As consumers become increasingly health-, eco- and socially conscious about the foods and drinks they consume and where they come from, the numbers of companies that create those products and the ingredient companies and growers, etc. who supply them continue to proliferate at a tremendous pace. However, as the phenomenon invites more and more products into the marketplace, the requirements by consumers about what they purchase to feed themselves and their families also are multiplying as well as becoming increasingly stringent. At one time, typically the loose formula for a meal was that it was satiating, tasted good, and contained a reasonable amount of nutrition, or at least wasn't overly non-nutritious. Those were the days when the family dinner consisted of "a protein, starch, a vegetable, and dessert," and only the most ardent about diet drilled down any more deeply than that. Today, however, while appealing taste is still king, and likely will never go out of style, consumers demand very specific ingredients be included or excluded in their food and drinks for many reasons--from fueling athletic performance to myriad health-related issues--and want assurances that their consumption of particular products comes with a small eco and social footprint. Maintaining this balance of healthful food and drinks containing non-corn-based sweeteners, for example, and non-GMO ingredients, vegetable-based proteins, items free of dairy, soy and wheat, clean label ingredients, ingredients that come from sustainable means and created via transparent processes by a company with equally transparent business practices, etc. is what Sweet Additionsis all about. Maintaining this delicate and increasingly complicated balance is why we are an innovative company and what has set us apart since we were founded in 2004. There will always be individual breakthroughs, but successfully sustaining the larger picture across the board with equal due diligence is a trick not many ingredients companies can consistently pull off year after year, and is the reason so many prominent manufacturers depend on Sweet Additions for healthful, sustainable ingredients. That isn't to say, of course, that at Sweet Additions we're not proud of our individual innovations as well. We are! Innovations like: The versatility of our maltodextrins. RiceTrinand TapiDexby Sweet Additions, for example, are available at DE levels from 3 to 16, and provide excellent functional properties including good solubility and bulking. They exhibit strong binding properties, they're nonhygroscopic, they inhibit crystal growth, are excellent flavor carriers, have a low browning tendency, provide body and viscosity, help control freezing, and are a great source of carbohydrate. The functionality of our glucose syrups, RiceSweetand . Made from the partial enzymatic conversion of rice flour and tapioca starch, these nutritive carbohydrates yield a sweet syrup with a bland flavor. They are available in a DE range between 28 and 60 and offer moisture retention, binding properties, crystal growth inhibition, low browning tendency, viscosity, freezing point control, low osmotic pressure and film-forming properties. The advantages of our non-animal, non-soy based proteins. RiceProis made from the partial enzymatic conversion of brown rice causing the carbohydrates to separate from the proteins yielding an odorless powder with bland flavor. This nutritive protein concentrate is a highly versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of applications for weight management and building and preserving muscle mass. RicePro is available in various concentrations and mesh sizes, is dairy- and gluten-free, and available as certified organic or non-gmo conventional. Then there is the sustainability of our supply chainsand our U.S.-based operations, and the list goes on and on. Regularly creating new natural and organic ingredients that are healthful alternatives to more mainstream products without compromising quality and functionality is what makes us innovative. Deeply vetting our supply chain for sustainability is what makes us innovative. Improving our processes and business practices every day, making them more transparent wherever and whenever possible is what makes us innovative. Balancing all these qualities equally every day is why at Sweet Additions we are one of the most innovative companies in the industry.