Rosemary hailed as front runner for extending shelf life

11 May 2020 --- Kitchen ingredients such as rosemary extract may be an effective way of cleaning up a label, while touting sustainable claims to boot. That is according to Kelly de Vadder, Marketing Manager, Food Technologies EMEA, Kemin, who says that rosemary extracts have been shown to extend the shelf life of food products, resulting in reduced food waste.

“One of the most common problems faced by food manufacturers is the deterioration of quality in their food over prolonged periods of time due to microbial contamination and oxidation, which can lead to costly wastage and deviations in taste, color and texture,” she tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

“The increased use of vinegar and antioxidants such as vitamin C to preserve food are some of the more common clean label solutions in the food industry today. However, natural plant extracts, such as rosemary extract as a single ingredient or blended with green tea, is proving to be a popular option,” notes de Vadder. 

Most consumers base their protein buying decisions on a fresh appearance and equate appealing color with quality and freshness. Kemin’s rosemary-based products are touted for their ability to preserve the appear­ance, taste and quality of meat and poultry products, according to de Vadder. 

Modern consumers are increasingly con­cerned with how their food is sourced. They want to be sure that the food manufacturers care about the environment, public health and animal welfare, al­lowing them to produce healthy foods without compromising future generations’ ability to do the same. “With this increasing importance on supply chain integrity and responsible raw material sourcing from a consumer perspective, food manufacturers should know where their raw materials and ingredients come from and how they are produced,” she adds. 

As one of the world’s larg­est suppliers of rosemary extract, Kemin controls every step of the production pro­cess, from breeding to growing to extracting to formulating. “This process control, from seed to extract, provides assurance for food manufacturers that there is full and reliable traceability of the food ingredi­ent,” de Vadder notes. 

Furthermore, Kemin’s Specialty Crop Improvement team focuses on developing sustainable, renewable and practical plant sources with molecules that can be extracted and used to manufacture ingredients with active or functional benefits, such as rose­mary extract. 

You can read the full version of this article in the latest issue of The World of Food Ingredients. 

Edited by Elizabeth Green