The multifunctionality of sugar


Sugar is not merely a sweetener; it plays multiple roles in food and beverage formulations. Dr. Subramanian explained, “Sugar is a flavour enhancer, it provides, body, mouthfeel, it makes microbially stable - all truly multifunctional agents.” Simply replacing sugar with sweeteners does not replicate these multifaceted roles, posing a significant challenge for food scientists and manufacturers.


Reducing sugar impacts various dimensions of food products, including aroma, taste, and texture. Addressing these complexities requires a multi-dimensional approach to formulation. Additionally, the trend towards making food products healthier—by adding vitamins, using whole grains, etc.—adds further layers of complexity. Dr. Subramanian noted, “You have to apply terpenes in maybe adding vitamin C to be using whole grain instead of highly processed flour. All of these add additional discharges on food and beverage.”


Aroma considerations Dr. Subramanian explained the importance of maintaining the volatile compounds that contribute to the aroma of full-sugar products. “For example, if you take a full sugar, citrus orange flavour, it has a specific profile material sugar, all it does is completely different because that sugar dissolves. Sugar drives the volatiles into the atmosphere or the headspace that you actually smell which adds to the perception.” Solutions involve adjusting formulations to ensure these volatiles are preserved. This requires a nuanced understanding of how sugar influences the release and perception of aroma compounds.


Taste and texture adjustments


Depending on the extent of sugar reduction (e.g., 30%, 50%, or sugar-free), different strategies are necessary. For minor reductions, a flavour- based approach can be effective for minor sugar reductions, ensuring that the overall taste profile remains appealing. For larger reductions, sweeteners and texturisers must be used to replicate the mouthfeel and overall sensory experience of sugar. “You can do a flavour-based approach for a small sugar reduction or you go with a sweetener or sugar reduction because you need to really add sweetness to the mouthfeel,” said Dr. Subramanian. This involves a careful selection of ingredients to achieve the desired sweetness and texture.


External stimuli and consumer perception Consumer perception of taste is influenced by various factors, including visual appearance,


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sound, and previous experiences. Dr. Subramanian provided a compelling example involving potato chips: “For example, how crisp and crackling sound it is a really simple example Stanford University, freshly made potato chips or was crispy, one was soft, they accept which is face better, which is fresh, rated crispy potato chips as a more fresher, better than a soggy even though they were made exactly at the same time.” This highlights the importance of considering external stimuli and consumer expectations when formulating reduced-sugar products.


Formulation strategies Dr. Subramanian outlined a systematic approach to


formulation, broken down into three main buckets: aroma, taste, and texture. For the aroma bucket, the focus is on replacing missing volatiles and ensuring the aroma profile remains appealing. “So, you need to take that into consideration that it is based on your formulation. If your product has vitamins or whole grains or any caffeine, for example, you need to think of masking the caffeine in a highly caffeine-containing product such as an energy drink, for example,” he advised. In the taste bucket, depending on the degree of sugar reduction, different strategies are employed. For minor reductions, a flavour- based approach can be effective. For significant reductions, sweeteners and flavour enhancers must be used to replicate the sweetness and mouthfeel of sugar. “How much sugar you remove up to 30% or even 50 or more 70 miles or sugar free. Based on that you choose the right solution,” Dr. Subramanian noted. The texture bucket involves incorporating texturising agents to maintain the desired body and mouthfeel, which are crucial for consumer satisfaction. “If you’re looking for a semi-solid food, you’re really looking for the thickness like in a yoghurt for example,” he explained.


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