Baking & Snack - September 2014 - 74

CALORIE REDUCTION

ufacturers learned from that era is that reducing calories
and removing unpopular nutritional components is not
enough to sustain a brand. In order to succeed, the product must also taste good, and new ingredient technologies have made it possible to improve the nutrition of
their products and still have great taste and texture."
This is why bakers are being modest with sugar reduction,
according to Wade Schmelzer, principal scientist, Cargill,
Minneapolis. "They know they need to balance improvements in nutritional profile with consumer indulgence
trends. Sugar reductions of 25 to 50% are possible in bakery
items while still meeting consumer taste expectations."

Manipulating ingredients
Understanding sugar's role in baked goods is paramount.
"Sugar provides flavor, soft texture, bulk and moisture
control, among other functions," said Troy Boutte, PhD,
group manager, bakery, fats and oils, DuPont Nutrition
& Health, New Century, KS. "So the ingredients we
reach for when replacing sugar need to replace one or
more of these functions."
Polydextrose is an ingredient that can assist.
"Polydextrose was developed as a sugar replacer and
can replace the bulk that we lose when we remove sugar
from a formula," Dr. Boutte said, noting that it contains
1 Cal per g. "Depending on the application, it can replace 30 to 50% of the sugar."
While polydextrose can be used to replace some sugar,
increasing protein in the formulation can further replace
Carbohydrates are an important part of a healthy diet; what's more important is
choosing them wisely.
Beneo

74 Baking & Snack September 2014 / www.bakingandsnack.com

the bulk that is lost from sugar reduction and yet add
nutritional benefits, according to Dr. Boutte. "Enzymes,
and in particular anti-staling enzymes, are also helpful,"
he noted. "They can be used to soften baked goods that
have been reduced in sugar. Likewise, emulsifiers help
disperse shortening in sugar-reduced formulations and
make the shortening much more functional, which creates a softer product. Similarly, hydrocolloids can be
added to sugar-reduced formulas to help maintain moisture, reduce staling and improve overall eating quality."
One of the easiest sugar-reduction tricks is to focus
on the higher-moisture component, such as the fruit
prep, filling, icing or glaze. "This is where sugar's primary function is to sweeten," said Amy Gilliland, technical manager, food ingredients division, Celanese, Irving,
TX. "Sugar reduction is achieved through the use of
high-intensity sweetener systems, many of which work
synergistically with sugar, allowing a reduction in added
sugar yet with sensory properties identical to the fullsugar control. For example, a blend of acesulfame potassium, sucralose and natural flavor can be used to replace
sugar in fruit prep. It can cut calories in half and reduce
added sugars by more than two-thirds."
In the grain portion of bakery products, sugar is functional; you can't just take it out and add a high-intensity
sweetener, according to Tim Christensen, senior research scientist and certified master baker, Cargill.
"Bulking agents such as inulin, polydextrose, polyols,
resistant maltodextrin and other such ingredients work
well in replacing the functions of sugar, some more so
than others, but most do not replace the sweetness." This
is where high-intensity sweeteners come into play.

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Baking & Snack - September 2014

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