Better-for-You Product Development: Sugar Reduction Best Practices
Introduction
Sugar reduction is a growing priority in product development as consumers seek to address concerns related to sugar consumption. These concerns primarily include potential health effects, particularly for individuals with diabetes or other conditions for which sugar intake is detrimental, but also overall calorie intake. However, removing sugar from a formulation presents several challenges beyond just replacing its sweetness.
The Functional Roles of Sugar
While sugar is best known for its sweetness, its role in food products extends far beyond taste. Sugar performs multiple key functions that contribute to the quality, stability, and sensory experience of various applications:
- Body and Texture: Sugar adds bulk and enhances the structure, texture, and viscosity of food, playing a vital role in creating the desired mouthfeel.
- Color and Flavor Development: Through processes like caramelization and Maillard browning, sugar not only impacts the color of food but also develops rich, complex flavors.
- Balancing Sensory Profiles: Sugar helps modify and balance other flavors, such as reducing bitterness or softening tartness, creating a more harmonious taste profile.
- Preservation and Stability: Acting as a humectant, sugar helps retain moisture and inhibits microbial growth, thereby extending shelf life.
- Freezing Point Regulation: In frozen products like ice cream, sugar lowers the freezing point, contributing to a creamy and smooth texture.
When sugar is removed from a formulation, these functionalities must be carefully replicated using alternative ingredients to ensure the product maintains its sensory appeal and quality standards.
Cost Considerations
Sugar is widely known for its affordability, making it a go-to choice for most formulations. However, when replacing sugar with alternative sweeteners or functional ingredients, manufacturers must carefully weigh the economic impact.
- Base Ingredient Cost: While sugar is inexpensive and readily available, alternative ingredients often come with higher price points due to complex manufacturing processes, limited availability, or specialized production requirements.
- Cost-in-Use Factor: High-intensity sweeteners, such as sucralose or stevia, are used in smaller quantities than sugar, yet their cost-in-use can still be substantial. This includes expenses associated with formulation adjustments, additional testing, and ensuring compatibility with other ingredients.
- Functional Replacements: Beyond sweetness, sugar contributes to structure, texture, browning, and moisture retention. Each of these functionalities may require alternative ingredients—often at an increased cost—to replicate sugar's multi-dimensional roles in the final product.
Sweetness Perception and Temporal Profile
Sugar has a unique sweetness profile, influencing how quickly sweetness is detected, how long it lasts, and whether it lingers. Alternative sweeteners often have different temporal profiles, which can impact consumer perception. For example:
- Stevia: Takes longer to perceive sweetness and has a lingering effect.
- Other High-Intensity Sweeteners: May have a different onset and duration of sweetness perception compared to sugar.
These differences must be considered within the specific product matrix, as factors such as intrinsic flavor and ingredient interactions can influence the final taste experience.
Developing a Sugar Reduction Strategy
Product developers must first identify the specific functions sugar provides in each formula. Once these functions are understood, a strategic approach can be employed using an arsenal of alternative sweeteners, flavor modulators, and texturizing agents.
Key considerations include:
- Combination of Sweeteners: Using multiple sweeteners to mimic sugar’s functional and sensory attributes.
- Flavor Maskers and Modulators: Addressing any undesirable off-notes or lingering effects of alternative sweeteners.
- Non-Sweetener Ingredients: Incorporating ingredients that contribute to mouthfeel, texture, or stability to compensate for sugar removal.
Expertise in Sugar Reduction
Our team includes experienced scientists who have worked on sugar reduction initiatives across a wide range of applications. With extensive knowledge in sweetener interactions, sensory optimization, and cost-effective formulation strategies, we can help develop better-for-you products that meet both consumer expectations and functional requirements.
Reach out today to learn more about sugar reduction strategies and formulation support.
Meet the Author
Dr. Catalin Moraru serves as a Technical Manager in Product Development at The National Food Lab. With more than 20 years of dedicated service, he has become an integral asset to the organization, showcasing his expertise and commitment.
Catalin received his PhD in Food Science from Rutgers University and is a Certified Food Scientist by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT.) His technical expertise includes sweeteners, powdered ingredients, proteins, beverages, cereals, baked goods, and dairy applications.
Catalin’s passion for product development and problem-solving is evident in his strong scientific and analytical background, as well as his extensive experience in technical writing and management. Catalin has made significant contributions to the food industry through his work, including being a contributor to three US patents, authoring 11 articles in scientific journals and trade magazines, writing a book chapter, and delivering over 30 presentations across the country.
