Ancient grains and clean label plant proteins are just some of the ingredients that attract the interest of consumers searching for clean labels. Healthy Food Ingredients (H.F.I.) offers ancient grains, cereal grains, grains, flax, oils, pulses and soybeans, along with Suntava Purple Corn and IntegriPure to diversify fortification abilities.

“Our non-G.M.O. and organic Suntava purple corn is a cost-effective way for food and beverage manufacturers to add natural purple color to their products while adding a nutritional boost in the form of health-promoting anthocyanins,” said Tara Froemming, marketing coordinator, H.F.I.

Tortilla chips, extruded snacks, cereals, crackers, bread, waffles and pancakes made with the purple corn deliver an eye-catching natural color. Suntava purple corn is offered in whole kernel form as well as a flour, grit, meal or flake.

BI Nutraceuticals offers nutritional ingredients, including plant-based powders, extracts, vitamins, minerals, granulations, triturations and many other specialty processes. According to the research firm Research and Markets, the global antioxidants food market is forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.3% from 2018 through 2021.

“The rise in the U.S. can be attributed to the aging of baby boomers and the increase in purchasing power of health-conscious millennials,” said Randy Kreienbrink, vice-president of marketing, BI Nutraceuticals. “Natural antioxidants are progressively taking more of the market share as American consumers increasingly search for clean label, healthy and plant-based ingredients.”

He added that whole foods that inherently contain antioxidants, such as acerola and cranberries, are used in baked foods for their antioxidative properties. These ingredients with their inherent healthy halo can also replace synthetic ascorbic acid in bakery formulations. Green tea powders and extracts are also very popular, especially extracts that are standardized to either polyphenols or EGCG levels.

“We are also seeing greater interest in more unique ingredients like turmeric powder, as consumer taste becomes more open and more studies show their health benefits,” Mr. Kreienbrink said. “These ingredients reflect a back-to-nature approach — clear, transparent bakery products with recognizable, plant-based antioxidant ingredients.”