When choosing bakery products, today’s consumers want it all – taste, indulgence, healthy options, and clean label, to name a few. So how can bakeries adapt their products to satisfy this diverse demand? Enzyme technology has the answer, argues Puratos.
The bakery landscape is transforming, and consumer expectations have never been higher. Today’s shoppers want it all: longer shelf life paired with cleaner labels, improved nutritional profiles with reduced sugar and fat – but not at the expense of taste and texture.
At the same time, major UK retailers are encouraging suppliers to reduce ingredient numbers and improve nutritional profiles as the non-ultra-processed food (UPF) movement continues. These aren’t just passing trends; they are fundamental shifts in purchasing behaviour that are here to stay.
What consumers want from bakery: the conflicting story
According to 2025 Taste Tomorrow ‘always-on’ insights from Puratos:
● 58% of UK consumers say freshness is their first priority when buying patisserie. Yet freshness is not just an indicator of a good sensory experience; 75% also say that a fresh baked product feels healthier. This perception can transform a simple snack into a healthier indulgence.
● 46% of British consumers are actively hunting for healthier bakery alternatives – even with fresh, ‘healthier-feeling’ products on offer, this perception alone won’t satisfy the modern shopper. It’s leading to label scrutiny that is more specific than just calorie counts.
● One in four consumers look at e-numbers and emulsifiers when buying sweet goods, with 46% focusing on sugar values when buying patisserie. This comes as sugar reduction pressure intensifies, too. So, how do bakers reduce sugar content while preserving the structure, golden browning and moisture that consumers love?
● 37% of consumers check fat content, so fat reduction presents an equally tricky dilemma. However, cutting fat risks losing moistness and mouthfeel – sensory qualities that are crucial for creating baked goods with the better-for-you positioning that consumers crave.
● And a whopping 68% of consumers now look for products that are produced sustainably. Although it’s clear that reformulation changes are needed, simple ingredient swaps can lead to dense texture, rapid staling and poor rise. Chemical additives might solve functional challenges but fall short of consumers’ clean label expectations. Bakers are therefore on the lookout for a more natural breakthrough.
Enzymes on the rise
For bakers facing this perfect storm of conflicting demands, enzyme technology could be the secret ingredient that helps them rise to the occasion. Beyond improving functional benefits and back-of-pack appeal by removing some e-numbers commonly found in baked goods, enzymes offer a triple win: enhanced product performance, reduced manufacturing costs and a smaller environmental footprint. In an industry where margins are often slim and changing regulations are prompting reformulation, enzymes are rewriting the rulebook for sustainable, consumer-driven bakery innovation.
“Enzyme technology offers bakers a smart solution to bridge the functionality gap,” explains Ben Ledger, marketing manager at Puratos UK. “As nature’s own catalysts, enzymes have high specificity and efficiency – delivering maximum impact with minimal dosage. These precision tools are designed to target particular aspects of baking performance without the typical side effects of conventional additives, like off-flavours or a ‘synthetic’ texture.
“For example, enzymes can fine-tune softness, cohesiveness, resilience, moistness, melting point and chewiness – all the properties that keep bakery consumers coming back for more,” he adds.
What’s more enzymes can make these changes without the use additional additives, he notes. “In fact, they actively replace conventional additives while delivering distinct advantages: clean label credentials, cost-effective performance, targeted functionality and versatility across varying temperatures and pH levels.”
Enzymes are also ideal for tackling multiple reformulation challenges simultaneously. This makes them particularly valuable for meeting requirements to be HFSS (high in fat, salt, sugar) compliant, where reformulation demands are complex, and helping bakers to develop LFSS (low fat, salt, sugar) solutions that meet regulatory requirements while maintaining consumer appeal.
”Clean label and functionality are no longer trade-offs to be negotiated – they’re baseline necessities that every successful bakery product must deliver”
– Ben Ledger, marketing manager, Puratos UK
Catalysing the future of baking
“Consumer demands in the bakery market show no signs of slowing down, making enzyme technology essential for future-proofing recipes,” says Ledger. “Clean label and functionality are no longer trade-offs to be negotiated – they’re baseline necessities that every successful bakery product must deliver. The question is no longer whether to reformulate, but how to do it effectively.”
Puratos works closely with bakers large and small to find the right enzyme solutions for every brief – producing healthier, cost-reduced solutions. With expertise in screening, producing and combining enzymes into adapted solutions, the approach goes beyond simply supplying ingredients. At the company’s Fringford Innovation Centre, specialist pilot equipment recreates realistic production environments, allowing for comprehensive trials that help bring the next generation of bakery products to life. One thing is clear: the future of baking is powered by enzymes.
How Puratos can help
Puratos’ Acti range provides enzyme-based solutions specifically developed to improve texture while contributing to cleaner labels across diverse bakery applications, such as muffins, cakes, cookies and brownies. These dry powdered solutions are added during mixing, so no new equipment or extra manufacturing steps are required. Rather than a one-size-fits-all formula, bakers can use a different solution for every reformulation challenge. Whether the priority is extending freshness, reducing egg content, cutting fat, lowering sugar levels or cleaning up labels, there’s a tailored solution designed to meet specific functional needs without compromise. This precision approach allows bakers to select the precise tools required for their unique reformulation goals, ensuring optimal results for each product category and market positioning.
For more information on Puratos’ Acti range of enzymes for bakery, click here.
