Finding a Clean Label Preservative
Earlier this year, a popular bakery that makes breads, pizza crusts, and pitas set an ambitious goal: to eliminate chemical preservatives from their products by June 2025 as part of their clean-label initiatives. They were experiencing declining sales in products containing chemical preservatives and needed a solution to remain competitive in the market. However, eliminating chemical preservatives proved more challenging than initially expected. The company was relatively unfamiliar with clean-label ingredients and lacked the internal R&D expertise to effectively adjust their recipes.
As a starting point, they decided to eliminate calcium propionate, a synthetic preservative, from their formulations. They decided to use cultured wheat a natural, fermented solution as a replacement. Its clean-label appeal, combined with its ability to extend shelf life, made it an ideal choice for their breads, pitas, and pizza crusts.
Cultured wheat is a naturally derived ingredient produced through a fermentation process. The fermentation produces natural byproducts that possess antimicrobial properties – we use this to inhibit unwanted yeast and mold. This makes it an effective natural preservative for a variety of food products.
The Challenge: Inconsistent Performance
However, the company faced a significant challenge with the cultured wheat from their initial supplier: inconsistent performance. Although this ingredient seemed to perform well during initial testing, over time, they noticed discrepancies. They started seeing more variability in their products, inconsistent quality, and even mold growth in some batches. It appeared that some batches contained too much preservative, which negatively affected texture, flavor, and overall quality, while others had too little, leading to spoilage.
The company was already heavily invested in using cultured wheat flour but realized they were wasting thousands of dollars discarding inconsistent batches. Confused by these inconsistencies, they just couldn’t find a reliable solution. The combination of human error from inaccurate ingredient measurements and variability in the potency of the raw material left them on the verge of abandoning their clean-label goals.
The Solution: Potent and Custom Standardized Cultured Wheat Flour
Determined not to give up, they decided to partner with Think Ingredients to find a solution.
Since they were having trouble with consistency across batches, We recommended using Think Cultured Wheat Flour, known for its consistent potency, to ensure reduced variability between batches. Our team started by conducting a thorough analysis of their formulations, working closely with the bakery’s R&D team to fine-tune the amount of cultured wheat needed in each of their formulations.
To further improve consistency, we standardized our cultured wheat flour at our Burlington facility to match their specific formulation. Our pre-blended solution eliminated the need for precise manual weighing, reducing the risk of human error and streamlining their process. Once they switched to Think Cultured Wheat Flour, they were guaranteed consistent potency and sensory characteristics in every batch.
The Results: Consistent Quality and Streamlined Processes
With the new solution in place, the bakery saw immediate improvements. Mold inhibition was effective, and shelf life was consistently achieved in every batch. Product uniformity was restored, ensuring customers received the same high-quality baked goods every time. Their production processes also became more efficient, which reduced formulation adjustments and training time.
The company’s operations manager expressed satisfaction, saying:
"Think Ingredients’ cultured wheat flour completely solved our consistency issues. Their expertise and high-quality product have given us confidence in our formulations and helped us deliver on our promise of clean-label quality."
They saved money, time, and won customer loyalty. Customers quickly noticed the improved quality and clean-label transparency, leading to an increase in product sales. The shift to a cleaner label allowed them to stay competitive and strengthen their market position.
Now that their consistency issues have been resolved, the company is confident in switching to clean ingredients in other parts of their product line. They rely on Think Ingredients for ingredient recommendations that maintain the quality their customers expect, helping them move forward with their clean-label transformation.
Let’s Think Differently About Clean-Label Solutions
At Think Ingredients, we’re committed to providing innovative, natural solutions that enhance product quality and meet consumer demands. Our standardized cultured wheat flour ensures your products stay fresher longer, with the consistency your customers expect. Going clean label doesn’t have to be difficult or frustrating.
Contact us today to learn how we can help you achieve reliable, clean-label success in your formulations.
