Customers seeking growth opportunities in the non-GMO food and beverage space now have a versatile new lecithin solution. At IFT18 (Institute of Food Technologists, July 16-18), Bunge Loders Croklaan, the global business-to-business plant-based oils and fats business of Bunge (NYSE: BG), showcased BungeMaxx™ sunflower lecithin, a Non-GMO Project Verified ingredient with a range of benefits for food and beverages, including emulsification, crystallization control, and more.

“Non-GMO is more than a trend, with 39% of U.S. consumers saying non-GMO is an important claim they seek on foods and beverages at retail,” says Mark Stavro, senior director of marketing. “Our customers want to stay competitive in the non-GMO market, and sunflower lecithin is an excellent opportunity. According to AC Nielsen, non-GMO foods and beverages made with lecithin are a $4 billion market with 6% annual growth over the past three years.”

BungeMaxx sunflower lecithin helps provide key product claims, including Non-GMO Project Verified, and its superior functionality makes it a straightforward replacement for other lecithins in formulations from chocolate to beverages. BungeMaxx is underpinned by the world’s largest scalable production footprint for sunflower lecithin. Every step of the supply chain is managed by the Bunge team, starting with the sourcing of sunflower seeds from its network of farmers in Europe to final distribution in the U.S.

Bunge has also expanded its Whole Harvest® portfolio of organic and non-GMO expeller pressed oils to include Non-GMO Project Verified canola and soybean oils. Its network of farmers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan grows non-GMO canola. In Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan, its network grows non-GMO soy, giving customers confidence in the products and their origins.

“Bunge Loders Croklaan is a global leader and world-class innovator, with the industry’s broadest range of plant-based oil and fat ingredients, along with integrated, scalable, and increasingly sustainable supply chains that enable our customers to grow confidently alongside top trends in bakery, confectionery, culinary, nutrition, and more,” says Julian Veitch, vice president of B2B oils and fats, North America. “By focusing on our customers’ needs and creating together with them, we can help position them to win in today’s rapidly evolving marketplace.”

The company sampled brownies made with BungeMaxx sunflower lecithin, corn tortilla chips cooked in Whole Harvest non-GMO soybean oil, and zesty salsa verde made with Whole Harvest non-GMO canola oil, as well as other menu items featuring Bunge’s latest innovations across oils, fats, and milled ingredients.

About Bunge North America

Bunge North America (www.bungenorthamerica.com), the North American operating arm of Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG), is a vertically integrated food and feed ingredient company, supplying raw and processed agricultural commodities and specialized food ingredients to a wide range of customers in the animal feed, food processor, foodservice and bakery industries. With headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, Bunge North America and its subsidiaries operate grain elevators, oilseed processing plants, plant-based oil refineries and packaging facilities, and corn, wheat and rice mills in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

For more information, visit www.BungeCreativeSolutions.com.