“For most bakery companies, you don’t wake up one day and decide to be clean label. It should be part of the company’s DNA, and the clean label mindset should penetrate every department,” said Oliver Morel, senior VP of sales and marketing at Bridor USA, said.
He added that most consumers are still not familiar with the term "clean label," but told BakeryandSnacks that clean-label products represent a “small but growing part of the bakery market.”
Clean-label program
More consumers today are demanding recognizabele and simple ingredients in their food, and several ingredient companies, such as Kerry and DuPont, have been riding the clean label wave and developed tailored bakery products for clients.
Globally, MarketsandMarkets predicted the clean label ingredients market to be worth $47.1bn by 2022, with the flour segment accounting for the largest share, while cereals and snacks will be the fastest-growing segments.
“For most bakery companies, you don’t wake up one day and decide to be clean label. It should be part of the company’s DNA, and the clean label mindset should penetrate every department."
Following this momentum, Bridor recently launched its own clean label program, which bans the use of over 150 ingredients, including artificial colors and flavors, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, bleached flour, high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats.
Bridor said the clean label program was created by its R&D and quality assurance specialists, in collaborating with industry suppliers.
“The launch of the clean label program emphasizes our mission to exceed industry expectations while meeting consumer trends and customer demand,” Morel said.
Reformulating bakery products
Bridor began reformulating its bakery portfolio two years ago when the clean label trend started to become popular in the US.
The US market represents around 25% to 30% of Bridor’s overall sales, and has become the company’s top priority after launching the clean label program, according to Morel.
Even though Bridor does not offer branded products in the US, Morel said the company will continue reformulating the private-label baked items for the domestic retailers, expecting its US business to grow by 25% this year.
The company supplies to US market with European baked products, including croissants, pastries, savory bistro items and bread.
It recently introduced a ready-to-bake croissant made with Echirè butter. a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) butter from the small village of Echirè, home to about 3,000 people in western France.
Bridor’s clean label line currently encompasses over 200 products, but could rise to 300 by the end of 2017, the company said.