Designing Nature's Way
February 1996 -- Design Elements

By: Lynn A. Kuntz
Associate Editor

  A decade ago, natural food products appeared only in health food or specialty stores. They seemed to be hand-crafted by counter-culture types in beads and sandals on some karmic nutritional mission. But the times they are a changin'. Natural foods have gone mainstream. In 1994, sales of these products increased over 22%, according to the Natural Food Merchandiser, Boulder, CO.

  While some of this growth is due to the increased popularity of natural food supermarket chains such as Whole Foods and Fresh Fields, regular groceries are playing an increasingly significant role, as well. Some supermarkets have natural foods sections. In others, all natural brands such as Earth's Best and Fantastic Foods are going head to head - or shelf to shelf - with companies like Gerber and Lipton.

  It's not that major food companies have been unaware of the consumer appeal of the label "natural." Through the years many have incorporated the concept into products. However, now more and more requests for natural labeling are being generated by marketers eager to give products a competitive advantage.

  Many consumers associate natural foods with health and high quality. Frequent reports in the popular media on the perceived safety of the food supply reinforce this idea, often discussing risks associated with pesticides, additives and certain processing methods.

  The good news is that it is possible to develop good-tasting, consumer-acceptable, natural products. The bad news is that it isn't always easy. Natural foods present both technical challenges, as well as philosophical ones.

Identifying the idea

  The NLEA (Nutritional Labeling and Education Act of 1990) clarified many food descriptors. "Fresh" and "healthy" have definitions. The term "natural" does not, except in terms of flavor ingredients. The Food and Drug Administration has defined natural flavors in the Code of Federal Regulations (21 CFR, sec. 101.22). This definition includes the kinds of raw materials and the different types of processing allowed: extractions, hydrolysis of proteinaceous materials, distillations, products derived through the application of heat, enzymolysis and fermentation. However, this definition is somewhat open to interpretation. For example, it doesn't specifically exclude the use of chemical compounds such as catalysts to create natural flavors.

  The FDA attempted to define natural food products several years ago, but backed away from any new legislation. Products with artificial flavors and added colors are not considered natural, but the FDA can only consider processed foods on a case-by-case basis. If FDA disagrees with a product's natural labeling, it can consider the product misbranded. However, without a legal definition, the burden of proof lies with the FDA, not the manufacturer.

  A look at the marketplace may help define natural foods. Then again, it may not. Products with natural on the label or in the name range from one found with artificially colored maraschino cherries and one with hydrogenated coconut oil to all-organic, whole foods.

  Trying to guess the consumer's definition of natural is just as difficult. Are they just looking for "clean" labeling - another ambiguous term - or for minimally processed ingredients such as whole grains? Acceptance may vary by product category. Consumers may view refined sugar as natural in chocolate, but not in a fruit juice beverage.

  The distributors of natural food products may offer more direction. For example, the leading natural foods retailer in the United States, Whole Foods Market Inc., Austin, TX, publishes a list of quality standards that define the products it sells. According to the list, the company does not sell (our emphasis) products that are irradiated or that use animal testing. They feature products that are free of artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors and preservatives; meat, poultry and seafood that are free of added growth hormones, antibiotics, nitrates or other chemicals; grains and grain products that have not been bleached or bromated. They seek out and support organically grown foods.

  Fresh Fields, Rockville, MD, issued a list several years ago that vetoed refined sugars, synthetic preservatives, irradiated produce, and meat from animals injected with hormones or antibiotics. Other stores may restrict the types of fats used, or salt levels, or additives that are believed by consumers to have adverse health implications, such as MSG. Many do not allow genetically altered products like Calgene's Flavr-Savr tomato. However, to compete with conventional supermarkets, many of the natural food stores offer a wide variety of products, so many of these objectives are not hard and fast rules.

Close to nature

  Certain categories tie in closely with natural foods. Like everything else, they may or may not incorporate natural as a requirement for a particular product, but they often fall under the same umbrella.

  Organic. Like natural, "organic" lacks an official definition sanctioned by the FDA. Unlike natural, this is about to change. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture is planning (as of this writing) to implement a national standard for organic certification: the Organic Foods Production Act. The specifics were reviewed in the May 1995 issue of Food Product Design in "Going Organic: What to Do Before the National Standard."

  In short, the Organic Foods Production Act will establish national organic standards that products labeled as organic must meet. The standards would specify that the food be produced, harvested, distributed, stored, processed and packaged without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or growth regulators. They require that suppliers of organic ingredients maintain the "organic integrity" of the product throughout the entire processing and distribution operation. The rules clarify the percent of organic ingredients a processed food must contain to be labeled as organic (95%).

  The rules also prohibit the use of synthetic substances in foods certified as organic unless a particular substance has been approved by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). These approved substances will appear on what is known as the National List. Determining the list will be a difficult and contentious undertaking since a number of synthetic ingredients or process aids are either physically necessary to produce a product or are mandated for inclusion by law. For example, a number of states require bread enrichment, but most added nutrients are synthetic.

  "In terms of our organic grain products, you aren't going to see any functional differences, but there will be a difference in cost," says Kris Nelson, sales and marketing, Grain Millers Inc., Eden Prairie, WI. "That's mainly due to the handling processes necessary. It must be kept separate from any non-organic product. The processing lines must be shut down and cleaned to make sure that no non-organic product intermixes with the organic product."

  Vegetarian products. While not necessary, a natural ingredient line often broadens the appeal of vegetarian products. Many vegetarians adapt their diets for health reasons or for environmental reasons that closely coincide with natural food proponents, such as sustainable or organic agriculture. The July 1995 issue of Food Product Design looked at some of the issues involved in designing vegetarian products in "The Beef Behind Meat Substitutes."

  Vegetarianism also may preclude all animal products, including dairy and egg products. Some substitutes for these products exist, but they will not exactly duplicate the corresponding animal product. Tofu can be used in place of some cheeses, but it won't provide the same melting characteristics or the same flavor contribution.

  Food allergies and intolerances. Certain additives have been definitively linked to allergies or intolerances - FD&C yellow #5 and sulfites, for example. Others, such as glutamates and a long list of food additives associated with Attention Deficit Disorder, have less of a scientific basis for concern, but many consumers believe the link exists. Because the market for nonallergenic products is relatively small, only 1% to 2% of the adult population and about 5% to 7% in infants and toddlers, combining these with natural labeling can broaden their appeal.

  However, natural doesn't mean nonallergenic. Many "natural" products such as milk, eggs, wheat and soy are the source of food allergies. When looking at functional or nutritional substitutes for many of the common food allergens, sometimes a food product designer must move in the opposite direction - using enzymatically hydrolyzed proteins, for example.

What comes naturally

  Whatever definition is used for natural food products, it limits ingredient choices and creates challenges for the food product designer.

  "Using natural, non-traditional ingredients is the more difficult way of doing it, no doubt about it," says Paul Stitt, president and CEO, Natural Ovens of Manitowoc, Manitowoc, WI. "If you find out the chemical way to do something, it becomes very tempting to use it."

  For products that carry a natural label, as opposed to products without a natural label, costs may increase, stability may decrease, product flavor and other attributes may change. Ultimately, it may not be possible to create the same product.

  This doesn't mean that a natural product can't be good or successful. It does mean careful scrutiny of ingredients so that they fit the concept of natural and provide an acceptable finished product. While it's not possible to discuss every alternative, we can look at some of the major categories.

Natural flavors

  Natural flavors have been defined by law, and for most products that is sufficient. However, the goals of the individual project may make it necessary to work closely with a flavor house to ensure that the ingredients or processes used for a flavor system fit the concept.

  One common example is yeast extracts; they qualify as natural flavor, but the controversy surrounding glutamate sometimes restricts their use. Yet, kombu, an Oriental seaweed product; and miso, a fermented soybean product, don't seem to suffer the same fate in most natural circles, despite containing high levels of glutamic acid.

  Some food purists may want to debate the "naturalness" of extraction solvents or carriers, but most product designers save their efforts for more practical concerns, such has how a natural flavor will affect the finished product.

  "Traditionally it has been much more difficult in many products to get the same flavor impact with a natural flavor that you can produce with an artificial," says Michael Lynch, business unit director, Haarmann & Reimer Corp., Springfield, NJ. "Higher levels are often necessary, and that brings the associated problems. In recent years we've made significant progress; there is a wider range of natural aroma chemicals available. We can make a natural strawberry flavor without using strawberry juice concentrate. There are technical restrictions on how and where you can use that kind of flavor, and there are still cost issues. Naturals can be much more expensive than artificial flavors."

Colors

  Theoretically any added color is an artificial color. The FDA separates food colorants into two categories: certified; and non-certified, or exempt. These are defined in 21 CFR, Parts 70 through 82. Certified colors are commonly known as artificial colors and include ingredients such as yellow #5. Non-certified colors are often known as natural colors and include 26 colorants made up of dyes, pigments or other substances capable of coloring a food that are obtained from various plant, animal or mineral sources. Not all of the exempt colorants are naturally derived. Most beta carotene is synthetically derived, although it can be extracted from algae.

  Other sources exist, but they are not approved for use as colorants in this country. They include colors from molds, yeasts, vegetable sources, and especially algae. Algae contain a number of naturally occurring pigments such as chlorophylls, carotenoids and phycobiliproteins that can create a wide range of colors, including blue and green.

  In most instances using a natural color means the product should not be labeled natural. But often natural color ingredients serve another purpose. Saffron and paprika oleoresin are considered spices in addition to being non-certified colors. Their color contributions (yellow and red-orange, respectively) may be considered a bonus, if appropriate. Beta carotene is not only yellow, it is a precursor to vitamin A and its main purpose in a product may be fortification. Under these circumstances, a "colored" product could still be considered natural - with some common sense. Someone would be hard-pressed to convince anyone that paprika oleoresin is a "natural" ingredient in a fruit punch, as opposed to a snack seasoning.

Grain products

  When a whole grain kernel is used, the percentages of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and fiber are higher than in the white or refined version. Retaining the bran or germ also results in other changes. Whole wheat flour does not contain the same level of gluten as white flour, which makes it difficult to achieve the same loaf volume in bread without added gluten. Wheat bran also contains phenolic compounds that produce a slight bitterness. In rye flour, retaining the bran increases the amount of naturally occurring gums, which changes the texture and volume. In most grains, the bran and germ have higher fat contents than the endosperm and the fat is subject to rancidity.

  "The difference in the nutritional profile between brown rice and white rice is not as big as you would think," says Frank Orthoefer, vice president, research and development, Riceland Rice, Little Rock, AK. "There's a slight difference in fiber and protein, but you go from less than 1% oil in white to over 2% in brown rice. The most significant differences are in the cooking profile, the flavor and the appearance, and the stability. With white rice you can go over a year. Brown rice only has a shelf life of about six months."

  White flour often undergoes a chlorination process known as bleaching. While this does whiten its appearance, it also affects a flour's functionality, particularly the degree of spread in cookies. However, in the grand scheme of food science, this is relatively easy to solve by altering the formulation or the baking profile.

  Bromate elimination seems to be a somewhat stickier problem. Bromate is a suspected carcinogen and the FDA has asked for its voluntary removal from all food products, not just natural ones. Many countries ban it outright. Potassium bromate is commonly used in the baking industry as an oxidant that strengthens the gluten, increasing volume and affecting the crumb structure. A number of natural alternatives can be found, including (depending on one's definition of natural) ascorbic acid, fungal enzymes and yeast extracts that contain oxidase enzymes and glutathoine.

  "Bromate is a very slow oxidant," says Michael Beavens, manager of baking ingredients, Watson Foods, West Haven, CT. "No other legal additives have the same oxidative action. What you have to do with ascorbic acid is a sort of recycling so you get some oxidative action in the oven, which is where you would see the effects of the bromate. Plus you are probably going to need three or four ingredients, and the ratio of those ingredients can vary depending on the type and length of your process."

Fats and oils

  The major considerations for fats in natural foods include hydrogenated fats (a chemical process with health implications), and the fat source and composition. In order to get anything more than fleeting stability to rancidity, fats must undergo a refining process. Most commercial oils use solvent extraction, and calling this natural is certainly a debatable issue. Oil can be produced by expeller pressing, a mechanical process that more easily fits under the natural umbrella. Expeller processing uses high pressure to remove the oil from seeds. As a result of the pressure, relatively high temperatures occur.

  "We don't get a lot of inquiries on the types of solvents used in this country, although it's a real issue in Europe," says Robert Wainwright, director of R&D, ABITEC Ingredients, Columbus, OH.

  Not only can hydrogenation of fats be considered a chemical process, the resulting product may have negative health implications. However, from a formulation standpoint, hydrogenation gives oils a higher degree of stability and influences the oil's functionality and physical characteristics, most importantly melting profile.

  "Product formulation challenges are being overcome to a certain extent with some of the genetically altered or hybridized varieties," explains Wainwright. "The one area where natural can be a real problem is when, in addition to lubricity, you want to build body and texture. That's difficult without hydrogenation. You can add fractions of palm oil, but that's not acceptable for those who don't want tropical oils in their products. You can look at domestic sources, but that will have economic implications."

  Fractionated fats also may be considered natural since fractionation is a physical rather than chemical process. The problem with these fats, again, is economic. Because the fat undergoes additional processing, it is more costly.

  The source also may be important in natural foods, even though no one source is more natural than another. Again, it's a matter of the perceived health benefits of a particular oil over another. Currently, canola and olive oil seem to have the edge and "tropicals" still encounter resistance.

  Sometimes other ingredients can substitute for some or all of the added fat. "Our products have no added fat, but we do use flaxseed as a source of omega-3 fatty acids," says Stitt. "Fat itself isn't really necessary in bread. Although most modern formulas contain it, most of the traditional ethnic breads do not. Some products such as cookies need a small amount of fat for flavor and mouthfeel, but we've found we can dramatically reduce the amount by using ingredients like applesauce and plum puree."

Sweetening agents

  Many natural food advocates have put refined white sugar and corn syrups on the list of undesirable ingredients because these ingredients are "highly processed." Sugar refining removes virtually all trace nutrients, leaving concentrated sucrose. While most nutritionists believe that sugar is sugar and the effect is the same no matter what the source, one school of thought holds that a concentrated sugar source plays havoc with the body's metabolism. Alternate "natural" sweeteners vary in sweetness and have other constituents - some positive, some negative.