Kerry unveils Tastesense Advanced for low and zero-sugar products

31 May 2023 --- Kerry has launched its next-generation Tastesense Advanced range of solutions, aimed at transforming the low and zero-sugar product market with an “exceptional ability to deliver unparalleled sweetness and full-bodied mouthfeel” as well as sustainability benefits.

Sugar reduction has become an important area of focus for consumers. It has long been scrutinized across the F&B industry, with scientists recently warning that even slight increases could present cardiovascular disease risks.

According to Innova Market Insights, the use of reduced sugar claims in F&B launches is increasing globally, featuring 13% year-over-year growth when comparing 2020 Q4 – 2021 Q3 vs. 2021 Q4 – 2022 Q3 launches. In 2021 Q4 – 2022 Q3, the top category of global product launches tracked with reduced sugar claims was Soft Drinks (19%). In 2021 Q4 – 2022 Q3, Granulated Sugar (65%) was the leading ingredient among the reduced sugar claims tracked.

Maximizing sweetness
Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, Ian McGarvey, SVP for Technology and Innovation for Taste at Kerry, says the company wanted to deliver a solution that can be an alternative to both sugar and stevia, addressing their negative attributes and providing the positives. 

“Tastesense Advanced does exactly this, it does not bring any added sugars and/or calories to the product, and it contains plant-derived ingredients. Furthermore, stevia is not delivering on consumer’s taste expectations.”

“Tastesense Advanced is a complete solution that combines an all-in-one solution that addresses taste and sweetness optimization like never before,” he claims. 

Tastesense Advanced is a range of solutions that can address the needs of a broad range of categories, from beverages to dairy, plant-based alternatives, bakery, confectionery and sauces. The company’s latest innovation is a range of solutions that delivers a combined effect of sweetness optimization, full-bodied mouthfeel and no off notes while optimizing the flavor profile.

According to Kerry, Tastesense Advanced is an “affordable alternative” to sugar and stevia, supporting the development of sweetness closer to sugar and well beyond 3⁰ Brix sucrose sweetness equivalence, with optimized flavor, better mouthfeel and reduced off-notes. 

Tastesense Advanced is an “affordable alternative” to sugar and stevia, says Kerry.The solution contains plant-derived materials and reduces carbon emissions by 30% and water usage by 45% while catering to consumers’ demand for superior-tasting and healthier food options.

“Our new Tastesense Advanced range addresses sweetness optimization and delivers high levels of sugar reduction, reaching beyond 50%. This new solution is more advanced than single ingredient solutions, offering added benefits across sustainability, taste and health,” adds McGarvey.

Kerry’s research has shown that consumers love the taste of sugar but want to reduce their intake for health reasons. 

In a recent analysis of sugar reduction and shopper behavior, Kerry finds that long-term health and taste are deemed as crucial factors when looking at reduced sugar alternatives and consumers are not necessarily triggered to reduce sugar for weight loss. 

McGarvey affirms they are concerned about the artificial solutions used to replace sugar and are asking for natural ingredients. 

“We understand that taste is a crucial factor in low- and no-sugar products. With Tastesense Advanced, we have provided an excellent solution allowing manufacturers to create the products consumers want.”

Creating advanced taste solution
To create Tastesense Advanced, Kerry researched solutions to satisfy consumers’ taste preferences in low or no-sugar products. Kerry’s innovation teams selected raw materials and examined the interaction with proprietary solutions. 

Tastesense Advanced also balances sweetness impact, mouthfeel and masking, outperforming single-ingredient solutions while delivering great performance and taste.

It is non-GMO and is available in kosher, halal and vegan suitable options.

Kerry offers a wide range of F&B technologies to assist product developers in optimizing sweetness. 

The company also has expertise in flavor creation, product development, sustainable sourcing and proprietary processing.

Last week, Kerry unveiled two sustainable plant-based processing aids for enhancing beer quality, improving process efficiency and delivering cost savings in brewing. 

By Elizabeth Green