Clean label is an important focus for many bakery companies. We spoke with Stephanie Pintoy, a leading bakery science expert to learn more about the common challenges and solutions in the industrial and large foodservice category.
SUGAR AND BAKERY
The evolution of processed sugar has greatly impacted the food and beverage industry, especially baking. Below is a timeline overview of sweeteners [1917 – 2017]:
Sugar > Corn Syrup > Corn Syrup Solids > Dextrose > Glycerin
HOLISTIC BAKERY CLEAN LABEL TRENDS
Common challenges with clean label bakery reformulation include:
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Cake: texture (granulation, cell structure)
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Yeast-raised: fermentable solids
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General: Water activity
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Replacing HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) – has some very unique properties, making it extremely difficult to find a 1:1 alternative.
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Replacing caramel colors in bakery – depending on the amount used and the end color achieved, synthetic caramel colors are challenging to replace.
“Clean label ingredient restrictions and obstacles will force the bakery category to find creative solutions. Many suppliers have already been working on this for quite some time,” Stephanie Pintoy.
Non-nutritive sweeteners aren’t used as much because trend insights are showing many consumers would prefer to see natural sweeteners on the label, such as “cane sugar” instead of “aspartame”. Non-nutritive sweeteners also impact:
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Cost
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Water Activity
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Gastrointestinal effect
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Granulation
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Cell Structure
BAKERY PRESERVATIVES OVERVIEW [1917 – 2017]
Preservatives in baking need a multiple-part strategy for achieving functionality without affecting flavor or texture.
ANTIMICROBIALS
Antimicrobial agents are used for killing bacteria and inhibiting mold growth.
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Sorbates: Compounds based on sorbic acid. Sorbates are effective against yeasts and molds. Since sorbates can inhibit yeast fermentation, sorbates are applied to bakery products by encapsulation, spraying onto the product as an aerosol or incorporating it into the packaging material.
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Benzoates: compounds based on benzoic acid. Benzoates are inhibitory to yeast and most commonly used to delay spoilage of high acid fillings, fruits and jams.
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Propionates (Ca, Na): compounds of propionic acid. Due to their lack of activity against yeast, propionates are the most widely used antimicrobial in yeast-raised baked goods.
ANTIOXIDANTS
Help to prevent food spoilage by slowing down the reaction of food with oxygen in the atmosphere.
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Sulfites: a group of compounds consisting of charged molecules of Sulphur combined with oxygen.
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Ascorbic Acid: also known as vitamin C. This is considered clean label.
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Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA): waxy, yellow solid.
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Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT): white powdery substance.
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Propyl gallate: an ester formed by the condensation of gallic acid and propanol.
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Tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ): an aromatic organic compound which is a type of phenol.
When formulating or reformulating a bakery product, it’s very important to be mindful of:
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Target market
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Cost
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Shelf life goals
CLEAN LABEL ALTERNATIVES: INGREDIENTS AND PROCESSING
There are several natural ingredients and processing techniques that can help bakery companies achieve a clean label with appropriate shelf life:
INGREDIENTS:
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Cultured wheat / whey: can cause off flavors
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Enzymes: reduce retrogradation of amylopectin starch, can cause texture issues
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Fruit juices / purees: pH, natural source of propionates
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Water activity: sugar, salt, glycerin (<0.83)
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pH: impact on flavor
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New technology: yeast based
PROCESSING TECHNIQUES:
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Clean rooms and negative air flow
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UV light exposure- time related; impacts surface microbes
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MAP (Modified Atmosphere Packaging) – gas flushing (can cause off flavors)
PACKAGING:
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Metalized film
SERVING / DISTRIBUTION:
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Frozen: thaw & serve; ~5 day shelf life once thawed.
CONTRIBUTING EXPERT BIO
Stephanie Pintoy has a BS and MS in Food Science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Pintoy has 20+ years in the food industry working for companies such as Bunge Oil, Keebler/Kelloggs, Unilever and is currently the development director at Product Dynamics.