Sugar, Oh! Honey, honey
Global warming, political instability and alternative substitutes continue to affect sugar consumption levels throughout the world. According to a May 2019 report published by Research and Markets, the global output of raw sugar rose from 172.3 million tons in 2012 to 185.9 million tons in 2019, marking a rise of 13.6 million tons. However, the difference between sugar output and consumption during that period fell by 58 percent. HN talked to three experts in the field of chocolate and pastry to find out what’s keeping the industry sweet
What are some of the most commonly used sugars in pastry-making today?
Whether it is glucose, fructose, sucrose, navigating the variety of sugars we consume is not always easy. Sucrose is the table sugar you use in coffee or cakes. It is made by first extracting sugar juice from cane or beet plants, out of which many types of sugar can be produced by adjusting the process of cleaning, crystallizing, drying and varying the level of molasses. Generally speaking, our industry separates sugar into three categories: white, which includes regular, powdered, fruit and superfine sugars; brown, which comes in a light and dark brown variety, as well as Turbinado and Muscovado; and specialty or inverted sugar, including honey, glucose syrup DE38-40 and dextrose.
What are the main trends when it comes to meeting the needs of healthconscious consumers?
Product launches using natural sweeteners are likely to continue growing as producers look for ways to reduce sugar without using artificial sweeteners. However, producers need to prove that natural sweeteners really are safe, natural and can be linked back to a plant source, such as honey or fruit juice. Demand for clean-label sugar reduction has seen some innovative strategies to sugar-reduction hit the marketplace. For example, enzymes are being used to deliver sugar-reduction in dairy. Similarly, flavor houses are innovating by using ‘less sweet’ flavor profiles, such as sour, bitter and savory in the development of ‘lower sugar’ innovations.
What other trends do you envision for sugar?
If removing sugars from the nutritional table is what you are looking for, you can count on our range of sugar-free chocolates. In this range, all sugars are taken out for chocolates with no more than 0.5 percent sugar. Thanks to advanced ingredient selection, such as replacement of lactose-containing milk powder with milk proteins, we achieve a zero sugar chocolate, while maltitol and stevia maintain the superb chocolate taste and texture for consumers following a healthier lifestyle.