Clean label reformulation is the process of redesigning food and beverage formulations with simpler, recognisable or naturally derived ingredients while maintaining the sweetness, flavour, colour, body, texture, stability and processing performance required in the finished product. Food and beverage manufacturers can use fruit concentrates, clarified concentrates, deionised or rectified fruit concentrates, natural-origin sweetening solutions, plant-based concentrates and tailor-made ingredient systems to achieve clean label objectives without compromising sensory quality or industrial viability.
Clean label reformulation has become one of the key challenges for R&D teams across the food and beverage industry.
The objective may seem straightforward: to develop products with simpler formulations, recognisable ingredients and a more natural positioning.
The industrial reality, however, is considerably more complex.
Reducing or replacing certain ingredients can affect sweetness, flavour, colour, body, texture, stability or product performance during processing. For this reason, a clean label strategy is not simply about removing ingredients, but about selecting solutions that maintain the functionality required in the final product.
At MAK Food Company, we work with manufacturers and R&D departments to develop and supply ingredients for different formulation needs: fruit and vegetable concentrates, clarified concentrates, deionised and rectified concentrates, natural sweetening solutions, plant-based concentrates and tailor-made innovations.
The key is to identify what the formulation actually needs.
1. Fruit concentrates: when preserving the identity of the raw material matters
The starting point is the juice obtained directly from the fruit.
At this initial stage, we obtain a juice, which retains all the natural components of the raw material:
- pulp and suspended particles;
- natural colour;
- aromas and volatile compounds;
- organic acids;
- minerals;
- amino acids;
- naturally occurring sugars.
This type of juice clearly retains the organoleptic characteristics of the original fruit.
From here, fruit concentrates for the food industry make it possible to work with defined sensory profiles while simultaneously contributing different characteristics to the formulation.
Depending on the application, a fruit concentrate can contribute to:
- flavour;
- sweetness;
- solids;
- body;
- colour;
- sensory identity.
This is why their use extends far beyond juices and nectars.
Fruit concentrates can be incorporated into beverages, dairy and plant-based products, ice creams, bakery, confectionery, snacks, sauces, fruit preparations and many other industrial applications.
MAK works with a broad portfolio of concentrates, ranging from citrus fruits such as orange, lemon, lime, mandarin and grapefruit to berries, tropical fruits, stone fruits and other speciality ingredients.
When should you consider this solution?
When you want fruit to be clearly present in the final product profile, while also contributing to other characteristics of the formulation.
2. Clarified concentrates: when you want to preserve the fruit while removing turbidity and suspended solids
When freshly extracted juice undergoes a clarification process, pulp and a significant proportion of suspended solids are removed using technologies such as filtration, decantation, centrifugation or membrane systems.
The result is a cleaner, more transparent juice or concentrate, sometimes with a golden hue, while still retaining important components of the fruit:
- naturally occurring sugars;
- minerals;
- amino acids;
- organic acids;
- characteristic flavour;
- some aromatic compounds.
From a formulation perspective, this distinction is important.
A clarified concentrate is not intended to remove the identity of the fruit, but rather to reduce turbidity and suspended solids while retaining much of its natural and sensory characteristics.
MAK works with different clarified concentrates, including solutions based on orange, white grape, apple, lemon and grapefruit, among others.
Depending on the application, solutions such as clear apple concentrate can help manufacturers retain the fruit profile while achieving greater visual clarity and reducing suspended solids.
When should you consider this solution?
When you need to retain the characteristic properties of the fruit while achieving greater clarity, visual homogeneity or a lower presence of suspended particles.
This type of solution can be particularly interesting for beverages, nectars and other applications where the visual appearance of the finished product is a technical or commercial requirement.
3. Deionised or rectified concentrates: when fruit-derived sweetness with a neutral profile is required
The next processing stage is deionisation or rectification.
At this stage, advanced separation technologies, such as ion-exchange resins and membrane systems, are used to remove virtually all components other than the sugars naturally present in the fruit.
During this process, the following are reduced or removed:
- minerals;
- salts;
- acids;
- colour-forming compounds;
- aromas;
- flavours;
- other minor components naturally present in the fruit.
The result is a transparent, stable and virtually colourless concentrate, composed mainly of naturally occurring fruit sugars, particularly glucose and fructose.
From an R&D perspective, this opens up a particularly interesting formulation route.
MAK offers a broad range of deionised and rectified fruit concentrates designed to provide fruit-derived sugars with a neutral sensory profile.
This means it can be incorporated without significantly modifying:
- colour;
- aroma;
- flavour;
- the overall sensory identity of the finished product.
For example, a manufacturer may need to provide sweetness and solids to a beverage without introducing a noticeable grape, apple or pear flavour.
For this type of project, a deionised concentrate can provide a particularly versatile solution.
MAK offers deionised and rectified solutions based on apple, white grape, pear, strawberry, pineapple, pomegranate, lemon, banana, peach and multifruit, among others.
One of these solutions is deionised apple concentrate, which can provide fruit-derived sweetness and soluble solids with minimal impact on the finished product’s colour, aroma or flavour.
They can be considered for applications such as:
- wines and fermented beverages;
- baby food;
- jams and preserves;
- juices and nectars;
- ice creams;
- bakery and pastry products;
- functional and nutritional beverages;
- other industrial food formulations.
When should you consider this solution?
When the objective is to provide fruit-derived sweetness and solids with a highly neutral sensory profile, without significantly altering the colour, aroma or flavour of the finished product.
Cloudy, clarified or deionised: which solution does your formulation need?
For an R&D team, the key question is:
How much do we want the fruit to be perceived in the final product?
If a clear fruit identity is required, a conventional concentrate may be the appropriate option.
If the objective is to maintain that profile while improving clarity and appearance, a clarified concentrate can be considered.
And if the aim is primarily to use the naturally occurring sugars from the fruit without introducing significant colour, aroma or flavour, deionised or rectified concentrates come into play.
4. Natural sweetening solutions: when the challenge is how to rethink sweetness
Sweetness is one of the main areas of focus in many clean label projects.
However, reformulating a sweetening system is not simply a matter of replacing one ingredient with another.
Any change can affect:
- solids;
- body;
- mouthfeel;
- texture;
- flavour balance;
- processing behaviour;
- overall sensory profile.
Manufacturers therefore need to approach sweetness as a complete formulation challenge rather than an isolated ingredient substitution.
Within this context, deionised and rectified concentrates can form part of a fruit-derived sweetening strategy, as they primarily provide glucose and fructose while maintaining a neutral sensory profile.
Depending on the project, MAK can evaluate different natural-origin sweetening solutions according to the technical and sensory requirements of each application.
The objective is not simply to achieve a specific level of sweetness, but to find the right balance between:
sweetness + solids + body + texture + sensory perception + industrial feasibility.
When should you consider this solution?
When the manufacturer needs to rethink the sweetening system while maintaining the technical and sensory characteristics required in the final product.
5. Plant-based concentrates: oat, rice, malt and hemp as formulation platforms
MAK develops a broad portfolio of plant-based concentrates for beverages, dairy alternatives, hybrid products and other industrial food applications.The plant-based category is evolving far beyond conventional dairy alternatives.
Today, manufacturers are exploring plant-derived ingredients not only to develop plant-based beverages, but also as formulation platforms for new food and beverage concepts.
MAK works with plant-based solutions based on oat, rice, malt and hemp, offering different starting points depending on the requirements of each project.
Oat concentrate
Oat concentrate provides a versatile base for plant-based beverages and other formulations.
It can be used as a starting point for combinations such as:
oat + almond
oat + cocoa
oat + coffee
oat + pistachio
as well as fruit-infused oat beverages and other hybrid concepts.
Oat Concentrate Standard provides a versatile formulation base for plant-based beverages and can also be combined with cocoa, coffee, nuts or fruit to create differentiated concepts.
Rice concentrate
Rice concentrate has a mild sensory profile and can be incorporated into plant-based beverages as well as bakery products, gummies, cereal and energy bars, vegan ice creams and other applications.
Its characteristics also make it relevant for projects in which manufacturers are simultaneously reviewing sweetness, solids and the sensory profile of the formulation.
Malt concentrate
Malt-based solutions provide an interesting alternative for formulations where cereal character, body and differentiated sensory profiles are required.
They can be particularly relevant for R&D teams looking to move beyond traditional plant-based bases and explore different formulation possibilities.
Hemp concentrate
Hemp expands the opportunities for innovation within the plant-based category, particularly for manufacturers exploring new plant sources, emerging beverage concepts and differentiated product positioning.
The key is not simply to select a base because of its plant origin.
Each one has different characteristics in terms of:
- flavour;
- body;
- solids;
- texture;
- processing;
- industrial performance.
When should you consider these solutions?
When developing or reformulating plant-based beverages, dairy alternatives, hybrid products or other formulations where the plant base forms part of the product’s identity and functionality.
6. Innovation: when reformulation becomes new product development
Clean label is not only about reformulating existing products.
It can also become the starting point for creating entirely new products.
In an increasingly competitive market, manufacturers are looking for differentiated concepts, more complex flavour profiles and new combinations of fruit, functionality and sensory experience.
At MAK Food Company, innovation combines ingredient expertise, formulation capabilities and trend analysis to develop concepts that go beyond the standard catalogue.
Current areas of innovation include:
Hibiscus & Ginger
The combination of hibiscus and ginger brings together intense colour, acidity, a botanical profile and a distinctive spicy character.
It can provide an interesting starting point for premium soft drinks, functional beverages, adult-oriented drinks and other formulations seeking a more complex sensory identity.
Hot Range
The Hot Range explores the combination of fruit and spicy flavour profiles.
This intersection opens up new possibilities for beverages, sauces and other applications aimed at consumers seeking more intense and unconventional sensory experiences.
Isotonic and hydration beverages
The hydration category is evolving beyond traditional sports drinks.
Manufacturers are exploring formulations that combine:
fruit + minerals + electrolytes + functionality
This creates opportunities for both isotonic beverages and everyday or functional hydration concepts.
Energy drinks
The energy drink category is also moving beyond its traditional flavour codes.
The incorporation of fruit, botanicals and more complex flavour combinations provides opportunities to develop a new generation of energy drinks with a more differentiated sensory proposition.
These concepts can be adapted according to:
- target audience;
- market;
- flavour profile;
- functional positioning;
- the manufacturer’s technical requirements.
When should you consider an innovation project?
When the objective is not simply to replace an ingredient, but to create a new concept, explore an emerging category or develop a differentiated product for the market.
What if no standard solution fits the formulation?
Industrial projects rarely begin with a brief as simple as:
“We need apple concentrate.”
Requirements are usually far more specific:
We need to reduce a particular ingredient, maintain the same level of sweetness, avoid significant colour changes, preserve mouthfeel, meet stability requirements and subsequently scale the formulation for industrial production.
Or even:
We want to develop a new functional beverage combining fruit, hydration and a differentiated flavour profile, but we need to find the right ingredient system and make it industrially viable.
In these situations, the answer may not be to select a standard catalogue product.
It may require developing a solution specifically for that project.
Tailor-made solutions with MAK Food Company
MAK works with food and beverage manufacturers to develop tailor-made solutions adapted to specific technical, sensory and production requirements.
The process can begin with very specific questions:
What do we need to replace, reduce or improve?
Which characteristics need to be maintained?
What sensory profile are we looking for?
What are the technical requirements of the production process?
Are we reformulating an existing product or developing a new one?
In which market will it be commercialised?
Based on this brief, different options can be evaluated, including:
- specific concentrates;
- blends;
- plant-based bases;
- natural-origin sweetening solutions;
- fruit and botanical combinations;
- customised developments.
The objective is not simply to supply an ingredient.
It is to ensure that the solution works within the formulation and can subsequently be transferred to industrial-scale production.
Which solution does your formulation need?
There is no single answer for every clean label or product development project.
The right choice depends on what the manufacturer needs to achieve:
| If you need… | Consider… |
| Maximum fruit identity | Fruit concentrates / cloudy |
| Fruit profile with greater visual clarity | Clarified concentrates |
| Fruit-derived sweetness with a neutral sensory profile | Deionised or rectified concentrates |
| A new approach to the sweetening system | Natural sweetening solutions |
| A plant-based formulation platform | Oat, rice, malt or hemp |
| A differentiated new product concept | MAK Innovation |
| Several technical requirements to be addressed simultaneously | Tailor-made solutions |
Clean label reformulation may begin with ingredient selection, but successful product development must ultimately result in a solution that is sensorially appealing, technically viable, commercially relevant and ready for industrial-scale production.
At MAK Food Company, we work alongside manufacturers and R&D teams to identify the right ingredients, explore new formulation possibilities and develop solutions adapted to each project.
Are you working on a reformulation or developing a new product? Tell us what you need to achieve and we will work with you to identify the most suitable solution.
