How to Clean up Your Label
In order to successfully develop a clean label product, a holistic technological
approach must be followed. The first of a two-part examination of clean label.
F
ood ingredient labels
have been the source of
information for consum-
ers to learn more about the
foods they consume. By provid-
ing the list of ingredients used
in a food product, consumers
can make more informed deci-
sions with their food choices.
However, for the vast major-
ity of consumers, reading food
labels may lead to confusion,
rather than enlightenment.
For why would their favorite
cookie contain ingredients such
as butylated hydroxy anisole
(BHA, E320) or ammonium
hydrogen carbonate (E503)?
Food technologists and
product developers will recog-
nize that these ingredients help
extend product shelf life (E320
is an antioxidant) and help im-
prove product quality (E503 is
an acidity regulator). However,
Figure 1: Systematic Science-Based Approach for Challenges in Developing Products With Clean Labels
10 THE WORLD OF FOOD INGREDIENTS
cleanlabel.indd 10
by Jerome Diaz
for ordinary consumers, all they
see is E-numbers and chemical
sounding names.
In a recent survey con-
ducted by Kampffmeyer Food
Innovation group, about 77%
of Europeans surveyed prefer
foods that are free from chemi-
cal additives. In the same report,
about 61% of European re-
spondents preferred sustainable
foods and 78% would prefer
more natural, chemical addi-
tive free versions of their staple
foods. Staple foods are those
convenience foods purchased
at least two to three (or more)
times a month. This includes
bakery products, pastries and
sauces, among others. As a
consequence of past experi-
ences and increased awareness,
consumers are now looking
for more transparent and easily
understandable food product
ingredient labels. Thus, the need
for clean labels in food products
came into being.
Lack of Clarity
There is currently no legal
definition for what constitutes
a clean label. This makes it
difficult to implement a clean
label program and evaluate
success and compliance for
such programs. However, in
an attempt to understand what
characterizes a clean label, one
must take into consideration the
results from consumer studies,
food industry examples and
related legislative or regulatory
examples.
From a consumer point of
view, clean label implies an
understandable list of ingre-
dients in the foods they con-
sume. In most cases, consumer
familiarity with most, if not all
ingredients listed in the label, is
an important factor to consider.
This may include those ingre-
dients that consumers would
normally have in their kitchen
cupboards. Furthermore, most
consumers will consider food
products that have no E-num-
bers in the ingredient list as a
characteristic of a clean label
product. Additionally, consum-
ers consider food products with
chemical sounding ingredients
as not being clean label.
Retailer Push
There has also been push for
clean labeling from food retail-
ers. A good example for this is
the list of acceptable and unac-
ceptable ingredients that Whole
Foods market, a supermarket
chain operating in the US, is
willing to sell in their stores.
Whole Foods reserves their right
to refuse selling food products
that do not conform to their list
of acceptable and unacceptable
ingredients. Some unacceptable
ingredients in the list include
artificial flavors and colors, most
chemical preservatives (such as
benzoates and propionates), en-
zymes such as transglutaminase
and sweeteners such as stevia, to
name a few.
Food manufacturers have
also launched clean label prod-
ucts that consist of a short list of
ingredients. These food prod-
ucts have been reformulated
to what is now considered to
be clean label. Consider, for
example, Haagen Dazs five
ingredient ice cream launched
in 2009. The ice cream only
contains five ingredients (skim
milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks and
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18-4-2013 17:04:21
 natural flavoring). The Haagen study, illustrates this point. The foodstuffs instead. In addition, Technological Challenges
Dazs five ice cream evokes a colors included in the South- the EU regulation for food ad- Having considered the vari-
traditional, mom-and-pop style ampton study are Allura Red, ditives as a whole is currently ous aspects relating to clean label
ice cream made from ingredi- Ponceau, Tartrazine, Sunset being re-evaluated for safety food products from the point of
ents that consumers are familiar Yellow, Quinoline Yellow and and usage. view of the various stakeholders
with and are able to understand. Carmosine. Overall, based on the exam- involved (consumers, industry,
The required EU warning ples and cases from consumers, regulatory agencies), the food
Regulatory Involvement label states: Warning: Allura Red industry players and regula- product developer is left with
Aside from the consumer [or any of the 5 other Southampton tory agencies, it may be gener- real technological challenges
and industry push for clean label colors] may have an adverse effect alized that the simplification of and questions that need to be
products, there has also been a on the activity and attention in chil- food labels towards increased addressed. How do you clean
legislative/regulatory push. The dren. This required labeling has consumer understanding and up labels while still maintaining
EU requiring the warning label prompted the reformulation of increased product health and product organoleptic properties?
for food products containing many confectionery products to safety is not merely a trend, nor In addition, how do you clean
colorants implicated in the 2007 shift from using synthetic colors a marketing campaign. Clean up labels and still maintain the
University of Southampton to natural colors and coloring labeling is here to stay. required product safety and
stability during the lifecycle
Table 1: Some Classes of Food Additives and Key
of the food product? Which
Challenges for Developing Clean Label Products
ingredients need to be elimi-
Function Example of specific Example of alternative Some key
ingredients and processes challenges nated? Which replacements are
additive (E number range)
for clean labeling available or required? These
questions are best answered
Food Colors E100-199: Quinoline Yellow; Coloring foodstuff. Some Bulkiness;
using a science-based approach
Carmine, Cochneal; Amaranth; examples: carrot juice for Stability (light and
Curcumin; Turmeric; Patent Blue yellow; beet juice for red; heat); Availability (figure 1).
cabbage extract for blue-purple
Reformulation Models
Preservatives E200-299: Sorbates; Benzoates; Natural fermentation from lactic Process modification;
At the moment, research
Sulphites; Phenols; Nitrates; acid bacteria; Process modifica- Increased process
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) tion for aseptic processing control questions related to clean labe-
ling fall into two categories. The
Antioxidants E300-E399: Gallates; Erythor- Natural extracts from plants: Off-flavors; Stability; first involves the understanding
and Acidity bates; Phosphates; Succunates; rosemary extracts, garlic Cross reaction in
Regulators Tocopherol (Vitamin E) extracts matrix
of food product matrices for
a more targeted reformula-
Thickeners, E400-499: Polyoxyethenes; Physically modified starches Reliability; Cost; tion strategy. A comprehensive
Stabilizers Cellulose derivatives; Fatty Process Stability reformulation model may be
and acids (and derivatives); Modified
Emulsifiers starches; Natural gums
obtained for various classes of
food systems, by understand-
ing the interaction and roles
Fruit Snacks Continue to Form a Key Growth Driver of various components of a
food product, and how these
Fruit snacks are a growth driver in the snacks components affect organolepti-
category. Unlike other snacks, which are often cal properties, product safety
purchased in an impulse, fruit snacks are more and shelf stability. The second
likely to be a planned snack, which creates op- category involves the develop-
portunities for manufacturers or quick service ment of technologies that infer
restaurants. According to Euromonitor, fruit snacks
novel functionalities to what
are among the best performing categories in
sweet and savory snacks. On a global level, the
may be regarded as clean label
snacking category showed a value sales increase ingredients. These technologies
of 4% in 2012. Fruit snacks showed value gains of move away from the chemical
just over 5%, compared to crisps 3%. modification of food ingredients
and towards modification strate-
Snacking has become more important in todays
consumers eating pattern and there are more gies and closer to traditional,
snacking occasions now than before. Think of cupboard food ingredients. In
morning snacking, afternoon snacking, food on-the-go. These are typical eating occasions for time- practice, addressing these broad
pressed but health-conscious people. Todays consumer is educated and wants good-for-you food. This research questions requires a
creates the perfect climate to launch fruit-based snacks, not only in industry, but also in foodservice: close collaborative effort. In-
think of a smoothie or home-made yogurt in a take-away format or even mini raspberry or strawberry gredient functionalities needed
cookies. The fruit snacking trend also created opportunities for kids; think of fruit crisps and the squeez- for reformulating food products
able fruit pouches launched during the past years. Dirafrost reports growth in sales volumes for fruits
towards a clean label must be
for yogurt such as blueberry, forest fruits, pineapple, pear and passion fruit, especially when it comes
to fruit puree. The company presents these flavors as a good guideline to try some healthy snacks at
met on one hand. On the other,
the counter e.g. in quick service restaurants or even a take-away breakfast snack at the hotel buffet. the development of clean label
ingredients requires that the

12 THE WORLD OF FOOD INGREDIENTS APRIL/MAY 2013

cleanlabel.indd 12 16-4-2013 15:39:06

 functionality specifications are
identified first this informa-
tion may only be obtained from
reformulation studies.
Clean Label Strategies
Reformulation: Reformula-
tion is the starting point towards
the development of a clean la-
bel product. At TNO, the proc-
ess of reformulation begins with
the benchmarking of products
into model food systems (figure
2). This requires knowledge of
the constituents of the product
matrix, their interaction and in-
fluence on organoleptic proper-
ties and product processability.
Model food systems provide
Figure 2: TNOs Reformulation Strategy as a Starting Point for Developing Clean Label Products
Clean Label Potential for Cereal and Dried Fruit Derived Ingredients
conventional glucose industry). For example: rice syrup instead of glucose syrup or sugar. The Natu
range consists of: rice syrup, oat syrup, dates syrup, figs syrup, prunes syrup, dates puree, cereal puree
and many tailor-made ingredients from cereals and dried fruits.
14 THE WORLD OF FOOD INGREDIENTS
cleanlabel.indd 14
a defined matrix that forms an the initial properties of the
integral part in understanding model food system provides
the functionalities of specific information of the ingredient ef-
food ingredients. After a model fects on matrix properties. This
food system is identified, a becomes the first cycle in the
strategy and or a technological iterative process of reformula-
intervention, is then applied. tion. The cycle ends when the
This stage may either entail desired properties are obtained.
elimination (or replacement) The main advantage of working
of an ingredient or process in model food systems is the sys-
modification. In both cases, the tematic definition of ingredient
model food system is altered in a functionality within a given ma-
controlled manner. Pinpointing trix. In reformulation, product
the changes in the model food understanding is a crucial asset.
system is a crucial step at this The approach using model food
point. In most cases, changes systems also provides informa-
in the physical properties of tion for the specific ingredi-
the food systems are measured. ent functionality requirements
Benchmarking changes against given a matrix against a desired
Meurens Naturals Natu range offers a wide vari-
ety of natural ingredients from cereals and dried
fruits (sweeteners, colors, tastes, viscosity, binding
agent) for all agri-food sectors (bakery products,
confectionery, soft drinks, vegetable drinks & des-
serts, fruit preparations, sauces, baby food, gluten
free products, dietetics etc.). Using a clean and
natural production process (no refining), Meurens
Natural preserves the benefits of the raw materials
(minerals, taste & color) used to the maximum.
The company positions itself on a clean label
platform thanks to a non-refining process (natural)
and the use of flour (instead of only starch as in
also be avoided. This strategy
sensory or physical property.
This information is in turn
crucial for the development of
clean label ingredients.
Ingredient Modification:
Several classes of food ingredi-
ents provide both opportunities
and challenges for the develop-
ment towards ingredients that
may be used for clean label
products (see table 1).
Currently, the main strategy
for developing ingredients that
may be used for clean label
products is the move away
from chemical modification.
For example, many product
developers are replacing chemi-
cally modified starches (such
as acetylated, propylated, and
oxidized starches, to name a
few examples) with physically
modified starches. Physical
modification of starches in-
cludes the pre-gelatinization
and heat-treatment of starch.
Pre-gelatinized starches are
pre-cooked starches, making
them cold swelling. The heat-
treatment of starches on the
other hand include annealing
treatments and heat-moisture
processes result in changes in
the starch granular structure,
and/or loss of birefringence
without gelatinization.
Modified starches are used
in the food industry to meet
the functionality requirements
for products and processes. For
example, a cold swelling starch
may be needed for instant pud-
dings. On the other hand, a
thermo-stable, shear resistant
starch may be required so that
product texture is maintained at
acceptable levels during indus-
trial processing operations. This
is needed when products such
as soups and sauces are pumped
through heat exchangers during
pasteurization and during prod-
uct packaging.
By employing fractiona-
tion and blending strategies,
chemical modification may
has been used for the replace-
ment of chemically modified
fats such as hydrogenated and
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16-4-2013 15:44:59
 palm oil blends. During frac-
tionation, various proportions of
saturated and unsaturated fatty
acids from palm oil are mixed
together or with other vegeta-
ble oils, to obtain the required
functionalities. The physical
properties of the blended palm
oil may be controlled by varying
the levels and proportions of
the various types of fatty acids.
This results in a wide variety of
physical properties pertaining
to stability, melting properties
and spreadability, among others.
16 THE WORLD OF FOOD INGREDIENTS
cleanlabel.indd 16
Ingredient Elimination
There are however strategies
that result in the elimination of
ingredients altogether. This is
made possible by the modifica-
tion of processing operations.
A typical example for this is the
elimination of anti-fungal and
rope inhibitors such as propi-
onates, which are used in the
production of bread. Natural
anti-fungal compounds are pro-
duced from the controlled lactic
acid fermentation similar to the
manufacturing process used for
the production of sourdough
bread. In addition, dough con-
ditioners such diacetyl tartaric
acid esters of mono- and diglyc-
erides (DATEM) and stearoyl
lactylates are currently being
replaced with enzyme systems,
most notably lipases and organic
compounds such as ascorbic acid
(vitamin C), as a cleaner and
simpler way to achieve better
handling for dough systems.
In general, most food pre-
servatives and stabilizers are
perceived as non-clean la-
bel, because of their chemi-
cal nature. Antioxidants such
as butylated hydroxyanisole
(BHA), butlyated hydroxytolu-
ene (BHT), calcium propionates
and benzoic acids are commonly
found in many processed food
products.
They are used in very little
quantities, are inexpensive and
easily applied in various food
matrices. Currently, there is an
ongoing need to identify natu-
rally derived preservatives that
may have the same properties.
The development of high-
throughput screening of bioac-
tive compounds that may be
obtained from plant extracts, is a
growing field of research. EFSA
recently approved rosemary ex-
tract as an antioxidant that may
be used as a preservative for a
number of applications such as
beverages, sauces, confections
and baked goods.
The approval of rosemary
extract for food use may sig-
nal the new classes of food
ingredients and additives of
the future. In addition to the
EFSA approval of rosemary
extract, the EU funded project
NOCHEMFOOD is aimed at
identifying and benchmarking
plant extracts and their mixtures
that may replace chemical food
preservatives used in the meat
industry. The main preservative
used in processed and cured
meat products are nitrites and
erythorbates.
Presently, TNO is at the
center of the technology push
and science pull, surrounding
the development of clean label
ingredients and end-products.
The new knowledge needed
to answer the real technological
challenges in clean label is best
achieved through a collaborative
approach. TNO invites vari-
ous food industry stakeholders
for a joint program to clean up
the ingredient labels of food
products.t
Jerome Diaz is a Scientist at TNO
Functional Ingredients (jerome.
diaz@tno.nl). The second part of the
series on clean labeling (to appear in
June, 2013), will discuss case studies.
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