Danisco starts Dulcaden roll-out with Brazilian bakery

Danisco has a long history of producing lactitol, which comes from milk-sugars, in the United States. The new range, called Dulcaden, breathes new, innovative life into the sweetener, by blending it with other sweeteners in Danisco's portfolio. According to the company the new sweeteners can be used in place of sugar without much reformulation ado. The all-in-one solution is tipped to save time - and therefore expense - that is usually associated with giving products a healthier profile, since reformulation usually calls for a bundle of different ingredients to be used. The first sweetener in the new range is called Dulcaden Biscuit (intended, as the name suggests, for biscuit applications). This is a blend of lactitol, Litesse polydextrose and intense sweeteners. Litesse polydextrose is expected to be a common feature in other versions to be launched in the future. In August, Litesse gained FDA approval in the US for use as a bulking agent, formation aid, humectant, and texturizer in all foods except meat, poultry, baby foods and infant formula. A spokesperson for the company told FoodNavigator.com at FIE in London this week that the plan is to introduce Dulcaden in other markets as well. The launch is not global from the outset because different countries have different regulations on intense sweeteners. She added that some companies in the sweeteners market are no longer working with lactitol. She was not in a position to comment on the reasons for this, but high dairy prices could be proving off-putting for innovation. But the launch of Dulcaden in Brazil is to send a message that Danisco is still going strong with this sweetener, and is still investing in it. Lactitol comes from milk-sugars, and is said to be particularly suitable for bakery, ice cream and dairy, and premium products since it contributes to a creamy taste. This means that manufacturers have a helping hand in developing products with a healthier profile that are close in taste to original full-sugar versions. According to a report published by Datamonitor in February 2006, the bakery and cereals market in Brazil grew by 0.6 per cent per year, on average, between 1999 and 2004. At the end of this five year period, the market leader was said to be Gruppo Bimbo, with Panco in second place and Nestle in third. Other Danisco sweetener brands (Xylitol, Litesse polydextrose and fructose). These are produced in Austria and Finland.