Over the past few months, we have been documenting the growth in demand for healthy foods and snacks. Along with the growth for healthy foods, comes an increased interest in natural ingredients. But, what are natural ingredients and how are they different from what we would consider non-natural ingredients?
The Definition of Natural Ingredients
In the food, snack, supplement and vitamin product categories when we talk about natural ingredients, we are referring to ingredients that include plants, animals, mineral and microbial substances produced by nature. The actual desired ingredient may be extracted from the natural source by a simple chemical or mechanical process that does not alter the chemical and more importantly, nutritional makeup of the target ingredient. For the ingredient to be considered natural it should not have been processed in a way that alters the chemical or functional makeup of the ingredient itself; or derived from combining multiple chemicals or compounds to develop the final product.
At Organically Africa, all of our ingredients are natural and derived directly from plant sources. Take our Baobab Fruit Powder, for example. This natural ingredient is the fruit pulp of the Baobab seed pod. As the fruit is naturally dehydrated inside its pod prior to harvest, our harvesters sustainably collect the pods, open them, crush the fruit pulp and then sieve the fruit powder, straining out the seeds. As a natural ingredient, Baobab fruit is incredibly high in antioxidants, potassium and fiber.
Advantages of Natural Ingredients
While natural ingredients can be harder to produce as they rely on growing plants, harvesting, and processing the plants to produce the desired results, whereas synthetic or processed ingredients can be created at scale in a lab or factory. Natural ingredients have multiple very distinct advantages over synthetic or processed ingredients.
Natural Ingredients Provide Greater Transparency
As consumers demand natural ingredients, one of the main drivers is the desire of transparency. Consumers can see where a natural ingredient comes from. They know the plant was grown and harvested, where synthetic ingredients have an air of mystery about them in regards to being produced in a factory setting. This often leads to a common distrust when contemplating the quality and/or nutritional value of the ingredient in question.
Perceived To Have Better Nutritional Value
While natural and synthetic vitamins are chemically the same, the advantage of natural plant based vitamins lie in their accompanying compounds. These compounds can increase the potency, absorption and effectiveness of the primary vitamin or mineral and add additional nutritional value of their own. Most vitamins need additional vitamins or minerals to be utilized by the body. Natural ingredients can include these extra compounds and vitamins to maximize their effectiveness.
Besides the advantages of associated compounds, vitamins and minerals, people perceive natural ingredients to be superior and are in greater demand when compared to synthetic or processed ingredients.
Incorporate Natural Ingredients In Your Food Products
If you want to take advantage of adding natural ingredients into your food and snack products, reach out to the team at Organically Africa. From organic Baobab Fruit Powder and Grape Seed Powder to a wide range of natural plant based ingredients sourced from local harvesters in Africa, we can help you find the perfect natural ingredients.