Sugars and Sweeteners
The race to meet sugar reduction targets without compromising quality
There have been several developments in sugars and sweeteners, including the use of natural sweeteners, functional sugars and plant- based ingredients. Which is best, and can this meet consumer demand? Kiran Grewal reports.
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level of consumer concern about sugar intake globally and a growing demand for reduced- sugar products. This has prompted many food and beverage manufacturers to reformulate their
products to reduce sugar content or introduce new low-sugar in the UK are concerned about their sugar intake. A report by Mintel found that 68% of UK consumers are
actively trying to reduce their sugar intake, with 31% doing so to lose weight. A survey by Action on Sugar found that 80% of UK consumers support the introduction of a sugar tax on soft drinks and a report by Euromonitor found that the demand for reduced-sugar products is increasing in the UK, with sales of reduced-sugar confectionery increasing by 18% between 2015 and 2019. There have been several developments in sugars and
sweeteners in confectionery production in recent years, including the use of natural sweeteners, as consumers are becoming more health-conscious and demanding more natural and organic ingredients in their food. This trend has led to the use of natural sweeteners like stevia, monk fruit, and erythritol in confectionery production. Another development is functional sugars, where manufacturers are using ingredients like isomaltulose and allulose there has been a shift towards plant-based sweeteners, where ingredients like agave syrup, maple syrup, and coconut sugar are being used in confectionery production as an alternative Christina Matrozou, Senior Marketing Manager at Kerry explains:
“One of the key challenges in reducing sugar content is that sugar delivers more to taste than just sweetness. Sugar offers to the overall expected great taste of a typical confectionery or treat. Replacing this mouthfeel is a big challenge. Kerry’s
KennedysConfection.com
“Sugar offers excellent texture and mouthfeel that contributes significantly to the overall
expected great taste of a typical confectionery or treat. Replacing this mouthfeel is a big challenge”
Tastesense Sweet is a range of taste modulators that help build back the mouthfeel and texture when you start reducing sugar content. A product’s sugar content can be reduced by up to 50% through the use of Kerry’s range of sweet solutions.”
Responding to HFSS regulation The confectionery market has responded to the upcoming HFSS (High in Fat, Salt, and Sugar) regulation by focusing on product reformulation, new product development, portion control, and marketing and advertising changes to comply with the new rules. The aim is to reduce the sugar content of products and offer healthier options to consumers. Reformulation: Consumer demand for lower sugar options has resulted in many confectionery producers moving towards the introduction of reduced-sugar versions of their best-selling products. However, it is important to remain on the right side of all the trends and another important consumer demand today is for natural products which, in part, explains the increased uptake of stevia as a confectionery sweetener. Christina says: “HFSS regulations have encouraged product makers to reduce the sugar, salt and fat content of their products to make them more appealing to retailers and consumers. Reformulation is a very intensive process and product
Kennedy’s Confection April 2023 67
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