Search Is on for an Alternative to Sugar

For manufacturers to find success in sugar reduction, it’s crucial they work closely with their flavor houses and ingredient suppliers to find the optimal solution specific to the final product and application. According to Larry Engel, senior flavorist at Kerry, Beloit, Wis., “It’s important to understand our customer’s reduction target, what ingredients are acceptable, the end consumer’s needs, and also the country in which the product will be made and sold. It’s critical to work closely with the regulatory team to ensure our solution is acceptable for the both the end consumer and the country of sale guidelines.” Working closely with regulatory doesn’t end with ingredients. Depending on what front-of-package claim companies want to make can impact reformulation. “Whether a customer wants to go reduced sugar, sugar-free, or no added sugar is a major determining factor in which tools we have available,” notes Engel.

Consumer taste preferences are another component that cannot be ignored. When working on sugar reduction projects, the value that a consumer sensory group can bring to the project is key to success. Depending on life stages, the perception of sweetness and sweetness preferences greatly vary. If a sugar reduction project is specifically for kids, the level of sweetness needs will be different than if the product is targeted to adults. Consumer sensory testing is a valuable tool to ensure the optimal sweetness level and texture are achieved.

Case In Point

An example of a solution to help fill the gaps in sweetness, temporal profile, taste balance, and mouthfeel caused by the reduction of sugar is Kerry’s TasteSense. By using TasteSense, Kerry can help customers deliver nutritionally optimized products while still providing consumer-inspired, signature tastes.

TasteSense is derived from Kerry’s heritage in plant extracts. This flavor modulation technology uses flavor solutions that interact with the taste receptors in the mouth, modifying the overall taste perception. The company leverages TasteSense to optimize the sweetness and overall flavor of reduced sugar drinks and foods, masks any off-notes or bitterness, and builds back mouthfeel lost from removing sugar.

TasteSense modulates flavor as well as sweetness. The primary effect of TasteSense is not a sweetness impact, it is compliant to flavoring status and provides a flavor modifying effect. It is not used to replace sugar, it builds back the sweet profile that is lost when sugar is removed.

Within the dairy category specifically, Kerry has had success reducing sugar in chocolate milk while maintaining the taste and mouthfeel kids love. Chocolate milk is a popular product often targeted by consumers for sugar reduction. The average glass of chocolate milk has 14 grams of added sugar in addition to 11 grams of naturally occurring lactose sugar from the milk. Ben George, dairy applications scientist at Kerry, Beloit, Wis., says the most common hurdles when reducing sugar in chocolate milk are maintaining the overall richness and cocoa flavor. Sugar does a lot to boost cocoa notes in chocolate milk. Also, because the product is primarily consumed by children, high-intensity sweetener options are limited. Milk is also a tricky application because of the standard of identity for milk. Dairies are not permitted to use stevia in chocolate milk and continue to label the product “milk” on front of pack.

Working with Kerry’s flavor applications team, George was able to reduce the added sugar content in chocolate milk by 30 percent using TasteSense combined with Kerry’s clean label dairy beverage texture solutions and Simply Nature cocoa extracts. The reduced sugar chocolate milk was formulated to match the sweetness and richness of full sugar products currently in the market.

Sugar reduction is not an easy task for the food and beverage industry. Manufacturers and suppliers need to work hand in hand to develop solutions that will satisfy consumers’ sweet tooth while meeting their nutritional demands. While consumers are very concerned about sugar reduction and looking for solutions, taste will always be their top deciding factor. Doing due diligence on regulatory considerations and sensory testing, manufacturers can develop products that satisfy the consumer desire for both taste and nutrition.