“An inherent link between sugar reduction and fiber:” Taura exec highlights sweet opportunities

23 Mar 2020 --- The combination of sugar reduction and fiber trends is bringing an interesting evolution in healthier product development. That is according to Els Vandenberghe, R&D Manager EMEA at Taura. Sugar reduction and digestive health are two key trends driving product development and Taura is highlighting that the two are inherently linked. In this spirit, dietary fibers are seen to offer a broad range of health benefits, of which consumers have become more aware.

Speaking with FoodIngredientsFirst, Vandenberghe says that limiting sugar remains the number one dietary concern for consumers. The International Food Information Council’s 2019 Food & Health Survey (New Nutrition Business January 2020) found that respondents considered sugar the most likely ingredient to contribute to weight gain. “As a result, many manufacturers are looking for alternatives that will not increase the sugar content, while avoiding artificial sweeteners. This opens doors for innovative alternatives for sugar reduction,” she explains. 

As we all know, eating too much sugar can lead to several health problems, such as tooth decay, obesity and diabetes. To decrease the burden of such diseases, the World Health Organization (WHO) has come up with recommendations around our sugar intake.

It says  the intake of free sugars should not exceed 10 percent of the total dietary intake. “Now, if we are talking about food groups such as sweet bakery products, this is a problem,” says Vandenberghe. “Naturally, cookies and cakes and the likes contain a lot of sugar. The challenge is to find good ways to reduce the sugar content in those products, without having a negative impact on the consumer’s eating experience. Because in the end, taste is the most important factor.”

Rise in natural sweeteners 
Until recently, a commonly used strategy is to replace sugar with high intensity sweeteners, such as aspartame or acesulfame-potassium, notes Vandenberghe. “Those sweeteners can provide the sweetness of sugar, but with a lower calorie content. However, a growing number of studies indicate that in the long term, artificially sweetened food products do not promote improved health outcomes. This has led to a rise of interest in natural sweeteners, such as stevia and monk fruit extract,” she explains. “Unfortunately, this is also not always the ideal solution since these ingredients exert a high degree of bitterness, giving them a very specific taste.” 

Vandenberghe believes that “new ways of reformulating will become more relevant, instead of replacing X amount of sugar by Y amount of sweetener.” Next to natural sweeteners like stevia and allulose, unexpected fiber ingredients are getting more attention, she states. By focusing on what is added instead of sugar, brands can give their product a transparent and positive image. Adding fruit ingredients for sweetness is gaining popularity too, as sugars from fruit are perceived to be naturally healthier and are, therefore, better accepted by consumers, Vandenberghe affirms.

Gut health, a cause for concern among consumers
Dietary fibers offer a broad range of health benefits and consumers have become more aware of this. “An adequate intake of dietary fibers is essential to promote general health and more specifically gut health and to prevent several chronic diseases,” says Vandenberghe. 

Technically speaking, sugar reduction through reformulation is challenging because it can cause changes in flavor and texture balance, food functionality, shelf-life and cost, she continues. “The biggest challenge in the reformulation of Taura’s products was to maintain a good taste and texture, to preserve the long shelf life of our products and to find low sugar ingredients which are processable for us.”

There is a broad range of fiber ingredients readily available on the market and it is key to select the one that best fits the needs of a company or product. Taura has found a fiber solution with a viscosity that is processable in our system, Vandenberghe notes. “The fiber has a minimal impact on texture and the water activity of our end product stays low enough to guarantee shelf-life. Of course, a decrease of 30 percent sugar impacts the sweetness of the product, but this impact is minimized by our choice of fiber and can be masked by clever reformulation of the recipe.”

Reducing sugar and partly replacing it by fiber is certainly possible in chocolate, in cookies and in fruit snacks. Experience at Taura has taught us that for fruit snacks, a sugar reduction up to 30 percent can be achieved by replacing a part of the sugar by an added fiber ingredient, without compromising on taste, texture or shelf life, Vandenberghe further explains. 

Every time Taura talks to customers about the link between more fiber and less sugar, their interest is ignited, she reveals. “‘Can you explain the relationship between sugar reduction and fiber?’ is a question we have seen popping up several times, so we dug into the topic and brought some insights together:”

• By focusing on what is added instead of sugar, brands can give their product a transparent and positive image. 
• Adding fruit ingredients for sweetness is gaining popularity too, as sugars from fruit are perceived to be naturally healthier and are therefore better accepted by consumers.
• Fiber and sugar are both carbohydrates. It is possible to use fiber to replace some of the sugars in food products.

• The amount of fiber added to a product has an immediate effect on the amount of sugar. More fiber = less sugar. This has a positive effect on Nutri-Score.

In conclusion, Taura considers the combination of sugar reduction and digestive health trend to bring an interesting evolution in healthier product development. Replacing (part of) the sugar in recipes by fiber can also allow brands to help consumers with a healthier diet, muses Vandenberghe. And finally, she points to natural alternatives for sugar, such as soluble corn fiber and fruit ingredients being an attractive solution to reduce sugar and retain a sweet taste.

By Elizabeth Green