Baking & Snack - October 2017 - 66

SUGAR REDUCTION

Isomalt effectively replaces the bulking effect of sugar
Sugar impacts starch
gelatinization in cakes in bakery formulations. This beet sugar polyol can provide
and aids in whipping partial sweetness without affecting the taste or texture. It
and structure building. has low hygroscopicity, which helps extend shelf life. In
Tate & Lyle
cookie fillings, it provides whipping volume and spreadability. In addition to these bulking, flavor and functional
attributes, isomalt is only half the calories of sugar and has
a low blood glucose response. This helps bakers reduce
not only sugar on the label but also the calories.

How to choose
With new options available to help bakers reduce sugar
without losing bulk or functionality, bakers need to prioritize their needs to narrow down the field. At the end
of the day, it all comes down to consumers. "With any
formulation, it's important to understand what a bakery's customers are looking for," Ms. Barry said. That
could mean a cleaner label, a leaner label, added fiber or
other nutritional benefits. Bakers must know what their
customers are going to want and work from there.
"Label, first and foremost," Mr. Gilbert said.
Consumers are reading labels diligently: the Nutrition
Facts Panel, health claims and ingredient lists. Know the
end goal regarding the label. Is it aiming for a certain
level of sugar reduction, cleaning up the ingredient list
or calling out extra fiber or nutrients? These questions
will guide which solutions bakers are willing to use.
Even calorie reduction becomes a factor. Not all sugarreduction ingredients also reduce calories.
"Most see bakery products as an indulgence or a treat,
so claims on sugar reduction may be construed as meaning the product will not taste as good," Mr. Shinsato said.
"Also, if the solution creates a less friendly ingredient declaration, this may cause concern among consumers." This

66 Baking & Snack October 2017 / www.bakingandsnack.com

could prioritize those ingredients that have the least impact on taste or mean a high-intensity sweetener needs to
be used with a bulking agent.
"When it comes to replacing sugar, there isn't a silver
bullet out there, so it is important for formulators to understand all the options that are available," Mr. Turowski
said. "In most cases, a combination of solutions will be
the best approach in achieving the desired functional
and nutritional properties of the finished product."
Because there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, ADM
approaches each sugar reduction request on a case-bycase basis. The company's team of experts includes bakers, culinary professionals, R&D scientists and trained
sensory science panelists to comb through ADM's portfolio of sweetening options with each customer. "We
work closely alongside bakers and developers to understand and anticipate their needs and goals to provide the
best possible ingredient solutions and approaches for
sweetening to ensure optimized eating quality and consumer appeal, all with labeling, nutrition, functionality
and cost-in-use needs top of mind," said Mark Floerke,
project lead, Bakery & Culinary Application, ADM.
Cargill also sees the benefit of having a diverse portfolio of sugar reduction options. "We see a clear advantage
with multiple products within our portfolio between our
sweeteners group and texturizing group and working
those together to find the synergies to come up with solutions for our customers," Mr. Gilbert said.
In the end, it's about communicating with suppliers to
find that perfect solution for each unique product.

Find resources for sweeteners by visiting
www.esourcebaking.com. Browse by category under
Ingredients, and click on Major for listings.

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