‘Natural’ is the number one claim on new product labels, according to Mintel’s Global New Products Database, appearing on 23 percent of all foods launched last year. And the organic market has continued to grow faster than the overall US food and beverage sector, despite dire predictions that the economic downturn could take the wind from its sails. The organic sector sales grew five percent in 2009, while the overall food and beverage market sales grew by just two percent.
On the back of increasing consumer demand, industry has been reformulating products with natural and organic ingredients, but replacing some ingredients has posed problems.
Sauces and dressings containing oil require a stabilizer in order to prevent separation, but egg yolk, a natural emulsifier, is considered to be an allergen, and other commonly used stabilizers – such as propylene glycol alginate (PGA), which works well as a stabilizer and emulsifier but is synthetic – are rejected by many manufacturers demanding ‘clean label’ ingredients.
CP Kelco said its new Genu Beta pectin ingredient is derived from sugarbeets, and pectin is well-recognized and accepted by consumers as a label-friendly ingredient. It can be used at the same level, or a lower level, as PGA in formulations, and does not excessively thicken or gel the sauce or dressing, the company said.
The company said that Genu Beta pectin works well in both fat-free and full-fat dressings to prevent separation, thereby improving the visual appeal of a product on-shelf.
The ingredient is also said to perform well even in high-acid, high-temperature and high-salt applications.