Designed to Deliver: The Power of Purposeful Innovation on Shelf

As consumer demographics evolve, so do expectations – and the implications for CPG brands are profound. Today’s shoppers, increasingly diverse in age, ethnicity and priorities, are actively seeking products that reflect their unique needs. To improve relevancy and engagement, brands are grounding product development in dietary preferences, ingredient transparency, cultural traditions and lifestyle priorities. In food and beverage, this means innovating with intent – delivering products that balance taste and functional benefits with those rooted in authenticity, transparency and modern consumer priorities. 

To meet these evolving demands while minimizing risk, many large CPGs are exploring a variety of opportunities, including reformulating existing products, prioritizing intentional innovation and acquiring small- and mid-sized brands (SMBs). Regardless of the strategic approach, partnering with an ingredient expert is a must for creating distinct, impactful value: collaborative innovation, accelerated new product development and a growing ability to meet evolving consumer expectations with greater speed to market, precision and relevance. 

Read on to learn more about what today’s consumers are seeking, how one brand seized on an opportunity rooted in authenticity, and Ardent Mills’ unique ability to help brands rethink innovation through our proprietary ingredient solutions, growing capabilities and in-house team of innovation experts. 

Today’s Consumers by the Numbers – How Their Evolving Mindset is Influencing Product Choices 

  • More than 76% of consumers surveyed say that ingredient transparency is important when shopping for food and beverage products1 
  • Most Americans (77%) believe they should be eating more whole grains2  
  • 64% of CPG consumers look for non-GMO products when making purchasing decisions3 
  • More than 3/4s (78%) of consumers claim they are willing to pay a premium for products they define as being 'clean label' or supporting 'cleaner eating4 
  • Almost 60% of multicultural Americans admit that food is essential in connecting them to their heritage5 
  • Nearly 1/4  (23%) of consumers claim to eat gluten-free out of choice.  Participation jumps to 37% among younger consumers (18-34)6 
  • According to our Trend to Table™ insights, 47% of consumers want food that is good for them and good for the planet7

The facts about what consumers expect from brands today are widely available, and yet only 20% of brands are leveraging product innovation to grow, remain competitive and enhance their operations8.This leaves an untapped opportunity for CPGs to innovate strategically – with the consumer at the center – creating products that feel personal, familiar and trusted, all while meeting the practical demands of today’s complex consumer base.  

Here’s a look at how one brand found success by marrying cultural familiarity with functional performance to win on shelf with a grain-free tortilla.  

How Siete Family Foods Leveraged the Power of Innovation Grounded in Heritage 

Siete Foods, a brand specializing in Mexican American products, won the hearts and wallets of consumers at breakneck speed – later resulting in its acquisition by PepsiCo9. 
 
Siete’s co-founder and president, Veronica Garza, suffered from debilitating autoimmune conditions as a teenager. Based on their passionate belief that food could help restore her health, Garza and her family adopted a grain-free and gluten-free diet. 

There was one challenge - they didn’t want to eliminate tortillas, which are an integral part of their food culture. Garza saw an opportunity for innovation and took action. Through trial and error, she developed what would become the brand’s flagship product – a grain-free tortilla. It quickly resonated with consumers who had similar dietary needs or preferences, and its popularity soared as a healthier alternative to traditional tortillas. 

The end result? Siete’s health-forward, culturally inspired innovation led to a $1.2 billion acquisition by PepsiCo10. 

Ardent Mills: A Supplier at the Forefront of Innovation

As a key player in the ingredient and flour milling space, Ardent Mills understands the importance of centering product development around consumer expectations. Through our state-of-the-art Ardent Mills Innovation Centers (AMICs), we provide hands-on, cross-functional teams of chefs, R&D experts and food scientists that help you develop, analyze and test ingredients and applications for specialized formulations. 

Our Purpose-Powered Innovation™ approach helps you bring innovation to life. Whether your goals are to engage specific consumer segments, modernize favorite products or create new offerings with insight-backed intentionality, our team is here to help you from idea to shelf.  

Click here to explore our portfolio of flour-, grain- and pulse-based solutions or contact us at 888-680-0013 to learn more about partnering together to meet the needs of today’s diverse consumers. 

 

  1. Douglas Moran, Catherine, “More Grocery Shoppers Want Transparency with Sourcing, Research Finds,” Grocery Dive, December 5, 2023, https://www.grocerydive.com/news/grocery-shoppers-transparency-sourcing-FMI/701512/ 
  2. “Survey Shows More Than 75 Percent of Americans Think They Should Increase Their Whole Grain Intake,” Oldways Whole Grains Council, August 23, 2023, https://wholegrainscouncil.org/blog/2023/08/survey-shows-more-75-percent-americans-think-they-should-increase-their-whole-grain 
  3. “Consumers Rank Ingredient Transparency Among Most Important Issues for Brands,” GlobeScan, April 25, 2013, https://globescan.com/2013/04/25/consumers-rank-ingredient-transparency-among-most-important-issues-for-brands/#:~:text=Ingredient%20Transparency%3A%20More%20than%208,and%2078%25%20in%20developed%20markets 
  4. Ardent MIlls Proprietary Research, U.S. consumers 18+ 
  5. Paredes, Victor, “The Importance of Food for Multicultural Consumers,” Progressive Grocer, February 19, 2024, https://progressivegrocer.com/importance-food-multicultural-consumers 
  6. Ardent Mills proprietary research, U.S. consumers 18+ 
  7. “Trend to Table™: The Food Trends Driving Today’s Consumer Purchases and Their Impact on Grains,Pulses and Flours,” Ardent Mills Consumer Study, 2024, https://www.ardentmills.com/trend-to-table/ 
  8. Zhou, N., Ward M., Stringer, J., Wald, D., Manly, J., Friedman, A., Byrd, M., and Wilcox, A., “An Innovation Wake-Up Call for CPG Companies,” Boston Consulting Group (BCG), December 5, 2023, https://www.bcg.com/publications/2023/innovation-wake-up-call-for-cpg-businesses 
  9. Any mention of a third-party brand does not imply a customer relationship. 
  10. “PepsiCo Completes Acquisition of Siete Foods,” PepsiCo, January 17, 2025, https://www.pepsico.com/our-stories/press-release/pepsico-completes-acquisition-of-siete-foods01172025#:~:text=(NASDAQ%3A%20PEP)%20(%22,%22)%2C%20for%20%241.2%20billion.