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    Are you concerned about the well-being of your customers? Agave syrup is the solution

    Key benefits of using agave syrup in the diabetic diet.

    If you are looking to improve the health and satisfaction of your customers, it is crucial to explore natural and effective alternatives to reduce sugar consumption in the diet. One of these solutions is agave syrup, a sweetener derived from the agave plant that not only tastes good, but also provides key benefits for those looking to take care of their health, especially in the case of people with diabetes. Read on if you want to find out more about agave, how it is used to create sweeteners and the benefits of agave syrup in the diabetic diet.

    What is agave?

    Agave is a succulent plant found mainly in semi-desert regions. It is known for its use in the production of tequila, but it also has applications in the food industry, where it is used to create natural sweeteners such as agave syrup. Its sweet taste and low glycemic index make it ideal as an alternative to refined sugar.

    How is agave used to create sweeteners that help reduce sugar consumption?

    The process to obtain agave syrup involves the extraction of the sweet liquid from the agave pineapple, which is then filtered and concentrated to obtain a liquid sweetener. This syrup is characterized by its high concentration of fructose, which gives it an intense sweet taste with the advantage of having a lower impact on blood glucose levels compared to regular sugar.

    Characteristics and benefits of agave syrup for your customers

    Our agave syrup is not only a natural sweetener that enhances the flavor of any food or beverage, but also offers a number of significant health benefits. Being 25% sweeter than table sugar, less is needed to achieve the same level of sweetness, making it an optimal and healthy choice. In addition, its high fructose concentration makes it highly soluble and easy to incorporate into various recipes without masking the original flavors or leaving an aftertaste, maintaining the authenticity of each dish.

    • Low glycemic index: Agave syrup has a lower glycemic index than refined sugar, which means it does not cause sharp spikes in blood sugar levels, making it a safe option for people with diabetes or those seeking to control their glucose.
    • Natural flavor: Unlike other artificial sweeteners, agave syrup offers a natural, sweet taste that enhances the palate of foods and beverages without adding empty calories.
    • Versatility: Agave syrup is very versatile and can be used in a wide variety of recipes, from beverages such as tea or coffee to desserts and salad dressings, providing a touch of sweetness without compromising health.

    In addition, our agave syrup is rich in inulin, a prebiotic fiber that helps regulate and improve digestion, promoting a balanced intestinal flora and favoring the absorption of essential nutrients. This combination of nutritional properties makes it a versatile and health-promoting product for a wide variety of people, from athletes seeking a natural energy source to those with specific dietary needs.

    At The iidea Company, we are committed to carefully selecting the best raw materials to produce our agave syrup, meeting the demands of a market that is increasingly aware of the benefits of quality products. It is vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free and allergen-free, making it accessible and safe for a wide range of wellness-conscious consumers.

    Create your own brand of agave syrup with our online configurator.

    Agave syrup is a smart solution to reduce sugar consumption in your customers’ diets, especially for those with specific needs such as diabetes. Its unique characteristics and nutritional benefits make it an attractive option for those looking to take care of their health without sacrificing the pleasure of sweet flavors.

    At The iidea Company, we are proud to offer premium agave-derived products that not only satisfy our customers, but also promote their well-being. If you are interested in entering the market of healthy and delicious products, we invite you to use our online configurator to create and quote your own brand of agave syrup in just a few simple steps. Join this trend and offer your customers a product that is growing in the market!

    Inulin Type – Fructans for your Skin Care Routine? YES!

    Over the years maintaining and providing moisturized skin has been a focus of attention for many cosmetical scientists.

    One of the main reasons for caring about your skin hydration is its “appearance”. When your skin is well-moisturized it simply shows off.

    Hydrated skin is less propensity to wrinkle appearance, maintains tight, and looks naturally glowing and healthy.

    Agave Fructans have been proved to benefit the skin barrier by promoting what some describe as “Microbial Hydration.”

    According to a study, by maintaining the microbial equilibrium (between “Good & Bad” bacteria) on our epidermis surface we promote the formation of the biofilm that microorganisms need to retain water; this rebounds in a  beneficial moisturizing effect upon our skin cells.

    So, next time you come across the word “Inulin” at the supermarket you should not only think about your Gut. Agave Inulin can also become your next “daily beauty ally”. Just by adding it to your daily creams and lotions.

    Would you like inulin for your skincare brand?

    Get in touch with us! Sales@iidea.com.mx

    Do you know what does glycemic index is?

    The glycemic index (GI) is a way to measure the effects of food on blood sugar levels. After eating carbohydrate food, there is an increase and a subsequent decrease in blood sugar (glucose).

    Based on the physicochemical characterization (carbohydrate profile), described in the technical specification, the glycemic index is classified as low *. The GI of our products, using as a reference the values ​​for carbohydrates estimated by the Mexican Diabetes Federation are:

    Agave fructans contribute to maintaining a healthy diet.

    According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), lifestyles have been changing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Good nutrition is a good idea to maintain a healthy and strong immune system. Agave fructans is an ingredient that improves our digestion and contributes to support our healthy diet during these difficult times.

    Agave fructans contribute to maintaining a healthy diet, it is fiber and low in calories, oftentimes it could be used as a substitute for fats or sugars.

    The agave fructans fiber is dissolved in the stomach and intestine, it promotes the slow digestion, increases fullness, and reduces cholesterol absorption as it passes through the digestive tract.

    Agave fructans are highly soluble,  they could be added to water. Drink water also helps reduce the risk of consuming too many calories to maintaining a healthy weight and daily fiber intake could be completed during the day.

    Scientific studies suggest that agave fructans have other benefits as better absorb calcium, controls blood sugar, and could potentially lower colon cancer risk.

    Is common to find agave fructans in supplements, just 3 g per day is enough to feel the prebiotic benefit and promote digestive health. Nevertheless, it could be as an ingredient in foodstuffs like ice-cream, cereal bars, pasta, yogurt, chocolates, beverages, and more.

    It is important in addition to a healthy diet, a healthy lifestyle that includes additional strategies as exercising.

    Carlos Hernández

    R&D Manager

    Get to know our product portfolio, our value offer, and more. Get in touch with us!

    sales@iidea.com.mx

    Flavor Trends: On a Discovery Mission

    The search for something new, different, and exciting is leading flavor developments in food and beverage, supported by an ongoing interest in natural, clean label and healthier options. ‘New Discoveries’ emerges as the leader in Innova Market Insights’ Top Flavor Trends for 2019, as the company continuously analyzes global developments in food and beverage launch activity and consumer research to highlight the trends most likely to impact the food and beverage industry over the coming year and beyond.

    Innova Market Insights Top Flavor Trends for 2019 are:

    1. New Discoveries
    Consumers are on a big, broad journey of discovery, moving out of their comfort zones to explore new food experiences, with flavor playing a major part in that. This is illustrated by the fact that two out of three US respondents in an Innova Market Insights survey agreed with a statement that they love to discover new flavors. Even among more traditional consumers who didn’t agree with the statement, there is still a role for reinventing classic flavors with novel twists, alongside developing new and more unusual flavors and combinations.

    2. Sensational Concepts
    Brands are leaning towards more remarkable and unusual flavor hybrids, as well as stronger taste experiences (hot, sweet, savory, etc.), while sour options are also surging in popularity. Well-established sweet and salty combinations are being joined by a whole raft of other hybrid flavor solutions, led by initiatives such as sushi pizza, spicy tuna roll corn dogs, pasta bacon tacos and ramen burgers in the foodservice sector.

    3. Sophisticated Touch
    Established flavors perceived to be dull are being reinvented, often in much more complex and sophisticated combinations. An aging population globally is driving the demand for more adult-oriented options, with traditional coffee flavor, for example, increasingly giving way to more upmarket, added-value and on-trend options, such as Cold Brew Caramel Latte, in a whole range of food and beverage products. As well as coffee, other adult-oriented flavors growing in popularity include various types of alcohol, as well as smoke/roasted options.

    4. Cultural Celebration
    Consumers regard themselves as world citizens and are increasingly interested in diverse flavors inspired by foreign cuisines. Southeast Asian, East Asian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors are more in evidence in traditional and familiar Western snacks, beverages and ready-to-eat meals.  This demand for authentic-style ethnic alternatives focuses not just on flavor, but also recipes and even product/ingredients origins/provenance.

    5. Fifth Dimension
    Umami is the fifth basic taste after sweet, sour, bitter and salty but unlike the others, it’s hard to define. Often described as savory, meaty deliciousness, it comes down to the taste of glutamates on our tongue. Western awareness remains low, but the rising demand for exotic flavors and convenient home cooking is driving growth of launches with an umami claim. Conversely, umami is well-established and understood in the East, but the recent focus on mindful food choices and the demand for clean and healthy products has driven the use of ingredients with a natural source of umami taste.

    The other top trends identified by Innova Market Insights are:

    6. Bitter is Back
    7. Botanicals Branch Out
    8. Fruitful Favorites
    9. Functionally Flavorful
    10. Flavor Connections

    Innova Market Insights will present the Flavor Trends for 2019 on 10 July 2019 at 4pm CEST/10am EDT. Register for the webinar by clicking here.

    For further information, please contact:
    Su Ha: su@innovami.com
    Tel: +31 26 319 2000

    ** You can find the more articles like this at: https://www.innovamarketinsights.com

    Food Fraud

    For many consumers, one of the aspects to trust in food is the information contained on the to-be-purchased product’s label; approximately 56% of people say they are confident that what they buy is exactly what is mentioned on the label.In addition to highlighting the complexity of the supply chain in the food industry, the horsemeat scandal made many consumers aware, probably for the first time, of Food Fraud (January 2013)

    Food Fraud it’s defined as “the substitution, addition or intentional dilution of a food, raw material or the falsification of a product or material, with the purpose of a financial gain, by the increase of the apparent value or by the reduction of costs in its production (BRC V7 Food) “; it is estimated that food fraud will cost the world food industry between 30 and 40 billion dollars a year.Among the most adulterated products are olive oil, milk, honey, organic products, saffron, coffee, wine and fruit juices. The food safety controls under the IFS, BRC, FSSC22000 and other safety standards are based on an assessment of the vulnerability of the food to fraud, as well as establishing control measures and a plan to mitigate this type of acts.The fight against this type of acts is of vital importance, not only for the economic part of the products and brands that are in the market but for the health care of consumers.

    We are a leader in the development of products from the agave

    Since 1990 The IIDEA Company has been a leader in the development of new products from the agave plant. “Innovation” is the main commitment for our founder through new products that meet the needs of our customers from a focus on quality and food safety.

    “Innovation” is not only a word, is creativity source that comes from us, all the staff trying to improve and challenge ourselves, in order to be pioneers as The IIDEA Company has always been; comes also from the ideas of our customers, employees or market trends which goes directly to the Innovation and Development of New Products Department (I+D) and all the pieces start to be match together like in a big puzzle always keeping in mind the great quality that all our products have and represents us.Our I+D department is integrated by professional staff with a creative leadership with more than 18 years of experience in agave industry, focused in achieving the objectives of the company, providing to our customers the materialization of their ideas, necessities and the newest trending.As we said, all new development starts as an idea, and then we start making different trials and laboratory applications until we obtain the product with the sensorial and physical characteristics that satisfy the palate of a select group of judges. The next step is to replicate all the parameters in our pilot plant and finally; it is scaled to industrial production. When a new product is developed our team establishes all the technical information to give support and assistance to our customers.We are proud of our new products developed past year derived from agave: the new agave spread which is ideal to give you more options for your breakfast time or our new agave syrup with chlorophyll to create an exotic flavor of our classical sweetener, ideal for fresh sensations.We believe that innovation stars to listen actively all the options or new proposals, be integrated into a strong team inspired in our company values, vision and mission always focused on our customers.

    Carlos Hernández
    Innovation and design Manager

    3 Huge Reasons Why Commercial Meal Replacement Drinks Are No Good

    Agave Syrup

    1. The “Vitamins and Minerals” Are Synthetic

    These so-called vitamins and minerals are not sourced from actual food. Even though they may claim to have these healthy properties, they are not coming from the right place, making them difficult for your body to even absorb them. Unprocessed foods like fresh fruits and veggies are always a better option.

    1. Too Much Added Sugar

    If your meal replacement options come in a variety of indulgent flavors such as “cupcake” or “rich chocolate”, beware. These may sound appealing, especially when labeled as “low calorie”, but it’s simply a marketing tactic that will take a toll on your insides. Be sure to check the sugar content of any product you consume. Many of these have sugar or a sugar substitute listed as one of the top 5 ingredients. Regardless of whether you’re trying to lose weight or gain weight, added sugar is still a source of empty calories. Consuming too much added sugar can lead to moodiness, dips in energy levels, stomach queasiness and worsened overall health due to inflammation.

    1. Contain Artificial Ingredients

    Just some of these unnatural ingredients include refined vegetable oils than can promote inflammation, and shelf stabilizers such as cellulose gel or carrageenan. These can cause some serious tummy issues if consumed too often. Then there’s thickeners and preservatives, like maltodextrin, which has a very high glycemic index and causes blood sugar spikes. Finally, there are color and flavor enhancers, often including artificial sweeteners like aspartame or sucralose, which have been linked to problems like weight gain and headaches.

    Aren’t a lot of these side effects things that they’re claiming to remedy? Perhaps that’s how they keeps customers buying? For anyone with a sensitive digestive system, it’s usually hard to properly absorb synthetic vitamins or digest foods with lots of preservatives and chemicals. Consuming prepackaged meals or bars doesn’t teach you any useful long-term strategies related to healthy meal preparation, watching portions, managing cravings or listening to your body’s hunger/fullness signals through mindful eating. Even if you do start a program, it’s been proven that only half of those people who start do not stick with it. Do yourself a favor and make some natural power smoothies out of real fruits, veggies, and other nutrients. It pays to know exactly what’s going in your body.

    New Organic Farming Tool: Cover Crop Carpet

    Organic farmers have to make hard choices between controlling weeds and protecting soil from erosion. For example, large-scale organic farming relies heavily on tillage. Tilling breaks up the soil to kill weeds and prepare for planting. However, intense tillage can compact soil, cause erosion, and deplete nutrients. As a result, some organic farmers are turning to cover crops for weed control.

    Cover crops are planted after harvest as an in-between crop, improving the soil with living roots that protect it from erosion and add nutrients. Cover crops are usually plowed down, but another option is flattening it to form a thick carpet, or mat. They do this with a roller crimper which is a heavy, rolling drum attached to a tractor.

    The farmer then uses a no-till planter to plant seeds into the flattened mat for the next season. The new crop grows through the cover crop residue, which helps suppress weeds.

    This method, called cover crop-based organic rotational no-till, allows farmers to skip spring tillage and weeding. By simply flattening a cover crop, farmers don’t have to disturb the soil for a new crop. The flattened cover crop suppresses weeds and retains soil moisture.

    All new trials come with complications. For example, if you flatten it too late, the cover crop might produce seeds. The result is a weedy cover crop competing with next season’s cash crop. And if you flatten the cover crop too early, it may regrow.

    It’s all in the timing. Generally, letting the cover crop grow longer produces the best, if not perfect, results. Without this new tool, farmers have to plow the field multiple times, harrow it, plant it, and do a lot of weeding. The cover crop eliminates much labor time and saves precious diesel fuel. Despite the tricky timing, rolling cover crops to form a mat has a lot of potential.

    Foods & Ingredients: What to Expect in 2018

    There are always some foods and ingredients that come to the forefront each year. So, which of those are we going to be seeing more of in 2018? The five ingredients mentioned below all offer something unique and exciting, and that’s why more people are going to be using them soon.

    Poke

    You may have heard of this one before. Pictured above, Poke is the name given to a certain type of raw fish salad. Interest in this salad is currently on the rise. And by the time 2018 arrives, it might be the major trend that many of us want it to be. There are many restaurant owners and food fanatics that are already raving about it, and that can only mean one thing: it’s going to get really popular sometime soon. Originating in Hawaii, and that’s where it’s served best. So, next time you’re on a Hawaiian island, be sure to check it out.

    Cassava Flour

    If you’re looking for a new and healthier (plus Gluten Free!) type of flour to use in your cooking and baking, look no further than cassava flour. It’s used a lot in some parts of Asia and South America. Did we mention it’s grain-free as well? Even if you don’t have any allergies to contend with, this is a super-healthy ingredient and one that lots of people will be using more of in 2018. It’s a source of carbohydrate, and it doesn’t contain any nuts either.

    Seaweed

    This type of food has been popular among vegetarians for a long time. Seaweed is fantastic for anyone who wants to get their fill of protein without eating too much meat. And there is no reason why other people won’t start to eat it too. Its health properties are stunning, and there are no negative properties. It can be cooked in all kinds of ways; just look at what the Japanese do with it. It’s a massively important food in Japan, and that’s a country with one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world, so they must know what they’re talking about.

    Chaga Mushrooms

    Don’t be alarmed by the looks of them. Chaga mushrooms just might turn out to be the major superfood of 2018. They are already starting to get more attention as more people learn about their vital properties. The major benefit of these mushrooms is their immune system supporting attributes. They are also really good at battling any irritation that’s occurring inside your digestive system. They soothe you and help you to retain a good digestive balance, which can be really important. On top of all that, they’re pretty versatile and can be used in lots of ways. Would you give them a try?

    Insects

    That’s right, we said it. Insects might not seem like the most pleasant food to be putting on the menu, but there are some real benefits to eating them. They are high in protein, and consuming them has no negative impact on the planet. Farming this is not environmentally damaging in the way beef, pork and chicken farming is. Insects are also plentiful. People have been talking about making insects mainstream for a while, but there hasn’t been much of a breakthrough yet. Proponents of insect-eating think all that could be about to change in 2018. Let’s see if they’re right.

    Now that you know all you could possibly want to know (and maybe didn’t want to know) about the major and minor food trends likely to take effect in 2018, why not get ahead of the crowd? Spread the word or share this blog to see what your friends think about these unique and up-and-coming eats!

    More Protein and Food Replacement Drinks

    Protein drinks are popular among fitness enthusiasts and gym-goers. But they have not yet been adopted by people who just want to improve their health or use as a food replacement. However, this could be on the verge of changing. A raft of new healthy food companies are releasing user-friendly, high protein and fibre drinks that target people who are on the go, an example brand is Huel. By this time next year, this could be a trend that’s riding a wave.