Consumer demands for transparent and clear labelling are set to revolutionise the US food and beverage industry, according to Galam Group, and the company believes its North American customer base can flourish in this new environment thanks to the company’s own non-GMO brand fruitose .
Following the narrowly defeated Californian referendum in 2012 on whether product labelling must indicate any genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the issue has far from abated, Galam notes, but continued to gain significant ground across North America, going on to say that, as food and beverage manufacturers become acutely aware of the growing trend for consumers to carefully read product packaging, many believe legislation is an inevitable next step.
Galam points out that a recent report from Mintel states that due to the increased concern surrounding the use of GMOs and their impact on heath, GMO-free products are on the rise in North America. In fact, should GMO labelling become mandatory, non-GMO US retail sales are expected to represent 40% of the food and beverage market by 2017, according to “Non-GMO Foods US: Market Perspective”.
Recognising consumers’ call for clear labelling, many US and Canadian food manufacturers are already voluntarily applying non-GMO labelling to their packaging, with significant steps being taken towards phasing out GM ingredients on other products.
Galam says that it has found the company’s own-brand fruitose to correspond ideally with consumer preferences. fruitose is produced from pure sugar using a scientific process developed by Galam researchers for purifying fructose into crystals. As a result, Galam’s non-GMO fruitose is said to reach a purity level of over 99.5%.
With Galam’s non-GMO natural-based fructose, Galam’s customers throughout North America are now fully equipped to accommodate the increasing likelihood of mandatory GMO labelling, the company says, as well as successfully navigating the increasing number of food chains that already require GMO labelling. A recent example of an entry barrier imposed by a prominent market player, says galam, is Whole Foods Market, requiring all products in its US and Canadian stores be labelled to indicate if they contain GMOs by 2018.
"Despite the extensive GMO lobbying that has taken place in the United States, the tide is clearly turning with the voice of the consumer and non-GMO petitioners gaining influence,” said Dr. Fernando Schved, VP strategic R&D & chief scientist of Galam. “We offer all food and beverage manufacturers the freedom of choice and the luxury of incorporating high quality non-GMO ingredients, including our sucrose-based crystalline fructose, into their products".
