1-2-Taste 2023: Digital Marketplace for Food Ingredients, Services & Tools
DeliveryRank chats with Jasper Schouten, the CEO of 1-2-Taste. Under his leadership, 1-2-Taste has achieved remarkable growth, scaling from zero to over 1000 products online in just 18 months. As the world's first digital B2B marketplace for Food Ingredients and Food Product Development, 1-2-Taste revolutionizes the industry by providing food and beverage companies with easy access to a wide range of ingredients.
What is 1-2-Taste?
At 1-2-Taste, we offer a solution to two different groups. On one hand, we cater to customers who are seeking to develop healthier and more sustainable products. They often struggle to find the right ingredients for their innovations, such as organic, natural, or sustainable options. Our platform provides them with access to a wide range of these ingredients, making their search easier and more efficient.
On the other hand, we also serve as a solution for ingredient suppliers. Traditional distribution methods can be opaque and less effective in reaching small and medium-sized enterprises. However, our digital platform ensures complete transparency and allows suppliers to efficiently connect with these businesses. We bridge the gap between these two groups, providing a seamless and full transparent buying and selling experience that includes logistics and warehousing.
Can you share the journey of how 1-2-Taste scaled from zero to offering over 1000 products online in just 18 months? What were the key strategies or factors that contributed to this rapid growth?
The major reason is that 1-2-Taste provides a solution that helps our supply partners to reach the SMEs directly. Also our marketing activities help to put the brand out there reaching 50.000 visitors per month. This is not something ingredient producers are used to. Traditionally this is done through distributors that in general are not transparent to whom they are selling and don’t share at what price. We offer complete transparency. This is appealing.
E-commerce for B2b food ingredients will only grow in the coming years and is now only 4% which is extremely low when compared to other B2b verticals.
As the world's first digital B2B marketplace for food ingredients and product development, how does 1-2-Taste simplify the process of finding and selecting the right food ingredients for food and beverage companies?
As the world's first digital B2B marketplace for food ingredients and product development, 1-2-Taste simplifies the process of finding and selecting the right food ingredients for food and beverage companies in several ways:
Easy Access: 1-2-Taste provides easy access to a wide range of food ingredients from multiple suppliers, all in one centralized platform. This saves valuable time and effort for companies who would otherwise need to search and contact individual suppliers.
User-Friendly Search and Browse: Our platform offers intuitive search and browse functionalities, allowing companies to quickly find the specific ingredients they are looking for. They can filter their search based on various criteria, such as category, application, certifications, and more.
Comprehensive Product Information: 1-2-Taste offers detailed product information for each ingredient, including applications, shelf life, certifications, pricing, and packaging options. This helps companies make informed decisions based on their specific requirements and preferences.
Access to Product Documents: Registered users can create a free account to view additional product documents like technical and safety datasheets. This ensures transparency and enables companies to assess the suitability and quality of the ingredients before making a purchase.
Multiple Suppliers and Categories: Our marketplace features dozens of categories with multiple suppliers to choose from. This diversity allows companies to explore various options and select ingredients that best fit their needs in terms of quality, price, availability, and specific product development goals.
By offering a user-friendly platform, comprehensive product information, and a vast selection of ingredients from different suppliers, 1-2-Taste streamlines and simplifies the process of finding and selecting the right food ingredients for food and beverage companies.
1-2-Taste is working constantly with its team to improve the online journey and soon our new AI driven bot will be launched. If you can not find what you are looking for you can always reach out to our customer success team that can further assist. In general customers start with selecting multiple samples to try. Once the tests are done we get feedback on which products they like and would like to proceed with
Could you elaborate on the range of categories and suppliers available on the 1-2-Taste marketplace and how you ensure a diverse and high-quality selection for your users?
As an IFF employee, we initially focused on flavors in the industry when launching 1-2-Taste. We carefully identified suppliers specializing in natural and organic flavors, aiming to have strong players in each specific field. Our flavor portfolio extends from traditional flavors to botanical options like vanilla, offering a comprehensive range.
Additionally, we expanded to functional ingredients crucial for creating meat and dairy alternatives. Plant-based proteins, dietary fibers, antioxidants, and nutritional fortifiers are examples of the ingredients available. We also provide an array of natural sweeteners and sugar reduction tools to ensure delightful taste experiences. In essence, our platform offers a wide range of ingredients to meet the diverse needs of building new and innovative products.
How does the platform facilitate food innovation and connect businesses with the right ingredients and services?
Our role differs from a typical platform in the sense that we don't just offer and sell products. We aim to provide a comprehensive experience for our customers in the food ingredients world. We understand the importance of samples, so we ensure that they are available for customers to try before making a decision.
Moreover, we go beyond product provision by offering technical support. Our trained staff can address most inquiries, but for more specific legal or market-related questions, we have a network of food experts available. Customers have the opportunity to engage in discussions and determine if working together would be valuable for their specific needs. Ultimately, the decision to collaborate lies in their hands.
In terms of demand and supply, how does 1-2-Taste create opportunities for both food businesses and suppliers?
One of the main reasons why people come to us is because we specifically cater to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the food industry. These SMEs make up a significant portion, approximately 50%, of the total market value spent on food ingredients. In Europe alone, there are around 280,000 SME customers.
However, it is often challenging for these smaller businesses to find the right ingredients for their innovation processes. Traditionally, they face difficulties in accessing ingredients as larger companies prioritize bigger potential customers. Our goal is to level the playing field by providing SMEs with equal access to high-quality ingredients, allowing them to be competitive and innovative like the global industry leaders.
If you would like to find out more about 1-2-Taste, visit https://www.12taste.com/