Progressive® VegeGreens®: From Great to Even Better!
VegeGreens® has been a familiar face in the crowd of greens powders for a little over a decade now. This fan favourite is a well-known and well-used powder among wellness seekers, busy professionals, and athletes. The draw for many has been Progressive’s unparalleled testing and formulation process. Progressive is the brand that everyone turns to when they need a well-formulated product that is going to provide multiple benefits in an easy-to-take format. VegeGreens® has been just that: an everyday greens powder, pushing the limits of nutrient density, in a delicious scoop.
So why, you may be asking, are we updating the formula? In short, it comes down to our Progressive values: to provide unparalleled quality with amazing taste. Through research and testing, we have adjusted the formula to provide more Health Canada-approved health benefits and to meet the needs of our customers. To provide clarity on the exciting changes, we sat down with our Director of Global Innovation, Daniel Oliveira, to get the insider’s scoop behind the formulation shifts. Daniel has been overseeing the Progressive brand for many years and has played a key role in determining how VegeGreens® could be improved.
Q1: Daniel, VegeGreens® has been a keystone product in the Progressive lineup for quite some time, why is the change happening now?
A: VegeGreens® was originally formulated based on the latest science of its time. Since then, a lot of research has been done on ingredients and their effects on human health, such as mushrooms and tart cherry. There have also been a number of shifts in consumer behavior and expectations, such as following a gluten-free diet. We couldn’t ignore the data, so we made changes to the VegeGreens® formula that reflect the latest science and consumer expectations.
Q2: VegeGreens® always had such a long ingredient list, why is the ingredient list smaller now compared to before?
A: There are several reasons why the ingredient list is more focused. First, we took out ingredients that limited who could take the product. It was important to us to make the product as accessible to as many people as possible, so we took out soy powder and lecithin so that the product could be soy-free, and we took out ingredients that were potential sources of gluten so it could be gluten-free.
Second, there were ingredients consumers were looking for that we wanted to increase in importance, like spirulina, chlorella, spinach, and broccoli, and new ingredients we wanted to add in at efficacious doses, but we didn’t want the serving size to be huge! So, we made some difficult decisions and removed a number of ingredients that were at low doses so that we could maintain the serving size. We focused on giving people more of what they wanted and less of what was not as important to them.
Q3: Taste is very important, will the flavour profile change with the new formulation?
A: You are absolutely correct: taste is very important and it’s part of the reason why VegeGreens® is so popular. We made sure as we reformulated the product that each version tasted as good or better than the original. We went through multiple rounds of flavour trials and had an extensive tasting panel to ensure we were happy with the taste profiles. In my opinion some flavours, like Blueberry Medley, improved dramatically!
Q4: The fiber content has increased with the new formula. Is there a reason for choosing Acacia Gum over Apple Pectin?
A: While I love apples, we made the decision to replace apple pectin with acacia gum that is sustainably sourced and supports the social and economic development of the women who harvest it. In addition, acacia gum is a naturally low FODMAP source of prebiotic fibre that can support a healthy gut.
Thanks to Daniel for providing these important insights into the VegeGreens® reform. We hope you are as excited to try it as we are, and recommend it to your customers!
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