INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE: CHALLENGES OF REDUCING SUGAR AND USING SWEETENERS DR KAVITA KARNIK, PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST (GLOBAL NUTRITION)
AGENDA Why is calorie reduction needed? Problem and changing picture Challenges with behaviour change Industry Perspective with Examples Beverages Dairy products Baked goods
WHY IS CALORIE REDUCTION NEEDED?
A LARGE PROBLEM, WE ALL KNOW ABOUT - Food and Health in Europe: a new basis for action WHO report 2004
- IS ACTUALLY EVEN BIGGER!! Food and Health in Europe: a new basis for action WHO report 2004
CONSUMER RESEARCH
A SNAPSHOT OF CONSUMER NEEDS Which nutrients are you trying to eat more or less of? Much more of 53.0% 46.0% Much less of -54.0% -32.0% -55.0% -51.0% -42.0% Fat Carbs Sugar Fibre Protein Salt Calories Tate & Lyle Survey Data
CONSUMERS ARE CONSCIOUSLY TRYING TO DECREASE SUGAR INTAKE % of European consumers finding these claims very important (2014) Sugar-free 33% Sugar ranks #1 on the list of what European consumers are trying to decrease their intake of, with 41% trying to reduce their consumption Reduced sugars 36% Source: Innova Sugar Reduction Key Trends and Developments October 2014
BUT CONSUMERS ARE ALSO CLEAR THAT TASTE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR WHEN CHOOSING WHAT TO EAT AND DRINK Western Europe Percentage of consumers agreeing that taste is the most important consideration when choosing what to eat and drink Global Germany France Spain UK Italy 69 75 78 78 76 76 84 Source: Roper Reports Worldwide 2012
A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES!
DRIVERS FOR REFORMULATION Key drivers - Consumer demand (leading to importance of claims on packaging) - Public Health Authorities Low sugar..where the product contains no more than 5g of sugars per 100g for solids or 2.5g of sugars per 100ml for liquids. Sugar free where the product contains no more than 0.5g of sugars per 100g or 100ml. No added sugar where the product does not contain any added mono or disaccharides or any other food used for its sweetening properties. Energy reduced..where the energy value is reduced by at least 30%, with an indication of the characteristic(s) which make(s) the food reduced in its total energy value. EU Nutrition and Health Claims Regulations 1924/2006
WHEN REDUCING SUGAR, FORMULATORS ARE FACED WITH A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES Replacing sugar requires: Compensating for sweetness Replacing the bulk and texture Compensating for functional properties Shelf life Appearance (e.g. browning) Texture (e.g. moistness, crunchiness)
IMPORTANT TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SUGARS Sugars are not just sweet, they provide a unique combination of physical and chemical properties Boiling point elevation; important for confectionery and condiments Freezing point depression; important for ice creams and frozen desserts High concentration of sugars decreases water activity, which helps in preservation Provides bulk, texture and physical structure to foods Impact on starch gelatinization; in baked products sugar delays the onset of gelatinization allowing more time for the product to rise Provides the base for yeast fermentation Undergoes browning reactions to create colour and flavour Humectancy properties help to extend shelf life
LOW CALORIE SWEETENERS - Sweeteners are substances used to impart a sweet taste to food - Intense sweeteners, which are used in low calorie foods and beverages, including table-top sweeteners, have a relative sweetness many times that of sugar (sucrose), which means: - they can be used in much smaller amounts - they are added to foods to replace the sweetness normally provided by sugars, without providing energy
ROLE IN FOODS AND DRINKS Replace sugar(s) Provide sweetness Provide no/few calories Provide the consumer with greater choice of lower calorie, sweet tasting products
THE USE OF SWEETENERS MUST ALSO COMPLY WITH REGULATIONS In the EU, sweeteners are approved for use in particular food categories up to a specified maximum use level Many of the category definitions require that the final food or beverage meet particular calorie and/or sugar reduction criteria if sweeteners are included Flavored drinks only energy reduced (30%) or with no added sugar Flavored fermented milk products only energy reduced (30%) or with no-addded sugar Breakfast cereal only breakfast cereals with a fibre content of more than 15%, AND containing at least 20% bran, energy reduced (30%) or with no-added sugar Confectionery only confectionery with no-added sugar - only starch-based confectionery energy reduced (30%) or with noadded sugar
Calorie Reduction in Beverages Tate & Lyle 2014
FORMULATION OF REDUCED SUGAR BEVERAGES Replacing sugar in beverages is relatively straight forward - The sweetness can be replaced by a sweetener In beverages such as soft drinks, a 100% reduction in calories is achievable by using low calorie sweeteners 30% caloric reduction can be easily achieved, although there may be a reduction in perceived mouthfeel and syrupiness of the drink at higher levels of sugar replacement Mouthfeel can be compensated by the addition of a soluble fibre alongside the sweetener but this will increase the caloric value slightly
RASPBERRY LIME TEA DRINK Benefits : 50% sugar reduction 30% calorie reduction Balanced sweetness and rounded taste profile BUILT WITH Low calorie sweetener Soluble fibre BENEFITS Provides clean and sweet taste Allows 50% sugar reduction Provides body mouthfeel Helps to deliver a more balanced sweetness and taste profile roundness 19
N of indications RASPBERRY LIME TEA DRINK SENSORY RESULTS TRIANGLE TEST (n = 24) 25 p = 0,8617 20 18 15 10 6 5 0 Answers right Answers wrong NO significant overall difference between 30% calorie reduced Raspberry Lime Tea Drink and full sugar reference 20 This data is provided in good faith for your information. Customers should take their own advice with regard to all legal and regulatory aspects of our food ingredients and their usage for human consumption. Tate & Lyle accepts no responsibility for the validity of the claims set above.
REPLACING THE BULK AND TEXTURAL CHARACTERISTICS Replacing sugar in beverages is relatively straight forward but what happens when you want to take sugar out of ice cream, cakes, sweets and still maintain acceptable taste???
Sugar Replacement in Dairy Products Tate & Lyle 2014
SUGAR REPLACEMENT IN DAIRY PRODUCTS Sucrose not only provides sweetness but contributes to: STRUCTURE MELTING BEHAVIOUR MOUTHFEEL Sugar replacers need to deliver the same performance Therefore, it is important to understand the properties of the alternatives e.g. Impact on melting characteristics, sweetness, texture and freezing point depression factor
NO-SUGAR ADDED FROZEN DESSERT Further calorie reductions can be achieved with noadded sugar formulations which include high potency sweeteners to add back the sweetness Built with: Soluble fibre Polyol Stabilizer system Low calorie sweeteners Benefits: No added sugar > 50% sugars reduction 17% fewer calories
Sugar Replacement in Baked Products
SUGAR REDUCTION IN BAKED PRODUCTS Sugar reduction in baked products is technically challenging but can be achieved using a number of ingredients to replace the sugar and maintain the taste and texture required However, regulations in EU limit the type of baked products that sweeteners can be used in e.g. fine bakery products for special nutritional uses only (includes sweet, salty and savoury products, including prepared doughs for their preparation, such as cookies, cakes, muffins, doughnuts, biscuits, rusks, cereal bars, pastries, pies, scones, cornets, wafers, crumpets, pancakes, gingerbread, éclairs, croissants, as well as unsweetened products such as crackers, crisp breads and bread substitutes)
NO SUGAR-ADDED MUFFIN Built with: Soluble fibre Polyol Low calorie sweeteners Benefits: No added sugar 18% fewer calories High fibre Prospective purchasers are advised to conduct their own tests, studies and regulatory review to determine the fitness of Tate & Lyle products for their particular purposes, product claims or specific applications.
TO CONCLUDE Sugar ranks number 1 in European consumers list of items that they need to reduce the intake of. Sugar reduction is more complicated than take the sugar out! There are a number of technical challenges Innovations from the food and beverages industry have provided helpful alternatives Current regulatory environment limits the opportunities of sugar reduction and food reformulation A range of low calorie sweeteners, either used alone or in sweetener blends, can be a useful tool in sugar reduction and reformulation by providing sweet taste without calories Stakeholders need to work more closely together to achieve the common goal of improving the public health outcomes
THANK YOU! 29