Ultra-processed foods currently represent over 70% of the shelf space. As they are most commonly formulated, they often contain high amounts of sugar, fat, sodium, synthetic additives, and lower amounts of fiber, quality proteins, and micronutrients.

Unfortunately, many customers don’t really know the difference between “ultra-processed” and “processed”. This confusion often leads people to think all processed food is "bad," even when most options are perfectly fine.

This reality not only impacts consumers’ diets, it also represents a challenge for manufacturers and food brands looking to stay competitive in a market that increasingly values health, transparency, and sustainability.

🌱 A New Perspective: Transform, Don’t Demonize

Ultra-processed and processed foods are here to stay, since they offer convenience. They are practical, accessible, and deeply embedded in global consumption patterns. Instead of eliminating them, at Evolve Food we believe the path forward is to transform them, turning a challenge into an opportunity to differentiate your brand from mass-market products.

With the right approach, creativity, and science, we have supported brands in removing artificial and undesired ingredients to achieve not only a cleaner label but also a product that can compete in today’s cost-driven and marketing-intensive environment.

So the question is, can you make your product better?

Do you understand the role each ingredient plays in your formulation?

For us, this is an open door to reimagine formulations, elevate nutrition, and set new standards for the industry.

Food science now makes it possible to create versions with:

✔️Less sugar and sodium

✔️More fiber, more and higher quality proteins, and functional nutrients

✔️Cleaner ingredients and more sustainable processes

Tip of the Month!

When reformulating or developing a “better-for-you” product, it’s easy to focus only on what to remove. But real impact comes from understanding why each ingredient is there in the first place.

Before eliminating an ingredient, ask:

• What functional role does it play? (texture, shelf life, flavor, stability)

• Is there a more intentional or higher-quality alternative?

• Can functionality be achieved through formulation strategy instead of additives?

Many reformulation challenges don’t come from removing ingredients, they come from removing them without a functional replacement. A successful clean label starts with ingredient purpose, not just perception.

#AskAFoodScientist - Ingredient Highlight

Fiber is often discussed for its nutritional benefits, but from a food science perspective, it’s also a powerful functional ingredient.

Depending on the type, fiber can help:

• Improve texture and mouthfeel.

• Reduce sugar or fat while maintaining structure.

• Support satiety and digestive health.

• Enhance nutritional density without compromising taste.

The key is choosing the right fiber for the right application. Not all fibers behave the same, and selection depends on processing conditions, formulation goals, and sensory expectations.

Psyllium husk is a great example and a highly underutilized ingredient. In "better-for-you" and clean-label applications, psyllium can be a powerhouse because of its high water-binding capacity. It can be used to mimic the elasticity of gluten or as a texture enhancer. By using psyllium, brands can clean up their deck by removing synthetic gums while still delivering a premium texture.

Understanding fiber beyond the nutrition panel allows brands to build better products not just better claims.

🚀 Productization: The Ops Lab

Empowering founders with the operational know-how to launch and scale.

After almost 3 years of working with founders to launch brands and build operational foundations through our Productization service, we have condensed our expertise into a guided eight-week program. Join an intimate circle of no more than 8 founders and gain direct access to the Evolve Food team’s expertise and operational frameworks.

Program Summary

An 8-week cohort program designed to guide early-stage CPG founders from initial concept to a compliant, scalable, and manufacturer-ready product. This intensive curriculum focuses on the critical pillars of operational success: formulation, scalability, ingredient and supply chain strategy, regulatory compliance, COGS modeling, co-manufacturer vetting and onboarding.

Start Date: April 13, 2026.

If interested, contact us at [email protected] or reply to this email.

Looking for support this upcoming year?

At Evolve, we specialize in supporting food and beverage companies across various critical areas, including Operations, Product Development, Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management, Food Safety, Quality, Third-Party Certification, and everything in between. Attached, please find our deck for your review.

Whether you are looking to launch a new product or scale your existing operations, our services can help you grow with confidence while avoiding common mistakes.