Prepared Foods’ R&D Seminars speakers discussed the many challenges and benefits when formulating with clean labels
To consumers, clean labels mean “healthy.” Health and wellness has moved from being nutrition-driven (fat and sugar) to ingredient-driven and nothing artificial. To consumers, partially hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives can mean “artificial.” As explained by Russell Tietz, director of technical sales for Clasen Quality Chocolate, “Formulating clean labels is not just an ingredient swap of natural versions for an artificial synthetic version. Processing, ingredient costs, shelf life, storage, and packaging can all be affected.” He emphasized these points in his Prepared Foods’ R&D Seminar presentation titled “Formulating for Natural & Clean Labels with Chocolate & Confectionery Coatings.”
Since PHOs are essentially banned, and fully hydrogenated fats are not considered naturally processed, fractionated or interesterified palm kernel oils can provide a solution. Fractionation is a physical process to tailor the fat for specific physical properties and fractionated palm kernel oils can be labeled as “palm kernel oil.”