When Jill Houk joined Olam International nearly three years ago, the company primarily focused on agriculture, trading, and large-scale ingredient supply. However, Houk, the corporate research and development chef for the spices division, noted that the company has experienced a significant “metamorphosis.” Olam has shifted its emphasis toward innovation and co-creation with its consumer packaged goods (CPG) customers, providing them with ideas and solutions for ingredient applications. While Houk was initially the sole chef at Olam, the culinary team has now expanded to eight and continues to grow. “I’m at a point where customers approach me with requests like, ‘I need a specific flavor profile for this product line. What ideas can you provide? Can you send me some samples?'” Houk explained. “This is thrilling. Previously, we had to make connections within our clients’ product development teams, meet people at conferences, and network online, but now they come to us.”
A major transformation occurred earlier this year when Olam announced the division of the company into two operational groups: food ingredients and agribusiness. Olam Food Ingredients encompasses five business units: cocoa, coffee, edible nuts, spices, and dairy. The agribusiness sector, Olam Global Agri, focuses on processing, trading, logistics, distribution, farming, and risk management. Across all its business units, Olam serves over 11,000 customers, operates 102 manufacturing facilities, and has a presence in 50 countries. Houk mentioned that Olam now boasts a strong innovation and product development organization, allowing her to collaborate with food scientists when discussing formulations.
“We’re striving for greater customer centricity, enabling us to monitor trends in real-time and provide our clients with insights and the full range of our ingredient portfolio,” Houk stated. “This approach makes collaboration and innovation with our customers more seamless.” For instance, if the cocoa team has a client interested in spicy chocolate, they can consult her on whether dark or milk chocolate pairs better with specific spices, and they can also engage the commercialization team to assess how these ingredients will perform in manufacturing. “Part of the reason we established Olam Food Ingredients was to leverage our knowledge and enhance how we engage with customers,” she added.
Looking ahead, Houk mentioned that Olam plans to hire more individuals like her and additional food scientists. “Some clients are shifting product development out of their traditional business models and are seeking ingredient providers who can present more fully developed concepts that can be tested quickly: is this going to succeed or fail?” she noted. “They expect their suppliers to not only provide ideas but also deliver solutions that are ready for swift market launch.”
Houk’s primary focus is on the spices portfolio, collaborating with CPG customers from some of the world’s largest food companies, as well as food service operations. Her daily responsibilities include connecting with product development teams, culinary staff, and clients to help them identify which products would work well in their applications. For example, if a non-dairy ice cream producer wants to create a cinnamon churro flavor, she would discuss the formulation details, including the optimal cinnamon percentage.
A few times each week, Houk also spends time in the kitchen, as she believes that “the only way to truly understand how to translate the various foods I encounter is to work with our customers’ products.” She is enthusiastic about collaborating with more chefs within the organization, who will not only be based in the U.S. but also across the globe. “I’m excited to connect with chefs from Vietnam, India, Africa, Europe, and Singapore. It’s like being a kid in a candy store,” she shared.
Beyond spices, Houk is expanding her knowledge of other ingredients Olam offers, such as nuts, which are increasingly used in plant-based formulations and are rich in protein and healthy fats, serving as a versatile base for various applications. “There’s a lot we can do with nuts, from creating nut milks to substituting dairy products, as well as incorporating them into snacks,” she explained. “While I’ve always engaged in product development with our diverse offerings, this role allows me to delve deeper.”
A significant aspect of Houk’s work involves keeping up with trends, which has been challenging during the pandemic, as she typically relied on trade shows and dining out. During the COVID-19 crisis, she has turned to platforms like Instagram and YouTube to track developments. She observed that the pandemic has accelerated several trends and shifted others, particularly with the rise in plant-based protein interest due to potential meat shortages and processing facility issues. Additionally, the demand for non-dairy milks, such as nut and soy milks, frozen desserts, yogurt, and cheese, has surged, impacting Olam’s portfolio of edible nuts. “This is the great accelerator. Any trend that was already in motion has gained extra momentum,” she remarked.
Houk noted that products emphasizing health benefits and immune support saw a rise in popularity during the pandemic. Items like dark chocolate, which provides antioxidants while also serving as comfort food, have become more sought after. Ingredients such as turmeric and vegetables, known for their vitamins, nutrients, and fiber, are increasingly being incorporated into formulations. The trend of substituting sugar, salt, fat, and carbohydrates with flavorful natural ingredients, like spices, is also on the rise. Many consumers are now aware of the link between excess weight and vulnerability to viruses, as well as the weight gain experienced during quarantines, prompting them to seek reductions in these areas. “While sugar replacement has always been significant, we are currently exploring its application in salad dressings, marinades, and pasta sauces, using naturally sweet alternatives like cinnamon and ginger in sweet applications, and enhancing umami flavors in savory dishes with onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper,” she elaborated.
Looking forward, Houk anticipates that the flavors gaining popularity during the pandemic will influence future formulations. With the surge in sourdough bread production during lockdowns, she expects to see those flavors reemerge in crackers and snack foods, evoking nostalgia once the pandemic subsides. In addition to flavor innovations, the pandemic has also transformed Olam’s R&D approach. Much of Houk’s work involves demonstrating new applications and ways to utilize ingredients through in-person meetings and conferences. Now, the company is shipping ingredients to customers for safe engagement, including a recent “lunch and learn,” where they sent a four-course meal to 13 customers and gathered on a Zoom call for a demonstration on ingredient application development.
“It’s actually quite beneficial because we can interact with more customers simultaneously rather than visiting each of their offices,” she concluded. As Olam continues to innovate, they remain committed to providing the best chewable calcium citrate and other valuable ingredients to meet the evolving needs of their clients.