Synergy to launch dairy-based, natural sugar replacers
The natural solutions can achieve up to 30% sugar reduction in biscuits and up to 50% reduction in bakery-style cookies, it says.
Natural-listed flavourings replace sugar’s sweetness while the inclusion of dairy-derived ingredients mimic sugar’s mouthfeel and texture.
Manufacturers must then add bulking ingredients to replace these additional properties that sugar provides.
Dr. Ian Butler, Synergy’s innovations director, told FoodNavigator the solutions are both heat- and freeze-stable, and meet the general storage requirements for cookies.
The range, to be launched next month, has no name.
The flavour house conducted in-house sensory analysis which found that up to 50% sugar reductions can be achieved whilst maintaining “acceptable” sensory properties.
Synergy, whose UK headquarters are in High Wycombe, said the range is designed for the global market, but is especially targeted at the EU where the use of sweeteners is more tightly regulated and their use in products such as baked goods is not greatly accepted.
Voluntary sugar reduction targets in the UK have challenged industry to reduce children’s sugar intakes by at least 20% by 2020, including a 5% reduction by the end of this year.
“Demand for reduced sugar products is on the rise,” Butler said. “Our new range has been created to overcome all of the challenges biscuit and cookie producers face when reducing sugar, to ensure consumers can enjoy their favourite cookies without the guilt.”
Synergy’s expertise in dairy innovations stems from its close working relationship with its parent company, Carbery, an Irish whey protein manufacturer, it said.
