www.foodtechnology.co.nz 45 By Christian Philippsen Consumer expectations have shifted greatly in recent years when it comes to nutritional food choices and functionalities. As well as understanding the ingredient list, consumers want to find out what is IN those ingredients. In Asia Pacific, 70 per cent of consumers Natural Herb Extracts to Boost Clean Label Appeal For Herb Extracts that are pure and simple, bursting with authentic, fresh flavour, contact us. www.hawkinswatts.com FT106 • Herbs, Spices and Dehydrated Vegetables • Seasonings and spice blends • Supplier of flavours (liquid and powder) • Natural and artificial food grade colours • Applications laboratory and full technical support Phone 64 9 270 0725 www.gshall.co.nz FT099 say that they almost always or at least often look at the nutritional information and ingredients list of their food and beverage product. Consumers have also been more vocal about wanting more natural ingredients. Sixty-two per cent of Australian consumers indicated they are interested or extremely interested in natural foods, according to recent research. In short, consumers are looking for ‘clean label’. For most, ‘clean label’ means fewer ingredients, clear origin of the used ingredients, no added colour, artificial flavours or synthetic substances. Hence, it is important for manufacturers to devote more attention to what is written on the product pack. While claims such as gluten-free, less fat or sugar are important, helping consumers to identify a product with natural or clean labels matters even more. Clear and transparent information is imperative in providing products with a clean label and natural appeal to consumers. How then can manufacturers go about addressing the challenge to offer clean label products with good stability and texture while continuing to meet consumers’ high expectations? Food manufacturers can now turn to functional clean label rice starch to meet this challenge. Undergoing a thermal production process, the rice starch granules are strengthened, hence achieving performance levels similar to chemically modified food starches without the use of chemicals. Rice starches are unique, have a neutral taste, are white, have very small starch granule sizes (2-8μm), and have the ability to create soft gel structures, as well as creamy and smooth textures with a good stability. Modern day rice starch is suitable for multiple applications that require severe processing conditions such as sauces, baby food, dairy desserts and fruit preparations. This is because the Christian Philippsen is managing director of BENEO Asia Pacific. strengthened starch granule provides high stability during processing and performs well, even under demanding processing conditions like low pH, high temperature or high shear. It allows viscosity build-up suitable for both gentle and demanding processing conditions. These new products have created new opportunities for manufacturers, as they are now able to come up with clean label benefits as well as unique textures and excellent product stability…even under severe conditions. RICE UP TO THE CLEAN LABEL CHALLENGE I N G R E D I E N T S
FT-Jul16
To see the actual publication please follow the link above