Ingredion, a leading ingredient supplier, is reevaluating its business approach in response to record demand from food and beverage companies seeking to reformulate their products.
According to Jim Zallie, Ingredion's CEO, the company is facing unprecedented interest from food companies looking to add protein, cut sugar, adopt clean label formulations, or make their products more affordable. Ingredion sells its products in over 120 countries to more than 17,000 customers worldwide.
Zallie stated, "It's going to require companies like us to be more intimate than ever with customers." He added that Ingredion is being more selective about which food manufacturers it partners with and how it deploys its resources.
Partnership Strategy
In determining how to partner with a food maker, Ingredion assesses whether its insight is aligned with current trends, said Zallie. The company also looks at what category the client plays in and the impact the partnership would have on Ingredion's sales and margins.
Patrick Kalotis, Ingredion's executive vice president of texture and healthful solutions, noted that customers increasingly want to be part of the process when finding a solution for a product. Ingredion's solutions business recently crossed the $1 billion sales mark and is one of its fastest-growing segments.
Reformulation Process
To speed up the reformulation process, Ingredion has prioritized co-briefs, where the company talks with a customer to determine what they are looking to accomplish before providing a viable prototype within 15 days. In 2025 alone, Ingredion received just under 2,000 such requests from customers and ended up generating about 500 briefs.
Ingredion also has a network of 32 global "idea labs," where food makers and other customers partner with Ingredion to improve products. The company employs food scientists and culinary chefs who understand ingredient innovation.
Industry Outlook
Zallie said demand for Ingredion's solution services is unlikely to wane anytime soon, citing pressure on CPG branded goods manufacturers to drive more innovation. The Make America Healthy Again initiative could also become a bigger factor driving ingredient changes in the future.
