As Kemin Industries observed the rise of the clean label trend, company executives decided around 25 years ago to firmly align the manufacturer of preservatives and other specialty ingredients with natural products. While the Iowa-based firm will continue producing its synthetic goods, which are favored by budget brands looking to minimize costs, the consumer shift towards healthier eating and a preference for premium brands has provided a significant boost for natural preservatives. This encouraged Kemin to pivot after decades of focusing its innovation primarily on chemically derived ingredients.
“Demand for clean label preservatives has surged over the last five to ten years,” stated Courtney Schwartz, marketing director of Kemin Food Technologies. “In our meetings with customers, the emphasis is on how we can clean up these labels.” The natural food preservatives market was valued at $796.1 million in 2018 and is expected to exceed $1 billion by 2026, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 3.7%, according to Allied Market Research. The firm noted that demand for these ingredients is particularly strong in North America, which held approximately 40% of the natural food preservatives market share in 2018.
Market opportunities have not gone unnoticed. Earlier this year, the Irish ingredient company Kerry Group acquired Niacet, a specialist in clean-label, low-sodium preservatives, from private investment firm SK Capital for about $1 billion, gaining access to its range of conventional organic acids. This acquisition followed Kerry’s purchase of Biosecur Lab, which provides natural antimicrobials derived from citrus extracts, just two years prior. Meanwhile, Dutch ingredient company Corbion announced in 2020 its intent to invest in key growth areas like natural food preservation while divesting from other segments of its business.
Increasingly, consumers consider all-natural options crucial when selecting products, a consideration that has intensified during the ongoing pandemic. Research from the International Food Information Council released in June discovered that four out of ten consumers actively seek natural preservatives. “Consumers are definitely driving this trend. However, there’s a bit of a contradiction when they express a desire for recognizable ingredients versus their willingness to pay,” Schwartz noted. “This places the responsibility on food manufacturers to determine which applications they should prioritize for conversion and what makes the most sense for them to transition.”
Natural preservatives are utilized in a wide variety of products, including meat, candy, baked goods, and snacks, to maintain their natural qualities, prevent spoilage during transportation, and enhance overall shelf life. The demand for these natural solutions has grown as consumers increasingly turn to snacking and on-the-go food options. Common ingredients in the healthier category include citric acid, derived from fruits like grapefruits and lemons; ascorbic acid, or vitamin C; vinegar; and rosemary extract. For instance, vinegar is effective in inhibiting bacterial growth and preventing spoilage, while rosemary extract is favored for delaying the loss of color and flavor in high-fat products like snack bars, cookies, chips, nuts, dressings, and sauces. Citric acid is routinely added to hinder the survival of mold or bacteria.
Whitney Linsenmeyer, an assistant professor in nutrition and dietetics at Saint Louis University, noted that early natural preservatives, such as salt and sugar, have been used for thousands of years. However, as many consumers now avoid these natural food additives, ingredient manufacturers are compelled to create better-for-you alternatives. This task is often challenging and can take researchers years to navigate.
Natural preservatives may sometimes require larger quantities to match the effectiveness of their synthetic counterparts. Unfortunately, increasing the amount needed to achieve the same shelf life can negatively impact flavor, prompting ingredient makers to seek creative solutions. For example, flavor can be masked in spicy sausages with potent natural preservatives, but changes in taste are less forgiving in products like frozen chicken nuggets, which can have shelf lives of up to 18 months.
Kemin, for instance, found that combining green tea extract with rosemary extract slowed oxidation and reduced rancid flavors. This combination not only enhances antioxidant protection but also decreases the amount of rosemary needed in products such as sausages. Another challenge is not only identifying natural preservatives that function as intended but also producing them at a sufficient scale and price to persuade large consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies to incorporate them into their mass-produced brands.
“Cost is often a primary consideration before any investment is made in an application. If the cost cannot align with what they anticipate needing, they won’t proceed with the development,” explained Casey Lippmeier, vice president of innovation at Conagen. This limitation reduces the motivation for conducting such research. Conagen, which employs fermentation and enzymes to replicate naturally occurring molecules, recently commercialized rosmarinic acid, valued for its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, in partnership with another firm. This ingredient, an active component of rosemary extract, is unique in being odorless and tasteless, a significant advantage for beverage manufacturers aiming for a strawberry flavor without the distinctive taste of rosemary.
Historically, producing sufficient quantities of rosmarinic acid has been a challenge, causing prices to spike and discouraging companies from utilizing it. However, by synthesizing more of the ingredient in a lab through natural processes, Lippmeier noted that costs have decreased, opening up numerous applications.
Significant advancements in innovation over the past decade have broadened the availability of clean label, natural preservatives for food and beverage manufacturers. However, for value brands, transitioning to a more expensive natural alternative may not be economically feasible if they wish to maintain a certain price point. Furthermore, Linsenmeyer pointed out that there are sectors of the food industry, particularly in products like chips or candy bars, where synthetic ingredients continue to dominate, as consumers often indulge without considering health implications.
“People are aware they are indulging when they consume these products,” she stated. “In these categories, consumers tend not to pay as much attention, resulting in less industry change.” While synthetic options are expected to remain prevalent in certain products, growing consumer demand, innovation, and technological advancements will further propel the adoption of clean-label preservatives.
“It’s undoubtedly the future,” Schwartz concluded. “It’s not going away, and I believe we will continue to improve our ability to provide effective alternatives to commonly used synthetics while enhancing cost-effectiveness and sensory attributes.” The progress made in offering economic alternatives to traditional chemicals is what keeps the industry evolving, making it an exciting time for developments like calcium citrate petite pills and other innovative solutions.