When it comes to mainstream chocolate, consumers usually face the option of high sugar or zero sugar products, with no in-between offering. The issue is that for those health-conscious consumers, the decision to go sugar-free usually comes with a sacrifice to taste and overall indulgence.
The idea is to facilitate more efficient delivery of active ingredients
Israeli food tech company, DouxMatok, have reportedly been working for years to produce their reduced-sugar sweetener, with the aim to provide a healthier alternative to regular sugar, that still tastes and behaves in the same way as the traditional ingredient. It achieves this by using real sugar, but optimises the delivery of taste.
They announced the result last year: Incredo Sugar.
Now, partnering with Blommer, the largest cocoa processor in North America, means that many U.S. consumers may soon have the opportunity to try out lower-sugar versions of popular chocolate products.
A select few Blommer customers have already received the Incredo Sugar chocolates and have given it a high rating so far.
We’ve been working to provide a reduced-sugar chocolate offering for a long time, and when we began working with Incredo Sugar, we knew it would be successful.
David Meggs, chief operating officer for Blommer
The first offering from the partnership is a new type of chocolate chip that contains 50% less sugar than traditional chocolate chips. It boasts a higher fibre content and fewer calories, all while remaining ,‘just as decadent’.
Incredo Sugar differs from many other sweeteners in that it is actually sugar rather than a sweet-tasting substitute. The resulting products are therefore not sugar-free but contain significantly less sugar than their regular counterparts, but with little to no difference in taste or indulgence – a sacrifice usually associated with sugar-free products.
The use of the new Incredo Sugar solution means that manufacturers won’t need to alter products to account for the unique flavours of alternative sweeteners, which can sometimes produce bitterness or an unpleasant sweetness. This means that manufacturers will find it easier to reformulate their products using the DouxMatok solution, removing one of the major friction points for brands looking at lower sugar alternatives.
How has DouxMatok achieved this feat? They call it their ‘Flavor Delivery Technology Platform’. The idea is to facilitate more efficient delivery of active ingredients to the taste receptors, thereby allowing the use of less of the ingredient (30-50% less) while still achieving a similar taste experience. This is accomplished by loading a carrier compound with the active ingredient (in this case, sugar), causing it to cluster together and linger on the tongue, giving consumers more of a chance to taste the sugar before it is swallowed.
Food brands traditionally struggle to produce lower-sugar chocolate and confectionery that matches the standards of their full-sugar versions. Sugar has a specific taste profile and texture and lends itself to the structure and appearance of food, all of which need to be considered when creating a sweetener.
Since Incredo Sugar claims to offer a unique solution that enhances the taste of sugar rather than replaces it altogether, many of these obstacles could be avoided. If this is the case, then the partnership with Blommer could be the first of many to come.
