Baking & Snack - August 2018 - 60

CLEAN LABEL

The delicacy of cake batter
means there isn't a lot of
room for error. Change must
be handled with care.

The clean flavor profiles
of the latest starches,
gums and clean label
cake flours allow bakers
to use label-friendly
ingredients with minimal
or no impact on taste.
Ingredion

The delicacy of cake batter means there isn't much
room for error. Change must be handled with care.
"When it comes to simplifying ingredients in sweet baked
goods like cakes, even minor formulation changes can affect taste, texture and freshness," Ms. Robertson said.
Those changes toward simpler labels have not always
been easy on the cake industry. Bakers are replacing artificial flavors, colors and preservatives as well as partially hydrogenated oils. Additives like sodium stearoyl
lactylate and chlorinated/bleached flour ingredients like
DATEM and polysorbates don't stand a chance with the
label-conscious consumer.
These ingredients, however, contribute to batter stability and aeration, volume, texture, moisture and freshness. "For example, DATEM is typically used to create a
strong gluten structure in the batter while polysorbates
can be used to enhance shelf life and texture of popular
snack cakes," Ms. Robertson explained.
Collaboration between bakers and ingredient suppliers have resulted in some innovation breakthroughs.
Formulators have honed in on what consumers actually
want from ingredient lists and finished product, and that
has resulted in more functional ingredients.
"Suppliers are offering new alternatives to help shorten the ingredient list and replace undesirable ingredi-

60 Baking & Snack August 2018 / www.bakingandsnack.com

ents," said Sarah Mann, senior application technologist,
bakery, DuPont Nutrition & Health. "Although some
alternatives may not fully replace the functionality of
certain key ingredients, there are more options available
now than there were just a few years ago."

Defining clean label
Understanding what clean label actually means to bakers
- and their consumers - has been an important step in
successful reformulation of cake batters. "Getting a clear
definition of what is considered clean label can be a challenge when it comes to cakes and sweet goods," said Jeff
Nelson, western vice-president of sales, Brolite Products.
"It seems there are many different definitions of clean label and what exactly can or cannot be on a clean label."
This definition can be unique to each baker, retailer and
consumer. "Research indicates consumers prefer a shorter
ingredient list, less chemically sounding ingredients, fewer artificial ingredients and minimally processed foods,"
Ms. Mann explained. "So consumers prefer a much more
simple and understandable ingredient list."
According to Ingredion's proprietary research conducted by MMR Research Associates, the clean label
trend can be marked by two themes: simplicity and
healthy halo. Simplicity refers to fewer and more familiar ingredients, and healthy halo supports nutrition expectations. According to the study of 309 US consumers,
79% of respondents said it is important that they recognize all ingredients on food and drink packaging. The
same percentage considered a short and simple ingredient to be important.
And while there is no official definition of what makes
an ingredient list clean, the research suggests three cri-

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Baking & Snack - August 2018

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