Clean label: Small but growing part of bakery products mix, says DuPont

The business - a division of DuPont comprised of the former Danisco and Solae companies - manufactures and supplies a range of ingredients including enzymes, emulsifiers, hydrocolloids, antimicrobials, proteins, antioxidants, fibers, cultures and sweeteners.

DuPont will be discussing industry issues including clean label strategies at the upcoming International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) in Las Vegas.

Definition of clean label varies

The supplier said the definition of clean label could vary by company and by channel.

“To us, [clean labeling] is another chance to collaborate with our customers on solving a business problem​,” DuPont group manager of bakery innovations Troy Boutte told BakeryandSnacks.com.

And he warned that there was a risk that converting bakery products to clean label could impact quality.

“Depending on how extreme the labeling requirements are, the volume of the product can be reduced, shelf life can be reduced due to increased staling and mold growth, and sometimes oxidative rancidity is a problem as well​,” he said.

“So we conduct a lot of application testing during the product development phase to make sure these negative impacts are kept to a minimum​.”

Removal of azodicarbonamide 

Boutte said one example of a difficult ingredient change had been the removal of dough conditioner azodicarbonamide - or ADA- from bakery products following reports that it could be linked with respiratory issues​​.

“In this case, we were able to help bakery customers navigate the difficult removal of this legacy ingredient with others in our portfolio very effectively​,” he said.

The clean label trend is also being fueled by consumer interest in organic and clean label bakery brands such as Eureka and Dave’s Killer Bread, suggested Boutte.

“While these​ [clean label bakery products] represent a very small part of the industry, it is growing,” ​he said.

What's driving clean-label demand?

But he added that there remained a question mark over what was driving consumer demand for clean-label brands

“Is it because of label, because they taste better and are perceived to be higher quality due to pricing, or simply because they are new?”​ he asked.