Keeping Your Sweet Foods Sweet with IFF Sugar-Reduction Modulators

What if we did not have to compromise taste in the pursuit of health when creating sweet food? With the help of sugar-reduction modulators, we can deliver the best sweet taste experience with the right balance and no off-notes guaranteeing an experience that consumers crave.

Sweeteners alone cannot deliver the same sweetness experience as sugar when it comes to taste body and mouthfeel. Individual sweeteners combining sweeteners or even removing sugar and sugar substitutes altogether can have a distinct impact on the sweet taste of a product. Some options can be acidic, bitter or too intense while others may even produce an unpleasant mouthfeel or off-notes.

ENHANCING THE SWEET TASTE EXPERIENCE

For each taste hurdle, there are several different types of sugar-reduction solutions available. The IFF FLAVORFIT™ taste modulation portfolio addresses six primary taste modulation needs including: Sweet-Masking Mouthfeel and Sensorial which are all relevant for CPG (consumer packaged goods) companies with no- and low-sugar products. The fifth primary taste covered in the portfolio is Salt & Umami.

With 61% of consumers agreeing that ‘clean,’ ‘natural’ or organic foods are healthier (Food Navigator 2022) IFF FLAVORFIT™ Sugar-Reduction Solutions was created with cleaner label and naturalness in mind and has been evolving under our RE-IMAGINE WELLNESS™ Innovation Program. This high-performing option alters the perception of any sugar alternatives added without using extra artificial sweeteners or flavors. Alternatively, when artificial sugars are present, IFF FLAVORFIT™ [masking] can reduce or even neutralize off-notes such as bitterness, licorice or sour notes in the final product.

We must consider that the overall consumer experience involves more than just taste and smell. Consumers crave richness in sweet food and beverages. The removal of sugar can have a negative impact on the overall mouthfeel especially in dairy and beverage products. IFF FLAVORFIT™ [mouthfeel] can provide the fullness and body needed to enhance authenticity in these sugar-reduced products by creating the taste and texture experience that full-sugar products can deliver.

Last, but certainly not least, we must address overall consumption experience. Is the product fresh? Bright? Juicy? IFF FLAVORFIT™ [sensorial] can help create these mouthwatering experiences by going beyond flavor tonality. Combining sensorial modulation with sweet masking and mouthfeel modulation is the key to meeting consumer expectations in sweet food and beverage products. This combination is carefully structured according to a customer’s needs formulation and sugar-reduction targets. In other words, the process is highly customizable and flexible.

SUGAR-REDUCTION MODULATION CUSTOMIZATION IS EASY

Though taste remains the primary influence for purchase, it is followed closely by label-friendliness, naturalness and health. Worldwide sales of clean label ingredients including (but not limited to) sweeteners is projected to jump from $38.8 billion in 2021 to $64.1 billion in 2026 (Euromoniter Market Data Forecast). This is clearly reflected in ever-changing consumer demands and even in global legislation. For example, over 50 countries are working to regulate consumer sugar intake by implementing taxes enforcing label regulations and banning the marketing of high-sugar products to young children. The agility required to meet this growing demand does not have to be difficult. Label-friendly solutions cost optimization or taste differentiation we are here to work with you. Together, with the help of our wide portfolio and sugar-reduction modulation expertise, we can create the foods and beverages that consumers crave.

Learn more about our sugar- reduction modulation tools.