Shelf life extension remains top of mind for food producers but is now met with demands for cleaner labels that bridge naturality and functionality. Claims around food waste reduction – linked to natural preservation – are resonating with consumers as they seek out sustainable food solutions. 

FoodIngredientsFirst speaks to key suppliers Kerry, Corbion and DSM to discuss further developments in the space of food preservation.

Spike in attention to “best before” dates
It is no surprise that consumer behavior has changed significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumers continue to shop less frequently, but they buy more per trip. 

Whether it be inflation or not, spending per trip has risen an average of 22% compared to pre-pandemic levels, and average weekly spending on groceries has jumped 16%, according to Kerry-cited data.

Kerry research highlights a greater emphasis on food waste reduction with 67% of consumers actively making moves to reduce this (Credit: Kerry).“Our consumer research is showing a large emphasis on food waste reduction with 67% of consumers actively seeking to reduce food waste as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and 82% of global consumers who considered sustainability at the time of purchase being strongly influenced by best before/expiration date,” remarks Eelco Heintz, global RD&A manager for Kerry Food Protection & Preservation.

“We see that vinegar is trending as a preservation ingredient. Our vertical integration, global scale and security of supply are accelerating a conversion from conventional to vinegar-based preservation for many and we are also seeing the halo effect on our acetic-acid-based conventional solutions.”

Craving transparency
Consumers demand transparency and want to know more about the “who, what, wher and how” behind the food they buy. The evolution of ingredient and flavor choices from artificial ingredients and artificial flavors now includes clean label, transparency and sustainability.  

Clean label and well-established flavors are essential, particularly within meat products that use preservatives. According to Innova Market Insights, three out of the top five positionings for the meat category are “clean label” and “free from” claims.

“At Corbion, we are well equipped to couple our extensive expertise with protection from microbiological spoilage and food safety concerns with attention to oxidative challenges, to provide a holistic set of solutions and maintain product quality throughout the entire shelf life,” comments Amber Beckett senior business development and product manager at Corbion.

“Our science-backed product offerings include classic rosemary, acerola, and green tea offerings, as well as unique science-backed blends that are equipped to address the challenges that can arise in the harshest conditions, such as color fading under retail lighting.”

Corbion’s newest launches in the space of shelf life solutions include its plant-based natural antioxidants, specifically its new Origin portfolio.

“The portfolio’s differentiating qualities – unique value-enhancing processing, certified authenticity and a strong reputation for sustainable sourcing – combine to deliver advantages for effectively delaying rancidity and color loss during shelf-life,” says Beckett.

Plant-based shelf life extension
In terms of its product range, Kerry offers portfolios in fermentates, vinegars, plant extracts and conventional preservation solutions.

“The innovation here is optimizing each mode of action to get maximum efficacy at very low doses of each individual component, elevating best in class taste of the natural product and getting closer to the sensory experience of a ‘no preservative’ solution,” says Heintz.

“We see this type of ingredient technology replacing processes such as high pressure processing, which is energy and water-intensive, and thus not very sustainable.”

Kerry is currently building upon the success of its free-flowing zero-sodium solution Provian K (Credit: Kerry).Kerry is currently building upon the success in its free-flowing zero-sodium preservation solution for meat Provian K (potassium acetate and potassium diacetate blend) with the upcoming launch of Provian N (sodium acetate and sodium diacetate blend).

“[The Provian line of solutions’] functionality is to be bacteriostatic – meaning, to inhibit bacterial growth – in meat applications. Provian builds on the proven power of acetates to deliver powerful preservation performance at comparably lower doses to other market solutions,” Heintz explains.

“Provian N will have cost advantages over Provian K which was formulated to be innovative in the zero-sodium space.”

Heintz notes there is significant demand for this cost-saving in emerging markets. “Despite its sodium-base, the dosage is so much lower in application that it can still help some customers meet their sodium targets versus other sodium-based market solutions that require up to five times higher dosage to be effective and thus add more sodium than Provian N.”

Functional enzymes for bakery
DSM’s BakeZyme Fresh XL and BakeZyme Master maltogenic enzymes help to keep bakery products fresh for longer by bolstering resilience and moisture in a range of applications, including on-the-go sandwiches and tortilla wraps. 

With BakeZyme Master, an amylase ingredient, bakers can produce bread with increased softness, delayed staling and an appetizing sensory profile. This can be enjoyed not only in the first week, but across the product’s shelf life. 

This solution is also especially effective in improving the foldability in tortillas. With these leading solutions, consumers and producers alike can enjoy improved freshness for longer and help to reduce the food waste that can occur after products reach consumers’ shelves.

“Our tests demonstrate that adding BakeZyme Master significantly delays the firming of the bread crumb, as well as maintaining its resilience – important indicators of product freshness,” says Helma Stolze-Lagerweij, global application manager baking and confectionery.

“Bread made without maltogenic amylase stales faster and, after three to five days, the crumb is twice as hard as freshly baked bread. Meanwhile, bread made with 10 to 20 ppm of BakeZyme Master can last two to four weeks of shelf life before reaching the same hardness as breads made without maltogenic amylase at just four days of shelf life,” she explains.

“These findings are confirmed by sensory panels, which verified high scores for softness, moistness and cohesiveness.”

BakeZyme Master also leads to a lower starch retrogradation. As a result, less water migrates from the gluten to the starch crystals, keeping the gluten network plasticized for longer and to a larger extent. 

BakeZyme Master is also very effective in low pH dough conditions or high sugar-containing doughs and is therefore a multi-functional tool to guarantee high bread quality during shelf life.