Food and beverage brands that want to improve mouthfeel and texture without artificial ingredients can draw on a defined set of B2B suppliers. Multinational texturant suppliers CP Kelco (now part of Tate & Lyle), Ingredion and Cargill supply citrus fiber, clean-label starches, pectin, gellan and plant-derived emulsifiers; Kerry offers acacia-based emulsifier systems. Specialists such as Fiberstar, Herbafood, Jungbunzlauer, Lantmännen, Roquette and Algaia focus on individual categories: citrus fiber, fermentation-derived gums, oat beta-glucan, pea protein and seaweed extracts. A separate group, including Infusd, works on the active ingredient itself, converting fat-soluble actives into water-soluble forms so the fat-soluble active does not need its own emulsion in the finished product. This article maps those suppliers by ingredient category, summarizes the regulatory context for "natural" and "clean label" claims, and sets out the criteria R&D teams use to compare them.

What "mouthfeel and texture" Covers in Formulation Work

Mouthfeel and texture describe the physical sensations a product creates in the mouth: viscosity, body, creaminess, smoothness, astringency, grit, chalkiness, and any oily film or residue. In practice, texture problems in clean-label products come from one of three sources.

• Removed functionality. Reducing sugar, fat or a modified starch takes out body, water binding or gel strength, and something has to replace it.

• Added nutrition. Protein, fiber, minerals and botanical extracts frequently add chalkiness, sandiness, astringency or sediment.

• Added fat-soluble actives. Omega-3 oils, vitamins A, D, E and K, curcumin and similar lipophilic ingredients do not dissolve in water. Without an emulsion or a solubilization system they separate, ring at the neck of a bottle, or leave an oily coating on the palate. Our article on what solubility means for supplements covers the physical chemistry behind cloudiness, sedimentation and separation.

Each source points to a different supplier category. Removed functionality is usually addressed with fibers, starches and hydrocolloids. Added nutrition is addressed with higher-solubility fibers and lower-viscosity proteins. Added fat-soluble actives are addressed either with clean-label emulsifiers or with water-soluble ingredient formats.

The Regulatory Frame for "natural" and "clean label" Texture Claims

Neither "natural" nor "clean label" is a defined legal term for food in the United States. The FDA states that it has not established a formal definition of "natural", and that its longstanding policy treats the term as meaning nothing artificial or synthetic (including color additives) has been added that would not normally be expected in the food. The policy does not address processing methods such as pasteurization or thermal processing (FDA, Use of the Term Natural on Food Labeling). "Natural flavor" is defined, in 21 CFR 101.22, as flavoring constituents derived from named plant, animal or fermentation sources whose significant function is flavoring rather than nutrition.

In the European Union, food additives are authorized under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 and declared under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011. Several suppliers listed below, including CP Kelco and Fiberstar, market their citrus fibers on the basis that the ingredient does not require an E-number in Europe (Beverage Industry); the position should be confirmed for each product and market with the supplier.

Two regulatory developments shape the current texture and color debate:

• Titanium dioxide (E171). Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/63, adopted 14 January 2022, withdrew authorization for titanium dioxide as a food additive after the 2021 EFSA safety assessment concluded it could no longer be considered safe. This is a color, not a texturant, but it raised scrutiny of every additive on the label.

• Carrageenan (E407). Carrageenan remains authorized in the EU and GRAS in the US, but EFSA has issued a call for technical and toxicological data to close gaps in its risk assessment. Some brands and organic manufacturers have removed it regardless of its legal status (SupplySide). For formulators the distinction is between technical suitability and label acceptability for a given customer.

Consumer pressure runs in the same direction. In the 2026 IFIC Food & Health Survey, 37% of US adults ranked food additives and ingredients among their top three food safety concerns, up from 30% in 2024, and "limited or no artificial ingredients or preservatives" rose ten positions and ten percentage points since 2022 as a criterion consumers use to define a healthy food.

Supplier Landscape by Ingredient Category

Citrus Fiber: CP Kelco, Ingredion, Cargill, Fiberstar, Herbafood

Suppliers position citrus fiber as a multifunctional clean-label texturant because a single ingredient can provide water binding, viscosity, emulsion stabilization and fat mimicry. It is produced from citrus peel or juicing by-product without chemical modification and is declared as "citrus fiber".

• CP Kelco (Tate & Lyle) supplies NUTRAVA Citrus Fiber for gelling, thickening, stabilizing and water binding, and positions it as a replacement for starch, egg or oil in many recipes (Food Ingredients First). Tate & Lyle announced the acquisition of CP Kelco from J.M. Huber on 20 June 2024 for an implied headline consideration of US$1.8 billion and completed it on 15 November 2024, so the two portfolios now sit under one supplier.

• Ingredion offers FIBERTEX CF 100, described as an emulsion stabilizer with gelling properties that improves mouthfeel, texture and viscosity (Knowde product listing).

• Cargill markets CitriPure citrus fiber, produced from whole dried peel using only water and energy, within its label-friendly solutions range.

• Fiberstar produces Citri-Fi from upcycled citrus juicing by-product with no chemical modification. The company positions it as a natural emulsifier, stabilizer and texturizer owing to its intact native pectin content (Fiberstar).

• Herbafood supplies Herbacel AQ Plus Citrus, which has a neutral taste, cold-swelling behavior and a water-binding capacity of approximately 25 g/g, and can replace thickeners, emulsifiers and stabilizers (technical sheet).

Typical uses: consistency in dressings, sauces and cream-based products across a range of oil levels, and replacement of starch, egg or oil (study summary). Suppliers such as Fiberstar emphasize low use levels, which keeps the ingredient declaration short.

Clean-Label Functional Starches: Tate & Lyle, Ingredion

Functional clean-label starches are marketed to deliver process tolerance while being declared under simple names such as "tapioca starch".

• Tate & Lyle CLARIA is a functional clean-label starch range. CLARIA G is positioned for freeze-thaw and cold-storage stability in bakery fillings and emulsified sauces; CLARIA Bliss is a tapioca-based starch that thickens and sets into a soft translucent gel for dairy desserts, sauces, confectionery and processed cheese (Tate & Lyle).

• Ingredion NOVATION is the company's functional native starch line, with NOVATION 3600 among the grades available in EMEA (TraceGains listing).

Starches remain the preferred route when the problem is texture breakdown under temperature cycling, retort or long refrigerated distribution, which fibers alone do not always solve.

Pectin, Gellan and Seaweed Hydrocolloids: CP Kelco, Tate & Lyle, Algaia

• Pectin. CP Kelco's GENU pectin range covers high-sugar gels (for example, GENU type 115 for jams), reduced-sugar systems, nutrient suspension and protein stabilization (Baking Business). GENU Pectin BETA is marketed as a clean-label, allergen-free emulsifier.

• Gellan gum. CP Kelco positions KELCOGEL gellan for suspending nutrients in beverages with light body, and the CG-LA grade functions as stabilizer, thickener, emulsion stabilizer and film former (Knowde product listing).

• Seaweed extracts. Algaia supplies alginates, carrageenans and specialty seaweed extracts, including Satialgine DVA for rich, creamy texture in low-fat dairy and non-dairy desserts without eggs (Food Ingredients First). Tate & Lyle offers GENUGEL carrageenan. As noted above, carrageenan is technically effective but subject to customer-specific acceptance decisions.

Fermentation-Derived Gums: Jungbunzlauer, CP Kelco

Xanthan gum is a widely used viscosity builder. Jungbunzlauer produces xanthan by fermenting glucose from non-GMO corn starch and lists it alongside TayaGel as bio-based fermentation products. CP Kelco supplies KELTROL xanthan and CELLULON fermentation-derived cellulose. Fermentation origin supports "no artificial ingredients" positioning; brands targeting EU markets should confirm how each gum is declared under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 before deciding whether it also fits a "no additives" claim.

Soluble Fibers and Oat Beta-Glucan: Tate & Lyle, Lantmännen

• Tate & Lyle PROMITOR Soluble Fibre is a soluble corn fiber with neutral color, clean taste and high solubility, positioned for fiber fortification "without a chalky mouthfeel" (Tate & Lyle).

• Lantmännen PromOat is a fully soluble oat beta-glucan ingredient (34% beta-glucan) produced from Swedish oats by a chemical-free fractionation process, positioned by Lantmännen as a texturizer for clean-label products (Lantmännen Biorefineries). Lantmännen also supplies clean-label oat fiber.

Plant Proteins with Texture Functionality: Roquette, Cargill

Protein is both a nutrient and a texturant, and it can introduce chalkiness, astringency and sedimentation in functional beverages. Supplier selection therefore focuses on solubility and viscosity at use level.

• Roquette NUTRALYS pea protein isolates are extracted from yellow pea by a patented water-based process (Roquette).

• Cargill PURIS pea protein is Non-GMO Project Verified and USDA Organic, produced without hexane, and described as low-viscosity with good water-holding and emulsifying capacity for high-protein beverages and bars (Cargill).

Clean-Label Emulsifier Alternatives: Cargill, Kerry, acacia and quillaja suppliers

Where a formulation must carry oil, the conventional route is a lecithin or mono- and diglyceride system (Kerry). Four clean-label alternatives are in commercial use.

• Sunflower lecithin. Cargill positions it as an allergen-free alternative to soy lecithin; demand in chocolate rose more than 60% between 2010 and 2011 once allergen and natural positioning became priorities (Food Ingredients First).

• Gum acacia. Used to encapsulate flavor oils in beverage emulsions and recognized by the FDA as a dietary fiber (Food Business News). Kerry's texturants portfolio includes Puremul, an acacia-based system intended to replace lecithin and mono- and diglycerides.

• Quillaja extract. A saponin-based natural emulsifier that forms oil-in-water emulsions with droplet sizes below 200 nm and holds US GRAS status for use as an emulsifier in beverages (Perspectives on Saponins, PMC). Fine droplet size is what allows clear beverages that contain oil.

• Citrus fiber as emulsifier. Ingredion's FIBERTEX and Fiberstar's Citri-Fi are both marketed as emulsion stabilizers, which lets a brand declare "citrus fiber" in place of an emulsifier.

Each of these still relies on building an emulsion in the finished product. Emulsions can add body and opacity, which may or may not be desirable, and they remain vulnerable to ringing and creaming over shelf life, particularly under carbonation or thermal processing.

Water-Soluble Active Ingredients: Infusd

The categories above adjust the matrix around a difficult ingredient. We take the alternative approach of changing the ingredient. Our proprietary physical processing method uses natural stabilizers to convert fat-soluble and hard-to-solubilize actives, including omega-3s, vitamins A, D, E and K, curcumin, ashwagandha, functional mushrooms, lutein and astaxanthin, into water-soluble liquid and powder formats. The process uses no synthetic or chemical emulsifiers; our flavor systems are additionally produced without weighting agents or alcohols. The relevance to mouthfeel and texture is direct: a water-soluble active disperses with minor agitation, does not require a beverage emulsion to hold it, and is designed not to alter the taste, texture or appearance of the base product.

The performance parameters we document are a 10%+ active payload, stability through pasteurization, UHT and carbonation, and a minimum 24-month shelf life in real-time studies. The same platform is applied to natural colors, flavor systems, natural preservatives and spice extracts, where it is intended to prevent ringing, settling and separation without chemical emulsifiers. Our facilities hold Kosher, Halal, Organic and SQF certifications, and our ingredients are distributed through partners including Symrise and Caldic North America.

This approach does not replace texturants. A beverage that needs body still needs a fiber or hydrocolloid. It removes one specific texture problem, the oily film and separation introduced by a lipophilic active.

How to Compare Suppliers for a Clean-Label Texture Project

Product line names matter less than fit to the application. The following criteria separate suppliers in practice.

1. Label declaration in each target market. Confirm the exact ingredient name the supplier supports in the US, EU and other markets, and whether the ingredient is an additive (E-number) or a food ingredient. Suppliers market citrus fiber on the basis that it carries no E-number, while carrageenan is declared as E407; each case should be confirmed against Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008.

2. Process tolerance. Request data at your actual conditions: pH, pasteurization or UHT profile, homogenization pressure, carbonation level, freeze-thaw cycles. Supplier data generated in a model system does not transfer automatically.

3. Sensory neutrality at use level. Fibers and proteins can introduce flavor, color or grit. Ask for sensory data at the dose you intend to use, not the minimum effective dose.

4. Interaction with actives. Supplier data rarely covers texturant and active together in the finished matrix, so delivered potency and sensory stability have to be measured in the same trial. Our analysis of what makes a functional drink functional describes why delivered potency and sensory stability have to be tested together.

5. Shelf-life evidence. Distinguish accelerated from real-time data and confirm the test matrix resembles yours. Separation, syneresis and sedimentation can appear only after extended storage, so accelerated data alone may miss them.

6. Documentation. GRAS or EFSA status, allergen statements, organic and Non-GMO certification, and regional regulatory dossiers should be available before bench trials begin.

Clean-label texture systems commonly combine categories. A typical plant-based RTD beverage, for example, might use gellan for suspension, a soluble fiber for body, a low-viscosity pea protein, and a water-soluble vitamin D format in place of an oil-based premix and emulsifier.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which suppliers are the largest in clean-label texturants?

Tate & Lyle, which completed its US$1.8 billion acquisition of CP Kelco in November 2024, Ingredion and Cargill hold broad portfolios covering citrus fiber, clean-label starch, pectin, gellan and emulsifier alternatives; Kerry supplies acacia-based emulsifier systems. Specialists such as Fiberstar, Herbafood, Jungbunzlauer, Lantmännen, Roquette and Algaia focus on individual categories.

Is citrus fiber an additive or an ingredient?

Suppliers such as CP Kelco and Fiberstar market their citrus fibers on the basis that they are declared as "citrus fiber" and do not require an E-number in the EU, which is a principal reason they position it as a replacement for modified starch and gums. Confirm the position for each product and market with the supplier.

Does "natural" have a legal definition for texture ingredients?

Not in the United States. The FDA has not issued a formal definition of "natural" for food; its policy treats the term as meaning no artificial or synthetic substance has been added. "Natural flavor" is defined in 21 CFR 101.22. In the EU, additive status under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 determines whether an ingredient carries an E-number, which is the practical marker most brands use.

How do water-soluble actives differ from clean-label emulsifiers?

A clean-label emulsifier such as quillaja or gum acacia holds an oil phase in suspension within the finished product. A water-soluble active, such as our omega-3 or vitamin D formats, is converted before it reaches the formulation so it disperses in water directly. The first approach adds an emulsion to the product; the second removes the need for one.

Is carrageenan acceptable in a clean-label product?

Carrageenan is authorized in the EU (E407) and GRAS in the US. EFSA has requested additional data for its risk assessment, and some retailers and organic brands exclude it. Acceptability is a customer-specific decision rather than a regulatory one.

What causes chalkiness in protein and fiber beverages, and which suppliers address it?

Chalkiness comes from insoluble protein or fiber particles that remain on the palate. Higher-solubility fibers such as Tate & Lyle's PROMITOR and low-viscosity pea proteins such as Cargill's PURIS are formulated to reduce it. Gellan from CP Kelco keeps residual particles suspended so they do not settle into a gritty layer.

R&D teams evaluating a water-soluble active for a texture-sensitive application can contact us through Formulate with Us.

This article is for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. Consumers should consult a healthcare provider before starting any new supplement or fortified product. Brands should verify regulatory status of all ingredients with qualified counsel in each market of sale.