Meat+Poultry - February 2018 - 68

INGREDIENT ISSUES

"The key is to
understand
what the
current
ingredient
brings to the
formula before
replacing
it with an
alternative,
label-friendly
ingredient."
- TOM KATEN

"Today clean label not only means
eliminating chemicals but also being truthful
to the consumer," Boeckman says. "It is more
important to be open, transparent and honest
than it is to have a perfectly clean label. 
"Consumers can forgive an ingredient or
two that isn't perfectly clean. But, they usually
don't forgive a processor or brand when they
feel betrayed."
According to a recent consumer shopping
and buying behavior study from Kemin
Industries, Des Moines, Iowa, conducted by
Harris Poll, 31 percent of shoppers say they
always read the ingredient label and 49 percent
of those say health claims, or claims they
equate with levels of sodium, sugar and fat
content, are most important.
"Fifty percent of shoppers do not avoid
purchasing grocery items because of any
words in the ingredient label, but a minority
(26 percent) avoid the word 'preservative' on
the label," says Courtney Schwartz, senior
marketing manager at Kemin.

NECESSARY INGREDIENTS

Preservatives are necessary in many meat and
poultry products. They are varied and serve
different functions. Antioxidants are quite
common, as they retard lipid auto-oxidation,
which leads to rancidity, as well as slow color
changes, purge and microbial growth.
Traditional synthetic antioxidants are
very effective at stabilizing fats to oxidation.
They are easy to use and low cost; but being
chemically derived, they are undesirable
in today's clean-label food environment. In
response, formulators are embracing naturally
sourced antioxidants that can be discreetly
added to product formulations. Common
options are classified as tocopherols and
high-phenolic plant extracts, such as those
from rosemary, green tea and acerola cherry.
Concentrated forms conserve the appearance,
taste and quality of meat and poultry.
"As we better understand consumer
trends, Kemin shapes its product portfolio
to meet industry needs," Schwartz says. "For
example, we recently launched
a new domestically grown
organic rosemary extract to meet
increasing demand for organic
products. This new organic
product is a great addition to
our shelf life extension portfolio,
which already includes organic
buffered vinegar, allowing Kemin
to serve the industry's organic food
safety and antioxidant needs."
Another area of innovation
in the meat and poultry sector
is natural replacements to the
chemical cures used in products
such as bacon and sausages. These
cures are concentrated sources
of nitrates and nitrites, chemicals
that may form nitrosamines in
the body. Nitrosamines have been
shown to increase the risk of
developing certain cancers.
The reason why nitrates and
nitrites are added is because they
give products desirable color
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68

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Meat+Poultry - February 2018

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