As part of its ongoing industry research, Corbion Caravan recently asked U.S. consumers: “When shopping for groceries, how important is it that ingredients listed on the product you purchase are natural?” Nearly half of the respondents – 46 percent – said natural ingredients are either extremely important or very important.
With that in mind, Corbion food scientists drew on their fermentation expertise to create a natural solution aimed at enhancing the shelf life for bakery products. The resulting breakthrough, Verdad Powder F80, stems from fermenting cane sugar with natural food cultures to produce a mixture of organic acids, peptides and aromas. Verdad Powder F80 inhibits mold up to 14 days, is suitable for gluten-free applications and is non-GMO.
“While consumers expect prepared foods to be authentic, tasty and fresh, they’re turning away from products that contain chemical additives, such as calcium propionate and potassium sorbate,” says Jim Robertson, Category Manager, Corbion Caravan. “Verdad is labeled as cultured sugar, so it satisfies the clean-label needs of wholesale and retail bakers while enhancing the quality throughout the shelf-life of the product. When consumers check the ingredients on baked goods made with Verdad, there are no chemical preservatives listed – and that’s a huge plus for driving purchase intent.”
Robertson says consumer awareness has driven an increase in the preservative-free bread market. According to Corbion estimates, that market generates an estimated $1.9 billion in net sales annually, and comprises roughly 10 percent of the bread products in the commercial aisle.
