Vice President of Global R&D at Edlong | Revolutionizing Flavor One Molecule at a Time
Great conversations at the annual Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association's Annual Leadership Conference on the challenges around so-called "Ultraprocessed Foods" and the NOVA food classification system. Big "THANK YOU" to Julie Hess, PhD and Madeline Comeau from the USDA Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center for sharing their expertise on this important topic. Based on consumption data, unfortunately, consumers' diets continue to be misaligned with Dietary Guidelines. It appears that one of the main reasons for consumers not following these Guidelines is that healthier food offerings often don't resonate with consumers' taste buds. To me, a major unlock to resolve this issue could be to make healthier foods tastier through the addition of flavors. In other words, I feel that making healthier food the preferred choice through great taste could make a significant positive impact on mitigating nutrient deficiencies. Unfortunately, the NOVA classification makes foods containing flavors "look bad" and subsequently defeats its purpose of leading consumers towards healthier diets. Let's change the conversation and work together to make a difference for consumers! Please chime in and share your thoughts on this important topic. Edlong Flavor Solutions
Nutrition Scientist
2moThank you for the opportunity to share our work! We really appreciated the thoughtful discussion.