Image by Sebastien Camelot
Sweetness and lite
As previous generations of weight management food products charged forward in a quest for bigger and bolder reduction claims, taste was at times treated as something of an after thought. One of the main things that can lead people to excess body fat is the sugar and fat that is added to food for its taste, texture and visual appeal. As the industry learned long ago, removing these ingredients may solve the issue of excess calories and fat in food, but if it doesn’t taste good and lacks appeal then no one is going to buy or eat it. Least of all a target market who may have been driven to excess weight by taste. So for ingredients producers the challenge remains to ensure not only fat and calorific reduction, but also good taste, texture and stability in sweet and rich indulgent products.
Stevia remains one of the most significant breakthroughs in calorie reduction. The natural extract from the stevia rebaudiana plant species can be up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar but with zero calories.
In an interview with Sue Bancroft, Marketing Director EMEA at PureCircle, HealthGauge.com discovered how, with calorie reduction high on the agenda, the European stevia market has developed since gaining EU approval 2 years ago.
In December 2013 PureCircle received FDA GRAS “No Objection” for new Rebaudioside M Stevia Sweetener (Reb M) as a general purpose sweetener for foods and beverages in the United States. High-purity Reb M (also known as Reb X) has a closer taste to table sugar than previous stevia ingredients, allowing for deeper calorie reductions in food and beverage products, particularly those that have higher levels of sweetness. The discovery and development of Reb M resulted from a previously announced joint development and five-year supply agreement with The Coca-Cola Company. Together the companies are seeking global intellectual property coverage for the ingredient.
The clean, sugar-like sweetness of high-purity Reb M is appealing to consumers seeking naturally sweetened food and beverage formulations with few to no calories. Its commercialization will play an important role in extending PureCircle’s breakthrough Stevia 3.0 innovation, which optimizes taste in stevia-sweetened foods and beverages. The GRAS confirmation of PureCircle Reb M adds to the company’s leadership position in bringing stevia innovation to the market.
Jason Hecker, Vice President Global Marketing & Innovation, PureCircle, commented:
DeZaan reduced-fat cocoa powder from ADM Cocoa is a new reduced-fat cocoa powder with only 0.5% fat. D-00-ZR retains the great chocolaty taste of deZaan ZR cocoa powders but with virtually no fat content. Available worldwide from this summer, D-00-ZR enables users to formulate lower calorie products with lower saturated fat contents, but that still retain the desired chocolaty taste, as well as the bright chocolate colour that improves visual appeal, differentiating products in the market. It enhances the quality of formulations where fat can have a negative effect, such as protein foam based confectionery and bakery products.
Brent Cuddy, trade director, cocoa powder says:
DeZaan offers a range of premium cocoa powders and chocolate with varying flavour profiles, fat content and pH levels to suit a variety of applications from chocolate milk and chocolate muffins to ice cream bars, breakfast cereals and high end chocolates. DeZaan’s’ unique performance cocoa powders help optimize usage levels and reduce cost in use, whilst delivering a full, rich cocoa and chocolate flavour. Other products from deZaan include high quality cocoa butter, liquor and most recently, chocolate and compound confectionery products, including toppings, curls, batons and chocolate powders.
Prodiet Advance by Ingredia is the company’s most enhanced protein development to date. This specialty ingredient allows to formulate for the first time high protein pudding containing 12% milk protein. Prodiet Advance provides creamy and smooth texture combined with pleasant milky taste contrary to standard milk protein isolates and caseinates on the market. At Food Ingredients Europe 2013, HealthGauge.com spoke to Sandrine Cuisenier, Marketing Manager, Ingredia Nutritional, about the newly launched ingredient
A key topic discussed was what potential such an ingredient could offer in turning around falling diet food sales which may be due to poor taste and thin, watery textures. On the stand we sampled a high protein chocolate designed for efficient weight management by promoting fat loss and preserving lean body mass. The pudding maintained a thick yet smooth texture and a rich chocolate taste. Ingredia Nutritional’s high protein puddings are also adapted to senior and clinical nutrition by providing superior nutritional quality snack in a convenient and palatable way.
Zerose erythritol from Cargill Sweetness enables reduced-calorie claims that are impossible to achieve with traditional sugar alternatives.
Erythritol has been part of the human diet for thousands of years, naturally present in several fruits, vegetables and fermentation-derived foods.It also occurs naturally in the human body. It is a low molecular weight polyol and is the only ingredient that can replace the bulk and taste of sugar while imparting zero calories to finished food formulations.
Zerose tastes clean and sweet, similar to sucrose but with only 60-70% relative sweetness. The intensity provided is proportional to its concentration. The bulk properties of Zerose also contribute to significant mouthfeel and body perceptions in aqueous solutions. Its distinctive cooling effect complements many dairy and confectionery recipes. Zerose lets manufacturers offer healthier food choices with all the traditional taste and well-rounded flavour expected by consumers.
