Increasing use of label scanning apps by consumers was driving the need to clean up ingredient lists in the indulgent bakery sector.
The ingredient list of a leading macaron brand wasn’t persuading consumers to buy when scanned by the increasingly popular label checking app, ‘Yuka’ in France, indicating in real-time what is in a product, and making recommendations on ‘cleaner’ alternatives.
This European bakery manufacturer realised it needed to quickly clean up the labels on its macaron products to protect its market share, to stand up to consumer scrutiny at the point of purchase and, ultimately, to stop consumers turning away from its brand.
Macarons are an indulgent delicacy that rely heavily on texture and just the right level of crunch to deliver a satisfying eating experience. Reformulating the recipe to remove all modified starches and maintain the same level of texture would be highly complex. Reformulating the recipe to remove all modified starches, yet maintain the same distinctive texture requirement was a complex process.
This complicated texture challenge was successfully met by combining Ingredion’s formulation and technical expertise with groundbreaking ingredient application.
Ingredion’s formulation experience, prototyping capability and production line knowledge were all required to deliver a suitable solution that met this complicated texture challenge while also being cost-effective.
The final ingredient choice, NOVATION PRIMA® 340 delivered better performance in a head-tohead comparison with other suppliers to be the preferred option.
Collaboration was a key part of the successful outcome. This partnership saw Ingredion produce several prototypes on existing production lines which were then analysed at the ingredient supplier’s unique science-based Idea Lab in Hamburg, Germany to ensure optimum product quality and ingredient selection.
'Ingredion’s NOVATION PRIMA® 340 delivered better performance in a head-to-head comparison with other suppliers to be the preferred option.'
This project delivered great ROI with at least a 5 to 1 return as the manufacturer then extended this new recipe across five further macaron production lines. This optimised its investment in clean label formulation and future-proofed other lines to meet consumer scrutiny and the need for transparency.
Imagine using a starch in a filling for stability and cost savings, being able to make a cake moist for longer and extend its stability over shelf-life, or create instant viscosity in demanding processing conditions – all without adding an E-number. Clean label benefits both your products and your business’ bottom line.
