Industry expert perspectives on developing snack and bakery products with clean, clear, simplified labels and ingredients, including preservative-free, using natural colors and flavors, non-GMO, natural, and organic.
What does clean label mean? How can you be certain your newly developed product meets today's clean-label expectations while consumer demands continue to evolve?
As the "clean label" trend has evolved into a movement that's clearly here to stay, the food industry has been challenged to respond to it in ways that resonate with consumers.
Cleaning up the label of baked goods is more than just ingredients. If you're going to join the clean-label, natural baking trend, here's what you need to know about the non-ingredient side of things.
The fermentation of dough leads to a strengthening of the dough matrix. Dough conditioners and oxidizers like azodicarbonamide (ADA), bromate and ascorbic acid, as well as their enzyme counterparts, lead to the strengthening of the dough matrix.
How do I know the clean label trend is here to stay? Because you can see the market growing, as both big and small brands put out their "natural" or organic alternatives.
Baking clean label bread introduces its fair share of challenges. However, with growing demand, it's worth the challenge. And with an understanding of baking systems and a little help from new innovations, baking clean label bread has never been easier.
Consumers are weary of words like "chlorinated," "bleached" and "aluminum" on ingredient labels. While every baker is saying "But we've used these for ages!" this reason doesn't sit well with consumer groups and buyers like Whole Foods.
Chefs and food scientists alike are still focusing on developing the next new groundbreaking snack, but now with a back-to-basics approach focusing on whole and natural food ingredients to meet consumer demands.
The desire for safe, healthy food isn't necessarily new, but it has been picking up steam ... big time. While the FDA may not have a definition for what exactly counts as a "clean label," consumers are asking to buy them. As bakers, we need to simplify our formulas with natural solutions.