The launch of the newly redesigned Prospector site at the end of September included an updated appearance and streamlined search functionality, among other enhancements. But food users in particular will see some extra improvements to ingredient categorization. These improvements are based on the issue that every food formulator faces when a new project starts – I’m looking for a specific ingredient, and I need samples and information as quickly as possible to get my product to market.
The major changes we’ve made to the big ingredient categories in the search engine will help users do just that. These categories have been regrouped so that they are clustered in a more common sense fashion, i.e. by their origin/what they are.
A few brief examples of these new category groupings are:
- Plant-Based Materials (including nuts, herbs and spices)
- Proteins
- Fats, Oils & Fatty Acids
- Grain-Based Materials
- Dairy Products
Additives are an exception to this rule, as they are categorized by their function within a product, such as acidity regulators, emulsifiers, food colors and thickeners. This will allow a formulator to see a variety of options based on how they need the ingredient to function in their product.
In addition, a category has been created called Finished Product Ingredients & Premixes/Blends. Not only are premixes located here, but formulators will also find other items that they may not want to produce on their own, such as bread crumbs, caramel, toppings, marshmallows, sauces and the like.
I hope our categorization efforts and this brief tour help you to more easily find the ingredients you need. As always, our primary goal is to give product developers like you the best user experience possible. So let us know what you think of our efforts! Leave a comment below or send feedback here.
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