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Special Report: Clean Label & Non-GMO, The Clean Scene

Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery
Author: Melissa Kvidahl, BNP Media

Unlike many food claims, “clean label” is a somewhat cryptic term that suffers from no real regulatory definition. Indeed, each food manufacturer adheres to its own unique clean-label policy because consumers have different concerns propelling them to find what they define as a clean label on the shelf.

Because of this lack of regulation, clean label has a definition that is ever-evolving to meet consumer demands as they change in real time. Take allergens, for instance. Once relegated to specialty shops, gluten-free products are now mainstream and, as such, many shoppers now consider allergen-free as one indicator of a clean label.

“The list of allergens continues to get longer, and consumers are taking a more cautious look at labels to check out ingredients in their food,” says Mel Festejo, Chief Operating Officer, American Key Food Products, Closter, NJ. “As consumers pay greater attention to ingredients lists, food manufacturers are turning to labels and ingredients as a new area for differentiation—shorter ingredients lists and simple ingredients.”

American Key Food Products distributes non-GMO ingredients, with its starches and flours imported from countries where there is either a set of prevailing regulatory laws or policies governing the use of non-GMO ingredients, or the ingredients are derived from inherently non- GMO crops.