Articles by Rachel Zemser MS, CCS

Rachel Zemser discusses the trending foods, beverages, and ingredients that she spied at the 2025 Natural Products Expo West.

In the rush to eliminate these sugars, developers often overlook the variety, richness, and culinary versatility that natural caloric sweeteners provide. Such sugars—also termed “nutritive sweeteners”—not only offer sweetness but can add layers of flavor, color, and even nutritional benefits, all in a clean-label format.

Today’s suppliers do more than simply mix a formulation to the customer’s request; they offer guidance and expertise, typically staffing nutritionists, biochemists, and medical experts, as well as experts on regulations. They realize that often the company ordering a premix might not have the knowledge or in-house experience to create a safe and effective blend that includes the appropriate amounts and delivered bioavailability for each vitamin, mineral, or other component.

To attain the coveted clean-label designation, today’s “flavor helpers”—the secondary ingredients needed to mask or block a bitter aftertaste or to enhance a desired flavor (which in turn can mask off notes)—need to be derived from natural ingredients and contain no traces of solvents or similar chemicals.

As the clean label retail market grows, food entrepreneurs seek out new definitions of "clean," allowing them to pave the way for untapped categories of food products.