Gluten-Free Shoppers Could Soon Access Bakery Products with “Enhanced Freshness”

16 May 2014 --- A natural solution aimed at enhancing the shelf life for bakery products could provide a breakthrough for the gluten-free aisles. Corbion Caravan’s recently launched Verdad Powder F80 is also suitable for gluten-free applications, which is a sector that has historically suffered with the shelf-life of certain products such as bread.

“Because Verdad Powder F80 is produced from sugar cane, it does not contain gluten, and makes it an excellent choice for enhancing the freshness of gluten-free bakery products by preventing spoilage due to microbial growth,” Jim Robertson, Category Manager, Corbion Caravan told FoodIngredientsFirst.

Mainstream bakeries are now moving into gluten-free with their bread ranges, and there is a lot more competition in general in this sector. Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, Norma McGough, director of policy, research and campaigns at Coeliac UK, confirmed that just a few years ago it wasn’t possible to find fresh gluten-free bread on shelves as it was all long-life, but “this is changing”, she said. “It still needs improvement as it is higher in fat and goes stale quicker, but it is all part of the development stage we are in.”

Corbion Caravan developed Verdad Powder F80 following research with US consumers, who were asked how important is was that the ingredients listed on grocery packets were natural. Almost half of those asked claimed it was extremely or very important, and this led to the development of a natural solution aimed at enhancing the shelf life for bakery products.

Robertson explained that Verdad Powder F80 is the result of fermenting cane sugar with natural food cultures to produce a mixture organic acids, peptides, and aromas, targeted at reducing microbial growth, enhancing freshness, and providing fermented flavors to bakery applications.  “The Verdad Powder F80 has little to no impact on the textural properties of the bread.”

“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,” he said. “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.