Editor's Note:
The overconsumption of sugar has attracted widespread attention. In September 2021, Academician Chen Junshi pointed out at the "First China Beverage Health Consumption Forum" that replacing sugar with sweeteners is the development trend of the beverage industry. So, what are the current sugar substitution solutions? Which sweetener has more prospects?
Today, we share a focus on the innovation of sweeteners. I hope that this article can bring some inspiration and help to relevant industry people and readers.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="38" > the trend of low sugar and substitute sugar</h1>
Sugar is one of the most popular ingredients in the diet, and consumers get used to the sweetness and the texture of the texture it brings, and enjoy the comfort and pleasure they get from it. Surprisingly, though, most of the sugar consumption comes from deeply processed foods and sugary drinks, rather than desserts and candy.
Currently, global consumer attitudes toward sugar have shifted: processed sugar is considered unhealthy, which has led to an increase in obesity rates around the world, while less refined sugar is considered clean and natural.
Global concerns about overconsumption of sugar and the increase in disease have led to rising demand for low- and low-sugar products, forcing food and beverage formulators to prioritize glycemic reduction in product innovation, development and marketing strategies. Similarly, sweetener manufacturers are also delving deeper into developing sweetener alternatives to sugar to cater to this highly dynamic market demand.
Figure. Use of different high-strength sweeteners in food and beverage products in 2019. Source: Innova Market Insight, ChemBizR Analysis
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="37" > classification and key characteristics of sweeteners</h1>
The global market share for sugar and sweeteners is about $25 billion (about 161.1 billion yuan), and the market has changed dramatically over the past decade. More research and development is in full swing, including low-sugar, low-calorie sugar, high-sweetness sugar, artificial sugar, processed sugar, and natural sugar options.
In general, sweeteners can be divided into the following six categories:
(1) Sugars: Carbohydrates that occur naturally in many foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains, and milk. The most common are sucrose, glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose, galactose, and trehalose.
(2) Sugars Alcohols: A class of carbohydrates that occur naturally in plants and grains, albeit in small amounts. The body cannot fully metabolize them, so they tend to have fewer calories available per gram of weight. The most common are sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, maltitol, erythritol, isomaltose, lactitol, and glycerin.
(3) Natural caloric sweeteners :The oldest known sweeteners, including honey and maple syrup. They contain not only sugar, but also other nutrients. Their glycemic index tends to be lower than sugar. The most common are honey, maple syrup, coconut palm sugar and sorghum syrup.
(4) Natural Zero-Calorie Sweeteners: They are not carbohydrates and contain little or no calories. In recent years, there has been growing interest in this category of sweeteners because they are a good alternative to artificial sweeteners. They have a zero glycemic index and have an aftertaste. Common ones are stevia, allulose, monk fructose, and sweet protein (Brazzein).
(5) Modified Sugars: These sugars are usually produced by enzymes that convert starches, including modified sugars such as caramel or golden syrup. They are often used in cooking or processing food. The most common are high fructose corn syrup, caramel, agave syrup, invert sugar and gold syrup.
(6) Artificial Sweeteners: Synthetic sweeteners, often referred to as "high-strength sweeteners" because they taste similar to table sugar, but are thousands of times sweeter. There are many varieties on the market, and some seem safer than other sugars. They have been used in the United States and Europe for more than 120 years. The most common are aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, neostens, acesulfame potassium and cyclamate.
Key properties of sugars and sweeteners include sweetness (as opposed to sucrose), calorific value (per gram of calories), taste, texture, volume, color (browning) and prebiotic function. Sugars, modified sugars, and sugar alcohols are typically products with low sweetness and a standard calorific value (2 to 4 cal/g), while artificial sweeteners are products with higher sweetness and usually no calories.
Most of the research and development revolves around high-sweeteners and low-calorie sweeteners. Clean and natural has become the driving force behind the development of these sugars. However, price remains the biggest driver of development and innovation in the sweetener and sugar sectors.
Figure.In 2019, a variety of foods and beverages using high-strength sweeteners were introduced. Source: Innova Market Insight, ChemBizR Analysis
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="24" > the key to the challenges and developments</h1>
Since 2018, the high-strength sweetener market has begun to grow, with a 12% year-on-year increase in 2019. Despite concerns about the metallic odor and slightly bitter aftertaste of high-intensity sweeteners, high-strength sweeteners are used in all major food categories, such as nutraceuticals, bakery, beverages, confectionery, etc.
Sweetener suppliers are under intense pressure to provide the right solutions, and many have introduced new solutions that combine high-strength sweeteners, rare sweeteners, and low-strength sweeteners. Multinational companies are helping their customers experiment with different product formulations through digital platforms to find the right flavors and textures.
New product development is key to the sweetener business. Most sweetener research and development focuses on sweetness, calorific value, taste, odor resolution, key features, and price competitiveness. New products, application development, functional features (such as prebiotics), feasibility, and price models of the products all need to be tested before they can be expanded into commercial production.
Typically, a company takes 12 to 18 months to develop any new process or new product with new ingredients. In addition, large-scale commercialization is relatively slow for a new sweetener product because the market now has many options and alternatives.
As the food industry moves in the direction of low calorie, low sugar, high fiber, natural, organic, clean and healthy, more and more manufacturers are replacing sugar with sweeteners and natural alternatives without compromising taste. Sweetener manufacturers are also studying rare sugars such as fucose, triglycose, fibrobiose, brown sugar, etc., but these are still in the research stage, and the main challenges are product feasibility and formulation requirements.
Sweetener manufacturers are under severe pressure to develop new products and need to provide the right solutions for formulators around requirements such as taste, texture, cleanliness and price. Natural sweeteners allulose and stevia remain untapped areas for many manufacturers and have great promise for the next five years.
Original link:
https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/high-intensity-sweeteners-where-is-innovation-heading
Author | Sreedevi Kakkad
Compiled | Alex Zhang