Natural Ingredients
Naughty or nice?
Which areas of confectionery are opting for natural ingredients and how can they be incorporated into existing products to satisfy the health- conscious consumer and new food safety regluation? Kiran Grewal reports.
O
ne could argue the words natural ingredients and confectionery just simply don’t go together. Confectionery and chocolate are normally associated with a “naughty” treat, something you allow yourself to have after [insert any excuse in
the world here]. So, why has the need for natural ingredients in confectionery arised with such popularity? And how can confectionery manufacturers work to include these new ingredients into their products without hingering taste and texture? Well, consumers have been showing a clear interest in healthier alternatives, and many are looking to have their cake and eat it so to speak, as a few changes in ingredients can make something that is seemingly naughty, become oh so nice. For example, the global sugar-free confectionery market size was valued at USD 1.88 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1% from 2020 to 2027, according to a market analysis report from Grand View Research. The growth is attributed to the widespread impression that the sugar-free version is healthier than the conventional counterparts. Increasing spending on incorporating sugar alcohol as healthy ingredients in manufacturing confectionery products is expected to remain a key industry trend, they forecast. The use of natural sweeteners for sweetening the confectionery is gaining momentum. Stevia, a sugar substitute, is derived from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana. The active compounds, steviol glycosides, are 30 to 150 times sweeter than sugar. The herbal ingredient has become an essential ingredient for sugar-free organic confectionery. It is a calorie-free alternative, which helps in
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weight control and contains many sterols and antioxidant compounds known to reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer. Along with that, these are considered safer for teeth as they do not ferment when in contact with oral bacteria and cause erosion and cavities.
Another area of confectionery that is opting for a more natural alternative is the fl avours and colours market. I speak to one the world’s largest nutrition companies about why that is and what solutions they have come up with. “Consumers are increasingly shopping based on their values, and they want their purchases to benefi t themselves, the planet and their communities,” explains Hélène Moeller, Vice President, Global Product Marketing, Flavours, ADM. “As such, clean labels with recognisable and close-to-nature ingredients are infl uencing consumers’ product purchases. Flavours and colours play a large role in meeting these needs, with 76% of global consumers stating it’s important that food products don’t contain artifi cial fl avours, and over 60% of consumers actively avoiding artifi cial colouring. Confectionery manufacturers that incorporate captivating fl avours and colours derived from natural sources can help attract and retain conscientious consumers,” she says. ADM’s expansive portfolio of fl avours and colours is created
with botanicals, spices and both fruit and vegetable extracts. By combining their global sourcing methods with their proprietary systems and technologies, they help meet consumers’ demands for clean labels while also providing beautiful and delicious candies and confections. “For instance, while colours from natural sources can bring a
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