Sensory success: Cargill targets taste and flavor to unlock sugar confectionery opportunities

20 May 2024 --- Consumer preferences are constantly evolving, and the trend toward health-conscious and more sustainable food choices continues to rise. Even traditionally indulgent sectors like sugar confectionery are now examining how they can reduce their sugar content and enhance vegan or plant-based offerings.

According to Cargill, there is a growing trend toward plant-based and healthier sugar confectionery options. But today’s plant-based consumers will not accept sweet treats that don’t deliver organoleptically. 

We speak with the company ahead of its May 30 webinar on sugar confectionery products. The company’s experts will examine how indulgent applications must offer the right taste, sweetness and, importantly, texture to succeed. Market success can only be achieved if you find the perfect balance of all of these aspects, underscores the company. 

“Embracing this shift presents an opportunity for customers to launch new brands or product lines, thereby driving growth in a challenging market where consumers are increasingly budget-conscious due to escalating food costs,” Quentin Schotte, convenience and snacks marketing manager, tells us. 

“As a result, we are already seeing that ‘vegan’ and ‘plant-based’ are top claims among new product launches across sugar confectionery categories.”

Gabriela Urquieta Vargas, senior sensory specialist at the company, also comments on sensory satisfaction: “Sugar confectionery is fun.”

“It’s the thrill of putting candy in your mouth and experiencing a burst of flavor paired with a delightful texture. That’s where sensory comes in, as the sugar confectionery category thrives on sensorial experiences. In the case of gummies, we know that liking is mainly achieved at the intersection of texture and flavor. To appeal to consumers, producers need to look at the actual flavor and texture preferences and link these to ingredients such as texturizers and their inherent properties.”

Honing in on plant-based ingredients 
According to Schotte, when consumers learn about a gummy’s plant-based origins, positive perception grows.

In its forthcoming webinar, Cargill will examine how sweet confectionery applications must offer the right taste, sweetness and texture.“Recent proprietary research conducted by Cargill shows that over 60% of UK consumers, 70% of Germans, and 85% of Spaniards are interested in plant-based gummies and associate plant-based with healthier ingredients.”

Key drivers for these consumers include a belief that plant-based products are more sustainable and healthier than regular gummies, which is further strengthened by more positive perceptions of certain plant-based sweeteners and texturizers over others, he remarks. 

Regarding formulation, Arzu Kerim, R&D senior application specialist for sugar confectionery, observes that plant-based texturizers can require new formulations and production methods. 

“Delivering on these technical and sensory needs requires real formulation know-how. There are also multiple plant-based solutions available on the market for sweeteners, texturizers and more — each with their own ingredient properties. As plant-based solutions often require different production processes and recipe reformulation, this can add an additional layer of complexity to the process.”

Preferences vary 
Urquieta Vargas says the most surprising thing to Cargill is that there are very different preferences according to demographics, regions, etc, among consumers when it comes to gummies.

“There are different opinions on what makes for the right gummy or other sweet treat. Consumers in different countries have highly divergent perspectives on key aspects, such as texture. There are also clear differences between someone who prefers premium products, someone who cares about health and sustainability, and those who are purely motivated by cost,” she explains. 

For example, Spanish consumers clearly prefer a plant-based solution that offers a more chewable, non-sticky texture and a sweet and fruity flavor. By contrast, in Northern Europe, gelatin or plant-based alternatives with a springier, firm or slippery texture will appeal most to consumers (Source: Cargill texturizers in gummy application consumer research, January 2024). 

“We’re also seeing cross-sectional differences vary country by country — for example, premium product seekers prefer a more chewable, non-sticky texture which corresponds well with plant-based solutions such as pectin,” explains Urquieta Vargas. 

“When looking at demographics, we’re seeing the younger generation lean toward harder, springier textures, which align with traditional gelatin-based options but can also be achieved with carrageenan.”

Schotte adds, “At Cargill, we are well-positioned to support our customers with our portfolio, category expertise and ability to connect consumer needs to ingredients. Our research shows that the ingredient mix will be different depending on the consumer profile you are targeting.”

“It also shows that plant-based solutions can compete with traditional gelatin and that we can propose blends to further optimize current solutions on the market. We have changed from a product focus to a category-first set-up to better serve our customers and make stronger connections between sugar reduction and plant-based trends on the one hand and our expertise and portfolio on the other.”

You can register for Cargill’s forthcoming webinar entitled “How to score plant-based confectionery sensory success” here.

By Elizabeth Green