Extending shelf life, cutting food waste with all natural, clean label baked goods

By Clarissa Neo, Regional Business Development Manager, AH&N, Kerry Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa

Wholesome foods with natural ingredients are what consumers look for to help them eat better and live a healthier lifestyle. And baked goods are no exception.

In a Kerry 2021 Sustainability in Motion study covering Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA), “no artificial ingredients” is an expectation – more so in baked goods, meat, snacks and meals, although 20% of those surveyed expressed interest in longer shelf-life products.

Overall the study revealed that consumers’ key issues revolve around health and nutrition, environment preservation and food production practices, with food waste emerging slightly higher in baked goods -- 54% are concerned about food waste in baked goods compared to 52% in meat.

These consumer needs bring up conflicting challenges in production for bakers and the ingredients market. In trying to meet the preference for natural ingredients, some supermarkets and restaurant chains are eliminating many conventional preservation options. The industry has had to reformulate to protect the quality of their products in the supply chain, right through to consumers’ homes.

Sustainability and food waste are hot topics in the bakery goods market because baked goods like bread is the highest volume category of prepared food waste (excluding fresh produce) globally. Food waste across all points of the supply chain is ranked highly among consumer concerns. This means there is a huge opportunity to cut these volumes and extend the reach of resources that go into the bakery goods industry, creating opportunities to feed more people instead of creating food waste. Food safety is less of an issue in the bakery industry, as bread often becomes mouldy or stale, both of which are quality issues rather than safety issues. While there’s potential for contamination, it is a less frequent concern than in other product categories.

Clean label is a high value market segment which is why it has received so much focus over the last 20 years, and it resonates with 81% of APMEA consumers’ desire to learn more about better nutrition and healthier food options. As such, clean label preservation technologies are helping to meet the demand for familiar ingredients without compromising on shelf life or creating food waste. Without them, consumers would find themselves with a lot of mouldy bread and having to modify their shopping patterns.

Yet, premium, all-natural only products are largely not reflected in sales. Conventional preservative ingredients are still the solution behind most food volumes sold today.

Despite this, the most popular clean label preservation solution globally for bread is based on fermented wheat, which is consumer-friendly and works well to protect bread quality. It does come at a premium over conventional commodity ingredients, but consumers seeking no artificial ingredients are showing a willingness to buy more premium breads. Though 81% of consumers surveyed believe that sustainable products may be expensive right now, in the long term there will be greater savings for the region.

What this means is that the food industry has had to ensure authenticity of clean label ingredients supplied. Ingredients from natural processes like fermentation require expertise to deliver consistent functionality and sensory profiles.

Brands and manufacturers often use both clean label and conventional preservation methods as they have multiple product lines targeting different consumer segments. Clean label preservation technologies and front-of-pack claims and positions can help a product stand out on shelf and often gain a consumer premium. They can also deliver a better final taste and appeal score than conventional preservation solutions.

In one external study comparing calcium propionate, fermented wheats, and vinegar-based solutions with unpreserved bread, the vinegar-based innovation had the closest score to the unpreserved bread in terms of appeal – scoring much higher than the most popular conventional and clean label solutions. While propionates and fermentates are widely accepted and some of the most popular solutions for shelf-life in bakery, it shows the opportunity to stand out in a competitive market with a cleaner, more appealing taste that is closer to homemade bread. All are viable ways to extend the shelf life of bread, reduce waste and feed more people.

Click here to learn how to extend shelf life and appeal of baked products