Baking&Snack - March 2011 - 90

INGREDIENT R&D

indicated their beneficial effects on both short-term satiety and weight loss. SunOpta’s Soy Supreme Okara, a spray-dried soymilk made from whole soybeans, is high in fiber and protein. “It binds with water and keeps products moist with less fat,” said Fransiska Anderson, product development manager, SunOpta Grains & Food Group, Hope, MN. Protein extracts and green tea extract offer formulating options, according to Mr. Pfefer. The green tea extract contains epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which increases thermogenesis, the oxidation of nutrients to release heat in the body. “Converting some of the dietary calories to heat prevents them from being stored as fat,” Mr. Pfefer said. He also described a purified potato protein extract that Caravan Ingredients incorporates into its Nutrivan custom pre-mixes. Another is stevia, extracted from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves. “It is up to 400 times sweeter than sugar, so a little goes a long way,” said Jason Hecker, vice-president, global marketing, PureCircle USA, Inc., Oak Brook, IL. Recent research, quoted by Jean‐Michel Cohen, PhD, MD, advisory board member, Global Stevia Institute,

found stevia may be similar to table sugar in creating satiety. He noted that participants in the study reported similar levels of hunger and satiety regardless of the sweetener used. Also, participants did not compensate by eating more, he said. Pharmachem, Kearny, NJ, markets a line of hunger, carb and sugar controllers, combinations of active ingredients such as palm and oat oils, white bean extract, and L-arabinose and chromium. The flowable powders can be formulated into a variety of foods. Hunger control is achieved in the small intestine via the “ileal brake.” “Food moves more slowly through a person’s digestive system, and they feel full for a longer period of time,” explained Greg Drew of Pharmachem Laboratories. SUGAR, FAT REPLACERS. “Reduced- and low-calorie products are important tools for achieving a pleasant and tasteful diet that also cuts calories,” Mr. O’Neill said. “The objective, of course, is to reduce total calorie intake, so consumers need to learn that eating a lower calorie product does not mean that they can eat more of it.” He described the BENEO line of sugar replacers that enable preparation of low-glycemic foods. Isomalt, at 2 Cal per g, replaces sugar at 4 Cal per g yet has a similar sweetening profile, making it appropriate for use in baked foods. The company’s Palatinose isomaltulose is a fully digestible carbohydrate and provides the full carbohydrate energy (4 Cal per g). Also, it has a synergistic effect with fat. “For instance, various studies have already established that BENEO’s isomaltulose helps increase the proportion of energy derived from fat in overall energy consumption,” he added. Although zero-calorie sweeteners don’t make claims associated with satiety, they can assist development of products that will satisfy sweetness without added calories. “When paired with the appropriate bulking agent, Cargill’s Truvia rebiana can do a nice job of reducing sugar and calories,” said Ralf Loeffelholz, commercial manager, Truvia, Cargill Health & Nutrition. “Snack foods are a perfect target for reducing added dietary sugars, particularly in the diet of children and teens.” Fat replacement is another property of many dietary fibers. Citri-Fi from Fiberstar, a functional fiber derived from orange pulp, can replace oil and fat — and their calories — while maintaining taste and texture. “Citri-fi’s amorphous cell structure allows texture and mouthfeel similar to fats,” said Brock Lundberg, vice-president of technology, Fiberstar, River Falls, WI. It binds with oil or fat in addition to water to achieve up to 50% replacement of formula fat or oil. “It is not difficult to create low-fat foods,” Mr. O’Neill said, “but it is a real challenge to create fatreduced food products that feel and taste as attractive as the full-fat versions.” ◾

Into the Future
Supermarket shelves have long been stocked with diet foods, so what makes formulating for weight management different now? Partly, it’s the discussion of energy balance pushed forward by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. “The conversation is moving away from gimmicks and focusing on balancing food energy consumed with food energy expended,” said Brock Lundberg, vice-president of technology, Fiberstar, River Falls, WI. And partly, it’s the availability of ingredients backed by sound clinical science. Joseph O’Neill, executive vicepresident of sales and marketing, BENEO, Inc., Morris Plains, NJ, explained, “With increasing information and sophistication, more and more consumers — and thus manufacturers — are not only looking for products that claim health benefits like weight control, they want those benefits to be supported by rigorous scientific proof.” Foods offered for weight management must fulfill their promises, or else the whole category will suffer, according to Rhonda Witwer, senior business development manager, nutrition, National Starch Food Innovation, Bridgewater, NJ. “If consumers can feel the difference after consuming a particular food, the future for that food will be very bright.” Others pointed to the need for clear, consumer-friendly labels and foods that taste good. But such choices must also be affordable to consumer and manufacturer alike. “The largest challenge will be finding lower calorie formulas that work while controlling costs,” observed Mr. Lundberg.

BAKING & SNACK / March 2011

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Baking&Snack - March 2011

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