The Next 20 Years: Growing The Healthy Food Choice Megatrend

As CuliNEX enters its third decade, CEO Mark Crowell looks back—as well as ahead—at the challenges that face the food industry. 

By: Mark Crowell

The intersection of food and health is a megatrend that has grown in significance since the company was founded in 2005. Making healthier food options more accessible is a founding principle of CuliNEX. As I look forward to the decades ahead, this movement will continue to grow in importance. CuliNEX will build on its two decades of experience in this arena and continue to help food companies meet the challenge of offering meals and snacks that are healthy, sustainable, and delicious.

Both Consumers and Companies Want Healthier Options

Today, more than ever, consumers read labels and express deep concern for what’s in their food. But the reality is, healthy foods that are simple to prepare are still fairly rare in convenience stores and value-priced grocery stores. Food options and health are closely linked. It’s all too easy to opt for low-nutrient, high-calorie foods—and it’s contributing to a health crisis

Consumers are not the only ones interested in healthier foods. Food companies are also seeking to offer more wholesome choices and reformulate old favorites to stay relevant in an evolving, competitive landscape. It’s an area of growth that benefits all. Still, delivering food solutions for a healthier future is a complex challenge for food producers as different generations are focused on different needs.

That’s why, when food companies need innovative solutions for Clean Label products, they turn to CuliNEX. Our Culinologists take on challenges with curiosity, care, and dedication, ensuring our clients’ success from bench to store shelf. How do we do it? By capitalizing on our 20 years of clean label formulation experience, staying current on processing and packaging innovations, and taking a “flavor first” approach.

The Role of Technology

New food ingredients, sustainable preparation techniques, and innovations in food formulation are creating opportunities for more nutritious, affordable food. For example, our Culinologists recently crafted a delicious vegan salami with an extended shelf life. Plant-based protein alternatives like this product make healthy eating more sustainable and more accessible for a larger audience.

Production Support

At CuliNEX, we use two decades of expertise in Clean Label development to help companies navigate complex supply chains and integrate new products into sustainable ways of doing business. We help clients source reliable co-mans and optimize production processes. Food production strategies can play a crucial role in addressing the food-health crisis by getting more healthy foods, to more regions, more sustainably.

Flavor Innovation

Twenty years ago, the stereotype existed that healthy foods don’t always taste good. The Culinologists at CuliNEX have proven that stereotype wrong—and will continue to do so.

Our team excels at elevating flavors. At CuliNEX, we take on every project with curiosity, care, and dedication, ensuring our clients’ success from bench to commercialization, even when presented with challenging ingredient combinations. For example, we achieved high consumer ratings in developing Forij’s low-sugar, whole grain, functional superfood granola with lion’s mane mushrooms.

Eating Healthy: Our Vision for the Next 20 Years

Eating healthy should be an easy option for everyone. That’s one of the core reasons I founded CuliNEX in 2005. Two decades later, many Americans struggle to access the foods they need to thrive. The good news is that there’s hope.

At CuliNEX, we are dedicated to using innovation, technology, and culinary arts to create foods that make eating healthy the easy, natural choice.

Let’s all think bigger, to push for innovation, and invest in creating clean, wholesome, delicious foods. Together, we can create a healthier future.