[00:00:00] Colleen Zammer: Hey folks, it's Ray with Taste Radio. Right now, I'm honored to be sitting down with Colleen Zammer of Bay State Milling. Colleen, it's great to see you.
[00:00:08] Bay State: Thanks, Ray. Great to see you too. Thanks for having me.
[00:00:10] Colleen Zammer: Thanks so much for joining me in this incredible time for Food & Beverage. Things are changing so much. And as we all know, Bay State Milling is one of the leading companies in our space, particularly as it relates to nutritious ingredients. And I'd love to hear from you in terms of nutrition and how that landscape is changing, particularly in the context of consumer brands.
[00:00:33] Bay State: Oh, it is exciting times. Nutrition is changing a lot. You wouldn't think that that's possible given that it's been around for a long time, but consumers just really tuned in to what they're putting in their mouths and what they're putting into their bodies. And so they're seeking information, they're reading labels, and they're really looking for the most nutrition for their buck.
[00:00:53] Colleen Zammer: That's certainly true in the case of a macro that we're all familiar with, which is protein. It seems like everything is protein this, protein that these days. But a lot of people are talking about fiber as well. Why do you think fiber is the next part of that conversation?
[00:01:08] Bay State: Yeah, fiber is a macro that hasn't gotten a lot of attention over the years, but as people are starting to learn more about gut health and the impact of their gut on the rest of their body, and then what impacts gut health, which is fiber and how it feeds the microbiome, they're really starting to connect all those dots and say, yes, okay, I need protein for strength and muscle building, but for the rest of my body to function well, I need to feed it well, and that's what fiber does.
[00:01:34] Colleen Zammer: How much does the fiber part of the equation influence buying decisions today, and how does it change how consumers make buying decisions, say, a year from now?
[00:01:46] Bay State: I think it's starting to impact buying decisions today. It's part of the whole picture, whereas in the past it might have been a single nutrient that they were tuned into. They're starting to look at different types of fiber because different types of fiber do different things. And now, when you think about nutrient density, that's sort of the term that we're using quite a bit these days. It's been around for a long time, but nutrient density now is not just about one nutrient. So when you think about all of the nutrients that you can get in a food, they start to add up. And so that value that you get from nutrition, or as Rabobank likes to call it, nutrition efficiency, It all comes together in a bigger picture. So now we're starting to see this layering or stacking of macronutrients. So the protein plus fiber equation is becoming way more important. And I think that's what we will see as the next year or more play out.
[00:02:37] Colleen Zammer: So if people are willing to pay more for better food, for food that has more nutritional value, will they be willing to sacrifice on flavor? I think the answer is no. And fiber has always meant, in the past at least, taking a bit of a taste hit. How does BSM help brands avoid the quote unquote flavor problem?
[00:03:01] Bay State: Yes, I agree with you that consumers will not sacrifice on taste. It is the number one thing. That's one of the reasons why we eat food to begin with. So Bay State Milling, when we focus on fiber, we're really focused on one particular delivery vehicle and that is HealthSense high fiber wheat flour. And so the fiber is built into the flour. It comes directly from the wheat seed. And any of the food that you make with HealthSense flour tastes exactly like it would if it were made from traditional flour. So if you think about white bread, you think about white pasta, that's the flavor that we all love and that nice smooth texture. With the fiber built into the flour, there's no taste hit whatsoever.
[00:03:43] Colleen Zammer: That's great to hear. But people want to know that the proof is in the pudding. Who's actually using HealthSense?
[00:03:49] Bay State: Oh, it's used in quite a bit of products. You'll find it in pasta, tortillas, other baked goods. We've got some bread customers. So it's being used in a lot of the foods that you may be eating today and wouldn't know it except for looking at that fiber claim on the front or the back of the pack.
[00:04:05] Colleen Zammer: I think a lot of folks listening right now are wondering, well, would it work for my brand? How does BSM help incorporate HealthSense into new products? How do you help founders figure out a way that it not only makes sense from an ingredient standpoint, but it makes sense from a brand standpoint and a marketability standpoint, and at the end of the day, gives consumers an extra reason or perhaps a primary reason to buy their products.
[00:04:35] Bay State: That's a great question. We work really closely with our customers to make sure that all of those things fit together, using the right amount of the ingredient to deliver on a claim that's meaningful for consumers, but delivers on a fantastic tasting product. Obviously, different brands have different messaging and different essence, so we want to make sure that the benefits that we're talking about resonate well with that brand and with their consumers. It requires that close relationship where we work together from the very beginning to talk about what it is that they want to deliver to their consumer, and then we can work with them on the formulation, we can work to find them a manufacturer, we can work with that manufacturer to make sure that it's flawlessly produced, and even we can help them with packaging claims if that's what they're looking for.
[00:05:20] Colleen Zammer: I've seen reports that say American consumers are increasingly looking to GLP-1 drugs for their own health and that as many as 25% of American consumers will be using GLP-1 drugs in just a matter of years. That's a very large and significant number. How does GLP-1 drugs and the consumers that are using them fit into the overall strategy for BSM and its clients?
[00:05:53] Bay State: We can't deny the size and the impact of the GLP-1 market. I think we all know many, many friends and family who are using them, and it does impact them in different ways. They choose different foods. They really want to make every calorie count because they're really not that hungry. So they're trying to eat well. They're trying to get as much nutrition as they can. Again, this nutrient density concept. And protein is one of the macros that they're trying to get more of because they want to maintain that muscle mass. But in tandem with protein, you need fiber. You need it for digestive health. You need it to help with the satiety that the drug also brings. and you need it to help offset some of the sometimes downsides of too much protein or not enough food. So as this consumer base grows and foods are catered specifically to them, we're going to see a lot more protein, a lot more fiber, and in general again this nutrient density where they get as much nutrition as they can for that morsel of food that they're going to eat.
[00:06:51] Colleen Zammer: There's one other part of the equation for food and beverage brands these days that they just can't escape, founders that is, and that's concerns about over-processed, ultra-processed foods. And consumers just want to seemingly eat better for you, but how do ultra-processed foods and the scrutiny around them impact your work with founders and their brands?
[00:07:20] Bay State: Ultra processed foods are certainly a big trend and also a big opportunity, particularly for founders and new brands that are starting out. Consumers are tuned into this. They may not know the term ultra processed foods, but they know that they want clean label. They know that they want as few ingredients as possible. And so for us with HealthSense High Fiber Flour, The only thing that it would say on the label is flour or high-fiber flour. Our strategy is actually to try to remove some of those additives that are being tagged as highly processed. If you think about consumers are using some of these apps to determine how processed a food is, that really is looking for additives, it's looking for long labels. Here we're delivering the fiber with something as innocuous as just flour or wheat flour. or high fiber wheat flour, depending on how they choose to put it on their label. So we see this as actually an opportunity, and for smaller brands that can move fast and really get to the table fastest with these clean label products, we think it's a huge opportunity for new brands.
[00:08:24] Colleen Zammer: Well, if I were a founder looking to incorporate more fiber into my products, I think my first call would have to be to BSM. And, you know, the expertise that you've just talked about here, Colleen, is pretty remarkable. And I imagine that it's quite easy to talk to you and your team about how to incorporate HealthSense into a product or products. I guess the last question, and perhaps the most important one, which is, how do you get in touch with you and the team at BSM? What's the best way to do so?
[00:08:56] Bay State: We would love it for people to call us and talk about it. You can go on our website, baystatemilling.com and submit a form, or you can contact me directly. I am at czammer at bsm.com, or you can call our main number, which is also on our website. Any way that you call or write to us, you will get to the HealthSense team and we'll be there to help.
[00:09:19] Colleen Zammer: Outstanding. Well, Colleen, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today. I think your audience is going to be really thrilled with our conversation. Let's definitely stay in touch.
[00:09:30] Bay State: Absolutely. Thanks for the opportunity.
