Food formulators face the challenge of balancing performance with label friendliness, meeting consumers’ desires for taste experiences without undesirable ingredients. Ingredient suppliers are innovating in the “clean label” sphere, offering new flavoring techniques, botanical preservatives, and smoke essence without actual smoke. Consumer perceptions of clean label vary globally, influenced by factors like education and cultural norms.
Sensient’s Nacre range provides sustainable umami solutions with neutral taste, enhancing flavor while masking off-notes. SmokeLess Smoke offers clean alternatives to traditional smoke flavors, aligning with consumer preferences for natural ingredients.
Botanical, herbal, and chili extracts are gaining popularity, catering to consumers’ desire for novel flavors. Kerry’s acquisition of Niacet strengthens its clean label solutions, offering alternatives to synthetic preservatives like benzoates and sodium nitrite.
ADM’s Colors from Nature portfolio addresses challenges in natural color formulation, providing stable and vibrant alternatives to synthetic colorants. Cargill’s EverSweet stevia sweetener offers a natural, label-friendly option for sugar reduction, meeting consumer demand for healthful and sustainably produced products.
