A natural attraction
Natural labeling attracts shoppers. Refrigerated, frozen, ready-to-eat or ready-for-cooking, all types of meat and poultry increase their chance of purchase when the package sports a natural claim, even when the claim comes with a higher price.
Flavor and texture adventure
The USDA specifically prohibits the use of artificial flavors in meat and poultry labeled as natural. Identifying natural options that deliver on flavor throughout shelf life, and after cooking, if applicable, can be challenging.
“Functionally natural flavors perform very similarly to artificial flavors, though some artificial flavors are difficult to replicate using natural flavors,” says Roger Lane, marketing manager, savory flavors, Sensient Flavors, Hoffman Estates, Illinois.
Yeast extracts are often part of a seasoning mix, as they enhance flavor and may be considered a clean-label alternative to monosodium glutamate. Yeast are microorganisms consumers are familiar with.
Many yeast extracts in the market are made from strains of baker’s yeast. The yeast grows and ferments a sugar source, and is then exposed to enzymes that break the yeast cell wall, a natural process called autolysis. This allows the flavor components of protein and amino acids from the yeast cell to be extracted.
“Yeast extracts can provide taste enhancement when less clean ingredients are removed,” Lane says. “Since we produce our own yeast extracts, we’re able to meet the unique needs of each of our customers. If a manufacturer wants to go even cleaner than flavor or yeast extract, we also have a range of from-the-named-source extracts that are labeled as natural extract.
“Most taste issues can be solved either with a yeast extract alone or a combination of yeast extract and natural flavor,” he says.