Clean and clear labeling are top of mind for today’s consumers

Consumer demands for clean and clear labels both relate to the same desire to understand what food we are eating.

Clean label is a non-regulated term. It is often seen as an alternative to the term ‘natural’, which is also unprotected and lacking a formal, legal definition. Terms like this tend to be a catch-all for products containing recognizable, sustainable and naturally sourced ingredients, free of artificial additives (no e-numbers) or chemicals. Transparency and accuracy about the contents of products is seen as a vital part of clear labeling. In 2016 and 2017, clean and clear labeling gained high rankings on the Top 10 food and beverage trends lists released by Innova Market Insights. The number of new food and beverage product launches that are clean label confirms this trend.

Clean label means simpler and healthier products

In its purest form, clean label is also about reducing fat, sugar, and salt—three of the most used ingredients in food and beverage processing. However, creating formulations that contain less sugar, fat and calories, while offering great flavors and the same or better texture and shelf-life is challenging. Gelatin, and especially hydrolyzed gelatin, is the perfect ingredient for overcoming this challenge and designing heathier and/or enriched products. The gelatins developed by Rousselot Functional Ingredients are an excellent help in reducing the sugar and fat content of your products.

  • Dairy

Gelatin gives texture to low- or reduced-fat products, enhancing their mouthfeel. Using gelatin means you can substitute fats with a less calorific, functional protein that can bind 5 to 10 times its own weight in water. On top of that, the viscosity of gelatin below melting point gives products a smooth consistency and a fat-like mouthfeel.

  • Confectionery

With unrivalled gelling properties, gelatin is the ideal ingredient for reformulating healthier confectionery, while providing a texture similar to that of traditional products.   

  • Gummies, toffees and chew candy

With gelatin, you can restore the texture lost by replacing sugar with sweeteners in sugar-free gummies. You can also cut calories, fat and carbohydrate content, for example, in toffee-flavored gummies that appeal to lovers of chewy and jelly confectionery. You can also use gelatin to add protein enrichment to your gummy-style confectionery, thus bringing indulgence and health together.

Rousselot gelatin helps with clean and clear labeling

At Rousselot, we vouch for maximum traceability, transparency and integrity, while producing gelatin, a food ingredient designed by  nature with no e-number, and containing no artificial additives.  

Highly versatile, gelatin is often used to replace several mono-functional hydrocolloids in a single application. No other ingredient exhibits as many functionalities as gelatin, which makes it an unrivalled asset to formulation design and to shorter ingredient lists.

Learn more about the gelatin production process