Most reformulation projects start with one line on an ingredient list that someone wants gone. It might be a preservative, a humectant, an emulsifier or a gum. The challenge is that the ingredient was doing a job, and its replacement has to do the same job, not just disappear from the label.
This guide maps the additives manufacturers most often ask us to replace to the clean-label Nexus Ingredient solution for each one, grouped by function. Additives are identified by E-numbers in the UK and EU (see the Food Standards Agency’s list of approved additives and E numbers) and by the same code numbers, without the “E”, in Australia and New Zealand (Food Standards Code Schedule 8). To jump straight to an ingredient, use our Ingredient Replacement Finder.
How to use this guide
Start from the ingredient you want out. Each section covers what that ingredient does, which Nexus Ingredient product replaces it, and how the replacement can appear on your label. Every recommendation is a starting point: suitability depends on your formulation and process, so we always recommend a trial with samples before switching.
Preservatives: sorbates, benzoates and propionates
Chemical preservatives are usually the first thing on a clean-label wish list. The CapBlock® range replaces them with natural preservatives made by fermentation or from botanical extracts.
- Potassium sorbate (E202): CapBlock® TotalShield is our dedicated potassium sorbate replacer, made from buffered vinegars and botanical extracts. Its data sheet gives a starting equivalence of 0.3% potassium sorbate to 1% TotalShield. CapBlock® CBR, CapBlock® CD and CapBlock® LS100 are also used to replace it.
- Calcium propionate (E282): CapBlock® Cultured Brown Rice and CapBlock® Cultured Dextrose are designed as clean-label replacements for calcium propionate. Both leave yeast active in yeast-raised baked goods.
- Sorbates (E200–E203) and benzoates (E210–E213): CapBlock® Liquid Plant Extract LS100 replaces both. Its mild, smooth flavour suits meat and foods that are sensitive to sourness.
Humectants: glycerine and sorbitol
Humectants hold water in a product to keep it soft and fresh (see humectancy). CapMoist® Liquid is designed as a clean-label replacement for glycerine (E422), sorbitol (E420) and other synthetic humectants. Made from grape juice and rice syrup, it can be declared as a two-ingredient label, such as “Grape Juice, Rice Syrup”.
Emulsifiers: DATEM, SSL, lecithin and E471
Unifier® Emulsifier is a blend of citrus, pea, potato and kelp fibres. It replaces DATEM (E472e), SSL (E481), lecithin (E322) and mono- and diglycerides (E471), and delivers natural emulsification in both hot and cold applications, including through pasteurisation.
Stabilisers and thickeners: gums and modified starches
Guar gum (E412), xanthan gum (E415), carrageenan (E407), CMC (E466) and modified starches can all be replaced with vegetable or seed fibres for natural stabilisation. Which one fits depends on the application:
- Unifier® MD Stabilizer for meat, plant-based meat, dough, dumplings, noodles, baked goods, fillings, sauces and brines.
- Unifier® T10 Stabilizer for ice cream, sorbets, desserts and beverages.
- FlaxSmooth®, a single-ingredient flaxseed fibre that also works as an egg replacer, in both hot and cold processes.
Sugar and fat
Sugar and fat do more than sweeten and enrich: they add bulk, texture and moisture. These ingredients are used in their place (see sugar reduction and elimination):
- Sugar: FiberWorks® soluble fibre is used as a sugar replacer and bulking agent. CapMoist® Sugar Free and CapMoist® EnergyWell are humectant syrups used in place of refined sugar. HaloSweet® Allulose delivers 70% of the sweetness of sucrose at 0.4 kcal/g. In the US, under FDA’s final guidance on allulose labelling, allulose is not counted toward Total Sugars or Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts label.
- Fat: MoistPlus®, a tapioca-based humectant syrup, also offers a fat replacement effect.
At a glance
| Ingredient to replace | E-number | Nexus Ingredient solution |
|---|---|---|
| Potassium sorbate | E202 | CapBlock® TotalShield, CBR, CD, LS100 |
| Sorbates | E200–E203 | CapBlock® LS100 |
| Benzoates | E210–E213 | CapBlock® LS100 |
| Calcium propionate | E282 | CapBlock® CBR, CD |
| Glycerine | E422 | CapMoist® Liquid |
| Sorbitol | E420 | CapMoist® Liquid |
| DATEM, SSL, lecithin | E472e, E481, E322 | Unifier® Emulsifier |
| Mono- and diglycerides | E471 | Unifier® Emulsifier |
| Guar, xanthan, carrageenan, CMC | E412, E415, E407, E466 | Unifier® MD, Unifier® T10, FlaxSmooth® |
| Eggs | — | FlaxSmooth® |
The full, searchable list is in the Ingredient Replacement Finder.
From label to trial
- Tell us the ingredient you want to replace, your application, your process and the current usage level.
- We recommend the right product and a starting dosage, and send samples for your trial.
- Specifications and compliance documents are sent directly by our team on request.
Ready to start? Request a sample or contact our team at info@nexusingredient.com.
