Sweeten your pot

Kantha Shelke, Ingredients Editor

Savvy use of sweeteners can provide your products with a competitive edge

The seemingly placid world of sweeteners and sugars is fermenting with opportunities in practically all categories of food and beverage. These ingredients collectively have a myriad of functionalities, making sweetener selection all the more daunting. What follows, then, are some of the basics of sweetener functionality, particularly as they relate to new product development.

 

Before you select

 

Know your arena -- Identify the consumer's expectations for product appearance, taste, and benefits, and then determine if your concept meets these expectations. Beginning with the basics goes a long way toward minimizing guesswork and failure.  

 

Know your goal -- Understanding the reasons for utilizing a sweetener. Map your product objectives in terms of sweetness, calories, labeling (natural, sugar-free, reduced-calorie, low-carbohydrate), shelf life, appearance, texture, and taste (flavor, acidity, aroma) so you can rapidly identify sweetener candidates that meet these criteria.

 

Know your sweetener -- Carefully study all aspects of your selected sweetener(s) in terms of physical and molecular properties and the functionalities to be delivered to your particular food system. Also determine whether the sweetener can replace or augment the functionalities provided by the product's other ingredients. Quantify the calories and any other nutritional claims you wish to make prior to developing the formulation. Ensure that the sweetener of choice fits the distribution and handling capabilities of your manufacturing facility.

 

Know the conditions -- Test and evaluate the outcome for potential interactions among the sweetener and the product's other ingredients. Subject your prototype to the range of temperature and moisture conditions the product will likely encounter during processing and distribution. Incorporate all of the various environmental conditions into an accelerated shelf-life test to identify those that are factors detrimental to the success of your product.

 

Know your business -- Methodically map your manufacturing and distribution process to ensure that all aspects and limitations considered during the formulation stage. A sound understanding of your company's business philosophy and culture will help prevent unforeseen cost-reductions and ingredient switches that may be detrimental to your product. Identifying cost reductions early in the process helps ensure that only the most cost-effective formulations are considered.  

 

Know the alternatives , Use both your knowledge and "what if"? scenarios to ensure you've covered all the angles and left nothing to chance.

 

Sweeteners , form and function