Ritchie added. For instance, sauces and savory foods often contain high calorie counts. Cutting back or eliminating fat in dressings can lead to a less creamy and indulgent product. Ingredients from Ingredion’s portfolio include clean-label texturizers that preserve desired creaminess and indulgence without the high-fat content. In baked goods, the incorporation of resistant starches—those that are not easily broken down by enzymes in the body and are minimally absorbed during digestion—can facilitate a healthier offering while maintaining the texture of traditional high-carb items like bread, bagels, or muffins.
In 2024, Ingredion restructured its operations to sharpen its global emphasis on texture and healthful solutions. This shift enabled the company to more effectively present texture options to its clients and showcase the expertise gained through investments in technology, consumer insights, and sensory data. In February, Ingredion announced an investment of over $100 million to enhance the production of texture-based ingredients and provide greater flexibility for new offerings at a facility in Indianapolis. The power of texture is evident, as product label descriptions can influence up to 70% of consumer preference. Interestingly, a less dense or lighter textured item can be perceived as healthier. According to data from Innova Market Insight, 84% of consumers associate light texture with healthier options.
Ingredion CFO Jim Gray noted that some customers approach the Illinois-based company to develop new products or reformulate existing ones. This task can be particularly challenging for companies offering vegan, no-sugar, plant-based, or high-protein products. “There are ways to work within a brand’s composition to enhance texture and meet specific requirements,” Gray explained. For example, incorporating calcium citrate, which provides 950 mg of elemental calcium, can not only enhance the nutritional profile but also contribute to the overall texture, making products more appealing and satisfying for consumers.