diff --git a/components/download_images/src/main.py b/components/download_images/src/main.py
index 307ca052b..36c92a546 100644
--- a/components/download_images/src/main.py
+++ b/components/download_images/src/main.py
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ def transform(self, dataframe: pd.DataFrame) -> pd.DataFrame:
             result_type="expand",
         )
 
-        return dataframe[[("images", "data"), ("images", "width"), ("images", "height")]]
+        return dataframe
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/examples/pipelines/datacomp/components/filter_text_complexity/src/main.py b/examples/pipelines/datacomp/components/filter_text_complexity/src/main.py
index 865597d0b..2e7f6616a 100644
--- a/examples/pipelines/datacomp/components/filter_text_complexity/src/main.py
+++ b/examples/pipelines/datacomp/components/filter_text_complexity/src/main.py
@@ -68,11 +68,7 @@ def transform(self, dataframe: pd.DataFrame) -> pd.DataFrame:
         )
         mask = mask.to_numpy()
 
-        dataframe = dataframe[mask]
-
-        dataframe = dataframe.drop(("text", "data"), axis=1)
-
-        return dataframe
+        return dataframe[mask]
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/fondant/component.py b/fondant/component.py
index 26c68468a..d10514ebb 100644
--- a/fondant/component.py
+++ b/fondant/component.py
@@ -173,9 +173,6 @@ def optional_fondant_arguments() -> t.List[str]:
         return ["input_manifest_path"]
 
     def _load_or_create_manifest(self) -> Manifest:
-        # create initial manifest
-        # TODO ideally get rid of args.metadata by including them in the storage args
-
         component_id = self.spec.name.lower().replace(" ", "_")
         manifest = Manifest.create(
             base_path=self.metadata["base_path"],
@@ -277,6 +274,15 @@ def wrapped_transform(self, dataframe: pd.DataFrame) -> pd.DataFrame:
             tuple(column.split("_")) for column in dataframe.columns
         )
         dataframe = self.transform(dataframe)
+        # Drop columns not in the produces section of the component spec
+        dataframe.drop(
+            columns=[
+                (subset, field)
+                for (subset, field) in dataframe.columns
+                if subset not in self.spec.produces
+                or field not in self.spec.produces[subset].fields
+            ]
+        )
         dataframe.columns = [
             "_".join(column) for column in dataframe.columns.to_flat_index()
         ]
@@ -300,9 +306,7 @@ def _process_dataset(self, manifest: Manifest) -> dd.DataFrame:
         meta_dict = {"id": pd.Series(dtype="object")}
         for subset_name, subset in self.spec.produces.items():
             for field_name, field in subset.fields.items():
-                print(field.type.value)
                 meta_dict[f"{subset_name}_{field_name}"] = pd.Series(
-                    # dtype=f"{field.type.value}[pyarrow]"
                     dtype=pd.ArrowDtype(field.type.value)
                 )
         meta_df = pd.DataFrame(meta_dict).set_index("id")