Page 13 - Food & Drink Magazine Sep-Oct 2020

trying to capitalise on an ingredient trend too fast, companies sometimes launch products that compromise the eating experience, which may result in a lower acceptance for that ingredient in the future.
“Our goal is to capture
the innovation arena and offer products backed by research and testing, which provide our customers with a much longer and successful product life cycle,” he says.
In addition to consumer trends, 2020 has also delivered COVID-19. Pert says the pandemic is pushing supply security to the top of customers’ priorities, with customers slowing down R&D and increasing core product production to meet consumer demand for products they know and trust.
He says: “Growth in new products hitting the market has stagnated but I believe it will pick up in food. While R&D promotion is flat, we are also seeing supply lines under strain, especially as some countries have lockdowns and there are longer lead times for imports.”
For Leahy, a global company like Cargill offers a level of flexibility and scale to meet those challenges and ensure it stands as a dependable supplier to its customers.
“For us, having the whole package – a diverse portfolio of modified and clean label starches, stabiliser systems, plant proteins and functional ingredients, R&D and centres of expertise – is very rewarding,” Pert says.
“We can help develop the perfect solution for a customer while developing a close relationship with them. That balanceiswhatsetsusapart.” ✷
COVER STORY
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