SUGAR ALTERNATIVES AND REDUCTIONS Sweet


As health priorities, regulation and consumer expectations converge, sugar reduction has become one of the bakery and confectionery industry’s biggest innovation opportunities. Kiran Grewal reports.


Tate & Lyle application scientist tests a formulation as part of ongoing work to optimize sweetener


performance


fibre enrichment, digestive health and blood glucose support rather than treating it as a standalone claim. At the same time, emerging consumer


this


across food and beverage applications. Innova Market Insights identified healthier indulgence and precision wellness among its defining food and beverage trends for 2026, highlighting growing demand for products that combine enjoyment with measurable nutritional benefits. In the same vein, Mintel reports that almost half of global food and drink launches featuring sugar claims now also promote additional health credentials, demonstrating that manufacturers are increasingly pairing sugar reduction with


behaviours are accelerating reformulation. The mainstream adoption of GLP-1 weight management therapies, heightened awareness of metabolic health, and demand for cleaner, recognisable ingredient lists are encouraging manufacturers to rethink traditional recipes from the ground up. Rather than searching for a single replacement ingredient, suppliers are developing sophisticated ingredient systems that balance sweetness, texture, functionality and nutrition while remaining


18 • KENNEDY’S BAKERY PRODUCTION • JUNE/JULY 2026


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commercially viable at industrial scale. In


feature, Kennedy’s Bakery


Production speaks to leading ingredient specialists from Roquette, Manus and Tate & Lyle, and BENEO to explore how the science of sugar reduction is developing, why fibre is becoming just as important as sweetness, and how next-generation ingredient technologies are helping bakers create products that satisfy both consumers and regulators without compromising on quality.


The science behind successful sugar reduction As health-conscious consumers continue to seek products with lower sugar content manufacturers are having to rethink formulations from the ground up. According to Sophie-Géraldine Delanoe, Global Segment Leader, Marketing Food & Nutrition at Roquette, the industry’s biggest challenge lies in replacing sugar’s many functional roles, not just its sweetness. Sophie-Géraldine explains that sugar is a highly multifunctional ingredient. In confectionery, it is responsible for crystallisation control, bulk, chew and gloss, creating the texture consumers associate with premium sweets. In bakery applications, meanwhile, sugar contributes to browning, moisture retention and shelf life, while also influencing dough behaviour and processing performance. “Sugar reduction is never a like- for-like swap,” she says. “It requires


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