FINDING INGREDIENT SUPPLIERS IS EASY AT INGRIDNET.COM….A COMPLETE SOURCING TOOLKIT FOR BUYERS AND PRODUCT DEVELOPERS.
When it comes to finding suppliers of food ingredients the ingridnet.com database is in a class of its own. The sheer number of suppliers that are listed on its service makes it the “go to” service for many ingredient buyers and product developers. In addition to its size, it also has some very useful features and so we asked Clive Morris, ingridnet’s creator to tell us more.
What is ingridnet.com and who uses it?
“Ingridnet is Tinder for the food industry”… as my 14 year old daughter likes to tell her friends! In a nutshell she is correct. We help buyers and product developers to source ingredients from over 17,000 suppliers.
Suppliers can be listed on the service free of charge so there is no limit to the amount of information we can provide. We constantly monitor the industry and add new categories as they arise. For example the “Alternative Protein” space has been particularly active over the last two years and we collate data on companies that have promising technologies, even though their products may not yet be commercially available.
Our clients can search the database for a specific ingredient, and within seconds a request for quotation (RFQ) can be on its way to up to multiple suppliers. A messaging system helps users keep track of the companies they have contacted.
How easy is it to search the database?
We have a number of search options, so you can look for ingredients by their generic name, trade name or search directly for companies. In addition to that the system is heavily cross-referenced and uses synonyms to help guide the user in their search for the correct ingredient. Organic, Non-GM, Kosher and Halal ingredients can also be identified.
It is easy to search by function, so whether it is an alternative sweetener, an emulsifier or a probiotic you are looking for the system will come up with suggestions. This aspect of the service is particularly important when “brain-storming” as it can help chefs and product developers to generate new ideas and solve technical challenges.
Food waste is a global challenge, what can ingridnet.com do to help?
Some years ago we were shocked to discover how frequently suppliers and manufacturers dispose of perfectly good ingredients, often because a contract has been cancelled at short notice. To address this we created the Market Place which enables manufacturers and suppliers to offer overstock products to a wider audience, often at less than market price. This means that the ingredients can still be used rather than being sent to landfill.
Can ingridnet.com help companies to realise additional value in their supply chain?
Clients can customize ingridnet.com by selecting their own “preferred suppliers” which highlights these companies when they appear in searches. Clearly there are advantages in sourcing new ingredients from existing suppliers. This aspect of the service can reveal new information about a client’s supply chain by identifying multiple approved suppliers for specific ingredients. Manufacturers are vulnerable when they rely on just one supplier for a key ingredient. The ability to identify alternative suppliers within your existing supply chain is extremely valuable. Supply chain weakness has been highlighted during the Covid pandemic, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine will create further stresses in global supply chains. Manufacturers that rely on one supplier or country for an ingredient are advised to seek a wider supply base as a matter of urgency.
Can ingridnet.com help buyers to negotiate prices using eCommerce?
Yes, we seek to democratize the eCommerce landscape and have recently embedded an eCommerce platform directly into ingridnet.com. For some years the larger companies have had the ability to obtain competitive pricing from their suppliers by way of reverse auctions. We now offer the same capability to companies no matter their size. The technology is not just for ingredients, it can be used to obtain competitive pricing for almost any commercial contract from packaging to site services.
How can the service help in addressing allergy issues?
Due to the wide range of ingredients that we cover it is possible to search for “alternative” or “replacer” products which provide a similar or equivalent function in a finished product. Just recently we helped one of our clients to source an allergen replacement and put them in touch with a supplier who can help them achieve their allergen-free objective. They have a meeting scheduled for next week. Did someone say “Tinder for the food industry”?……..that girl was right!
If you’d like to know more you can contact Clive or one of the team on: 01908 365200 / info@ingridnet.com / http://www.ingridnet.com/