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As consumers place greater emphasis on simplicity and transparency in the foods and beverages they choose, clean-label reformulation has become a defining challenge for manufacturers. Removing familiar additives or simplifying ingredient lists is only part of the equation; consumers still expect the same indulgent textures, creamy mouthfeel and satisfying sensory experiences they associate with quality products. Marcia Petit, sensory science director at Tate & Lyle, explores why mouthfeel has become central to successful clean-label reformulation, how sensory science helps preserve consumer expectations, and why maintaining texture, structure and eating enjoyment is critical to building trust in an evolving food landscape.

Clean label products fail most often not because of what’s removed, but because of what’s no longer felt.

Consumers are scrutinising ingredient lists more closely than ever. But clean-label expectations now go beyond what’s on the pack. People want simpler formulations – and they still expect food and drink to feel just as good as they’ve always tasted. For manufacturers and brands, that’s where the real challenge lies.

Clean-label reformulation often means eliminating highly functional ingredients that quietly do heavy lifting in a recipe, shaping texture and mouthfeel, protecting stability, extending shelf life and ensuring process tolerance. Remove the wrong component, and products can lose creaminess, structure, process stability or performance over time. The product may meet a label objective but fall short on experience.

Consumers often see clean-label products as higher value. Expectations rise, not fall. Taste and mouthfeel must justify that perception.

The tension is clear: how do you reformulate to meet modern expectations without undermining the very qualities that make a product enjoyable?

Today, performance can be retained through highly functional clean-label ingredients developed specifically for this challenge. But ingredient functionality alone isn’t enough. Protecting the taste experience requires deep expertise in mouthfeel, understanding which sensory attributes matter most in each category and knowing how to rebuild them precisely and reliably.

This is where mouthfeel – the texture and sensation experienced when consuming food and beverages, including how food looks, tastes, sounds and feels in the mouth – becomes central. Texture refers to the product’s physical properties, which can be measured using material science. Mouthfeel, by contrast, is how those textures and other sensory cues are perceived during eating.

Mouthfeel as a marker of quality

Mouthfeel is no longer a secondary consideration. Although often unconscious, mouthfeel is one of the most immediate ways consumers evaluate and perceive taste and eating enjoyment. Whether it’s the smoothness of a yogurt or the thickness of a dessert, mouthfeel influences first impressions, perceived quality and repeat purchase.

When it delivers, brands build trust and loyalty. When it doesn’t, even the strongest nutritional or clean-label claims struggle to compensate.

And while clean-label is often framed in terms of absence – no unfamiliar or chemical-sounding ingredients – it is mouthfeel that must deliver presence. It holds the product together, delivers the expected experience, and reassures consumers that less doesn’t mean less satisfying.

Consumer research across the UK and Germany shows that three in five consumers say they try to buy products with shorter ingredient lists, and 73% believe natural ingredients are healthier. Texture plays a key role in reinforcing those choices, signalling that simplicity doesn’t mean compromise.

Reformulation is a sensory obstacle course

It’s easy to focus on what’s removed from a recipe. But from the consumer’s perspective, what matters is what remains and how it feels. Reformulating for a cleaner label can’t come at the expense of sensory quality.

In a bakery application, reducing egg content in a snack cake presents a complex challenge, as eggs play a key role in maintaining structure, moisture and an indulgent texture. Achieving egg-like performance requires a careful approach to formulation to preserve aeration, softness and overall mouthfeel, while also supporting cost reduction and supply reliability.

In dairy, reformulating yogurt to achieve a clean-label position without gelatine requires a structured approach to rebuilding creaminess from the ground up. This involves translating consumer mouthfeel preferences into clear sensory targets and ingredient strategies, ensuring that texture, stability and shelf-life performance are maintained while keeping the ingredient list simple and recognisable. The result is a product that meets growing demand for transparency without compromising on taste or quality.

In ice cream, reducing fat and sugar presents further challenges, as both play a critical role in delivering indulgent mouthfeel. Lower levels are typically associated with increased firmness and iciness, which can impact the overall sensory experience. Addressing this requires solutions that help restore creaminess, cohesiveness and fatty mouthcoating, while also improving smoothness, reducing coldness perception and maintaining melting resistance.

Across these applications, reformulation is not just about reducing or removing ingredients. It requires a clear understanding of how to preserve structure, texture and sensory quality, ensuring that products continue to deliver the indulgent experiences consumers expect, even as nutritional and label requirements evolve.

When mouthfeel disappears, so can trust

Consumers might not always explain why they stop buying a product. But if mouthfeel changes, they notice. Even small shifts in mouthfeel can signal that something’s off. And when that happens in a reformulated product, particularly one positioned as healthier or more natural, it can cast doubt on the whole proposition.

That’s why substitutions must do more than function technically. Mouthfeel isn’t just about structure or processing. It’s about how a product lands in the mouth, and how that influences perception and preference.

Done well, clean-label reformulation allows brands to add value while keeping the experience consistent. A creamy spoonful, a slow-melting bite, a chewy bar that holds its shape – these are signals of quality. When it delivers, the product speaks for itself.

Mouthfeel as reassurance

Clean-label reformulation will continue to reshape the food and beverage landscape. But as brands simplify recipes and remove unwanted ingredients, consumers still expect the product to look, feel, smell and taste the same. In a cleaner-label world, mouthfeel becomes one of the clearest signals that the quality has improved.

Whether a product is positioned as indulgent or better-for-you, mouthfeel plays a quiet but essential role. When the mouthfeel holds, it communicates care, consistency and credibility. It reassures consumers that the food is still worth choosing – even as labels evolve. And ultimately, that’s the real test of reformulation. Not just what’s removed, but what still feels right.