Late last year, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 — jointly published by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services — decisively told Americans to limit foods and beverages higher in four areas: sodium, added sugars, saturated fat and alcohol. 

Ingredient technology to produce clean-label products that meet quality expectations is leading development in gums, binders and other emulsifiers. Additionally, use of gums, binders and emulsifiers to make plant-protein-based meat analogs more similar to meat products continues to progress, says Wes Schilling, professor of food science at Mississippi State University.