EverSweet, a stevia sweetener made via fermentation rather than stevia leaf extraction, is one step closer to market entry in Europe having received positive safety opinions in the EU and UK.
Consumer confusion over how best to reduce sugar in one’s diet persists. Are they still looking for ‘zero added sugar’ in sweet drinks? Regulatory and ingredients experts weigh in.
In the upcoming webinar (airs 13 September), ConfectioneryNews will profile some of the key innovations in the sector that are being driven primarily by consumer trends. As R&D budgets are increased, we have seen ground-breaking innovations in the...
The popular sweetener is ‘possibly carcinogenic’ according to the World Health Organization, who has also reaffirmed it is safe to consume within current permitted use levels.
Erythritol remains an important tool in long-term weight gain and disease risk, according to the international association representing the low- and reduced-calorie food and beverage industry, after research showed that the popular artificial sweetener...
Israeli start-up Resugar has developed a 1:1 sugar substitute for food manufacturers, and ice cream major Froneri – owner of the Nestlé-Froneri brand in Israel – is amongst its first clients.
European industrial biotechnology specialist BRAIN Biotech has teamed up with Bonumose to bring the rare sugars expert’s sweetener tagatose to market globally.
The naturally modified table sugar from Global Biolife, called Laetose, carries 30% fewer calories and about half the glycemic index compared to glucose.
By Kathy Groves, Head of Microscopy, Leatherhead Food Research
Soluble dietary fibers, dextrins and added vanilla can help manufacturers cut sugar beyond reducing portion size, writes Leatherhead Food Research’s head of microscopy.
The stability of stevia’s sweet-tasting molecule rebaudioside A is adversely affected by light exposure, say researchers, but light-protective packaging could be the answer.
A mechanism found to explain why aspartame prevents weight loss in humans is "not plausible" according to the International Sweeteners Association (ISA).
From soft drinks to yoghurts, snack bars to jams, the low sugar and sugar-free drive is spreading across categories in Europe. We take a look at some of the stand-out successes in new product development (NPD), picked by Mintel's market analysts.
UK supermarket giant Tesco has reduced the sugar content in its own brand soft drink portfolio, with the reformulated beverages hitting the shelves this week.
The UK's sugar tax will spur some companies to reformulate. Here, a leading R&D tax consultant at Ayming UK explores how manufacturers can make full use of R&D tax reliefs to offset the investment costs and challenges.
The focus on sugar intensified yesterday with news of a tax on soft drinks in the UK. But assuming a shift to low or no-sugar foods and drinks will lead to a boost in low-calorie speciality sweeteners is probably wide of the mark, unless they are natural.
Beneo has developed translucent chewing gum coatings from isomalt that allows colors and designs in the gum's core to be visible in the finished product.
‘Elemis’ sugar replacer to revolutionise bakery industry
Almost two-thirds of global consumers are concerned about sugar intake – but the choice between low-sugar and sugar-free depends on the food or drink category, according to a new report from DSM.
Chewing gum may have been responsible for the death of a 19-year old girl – but there is little evidence to suggest artificial sweeteners were at fault, a UK inquest found yesterday.
As sugar has become one of the most maligned ingredients within food, Euromonitor International research analyst Jack Skelly says the future may prove trickyfor manufacturers.
Special edition: Cutting calories in confectionery
Manufacturers can create reduced or no sugar hard and soft candy product extensions without the risk of changing the taste of a proven seller through reformulation, according to Cargill.
Xylitol and maltitol-sweetened chewing gum may inhibit gingivitis, but consumers won't get additional benefits if they already brush their teeth regularly, according to a study.
The natural sweeteners market has continued to grow as consumers seek to cut both sugar and artificial sweeteners from their diets – but it still has a long way to go to catch up with more established sweeteners.
The use of natural sweeteners is growing rapidly – they were used in one in five new non-caloric drinks launched last year – but it is still dwarfed by other sweeteners, according to a new report from Canadean.
Changes in consumer behaviour are having major impact on demand for high-intensity sweeteners globally, with Europe and the US facing the prospect of slower growth while demand remains strong in Asia and South America, says IHS.
The launch of stevia-sugar sweetened Coca-Cola Life into the UK signals a new era in sugar reduction, as it suggests stevia will soon be big in soft drinks, and may open up the use of sweeteners in foods, according to Professor Jack Winkler, former Professor...
Wrigley has introduced Extra Professional Mints containing stevia rebaudiana across Europe, marking the first time it has used stevia in a product globally.
Stevia-derived sweeteners have given the reduced sugar beverage category a boost, as manufacturers look to appeal to consumers looking for fewer calories without artificial sweeteners, according to a Euromonitor analyst.
The Swedish government has supported a stevia project led by Bayn Europe and Barentz based on concerns that non-biodegradable sweeteners may have adverse effects on water supplies.
While stevia's reputation remains sweet, sucralose and aspartame are slipping behind. Canadean looks at which sweeteners receive the best and worst press.
Sugar reduction – rather than substitution – is an area that fits well with consumer concerns about sugar, and big brand moves in the area could spur action from smaller players, according to Mintel.
A better understanding of the complex functions that sugar fulfils in a chocolate product is required by manufacturers before they can reliably develop a high-quality sugar-free chocolate that is acceptable to consumers, say researchers.
When stevia sealed EU novel foods approval in December 2011 it was heralded as the holy grail of sweeteners, but has it lived up to all the hype for chocolate?
BEVERAGEDAILY.COM SPECIAL EDITION: SWEETENER INNOVATION
Ajinomoto’s industrial aspartame business lost billions of yen in 2012, but the company’s Senior VP for North America tells BeverageDaily.com it is working hard to ‘stabilize profitability’.
Strong consumer demand for sugar-free gum – a ‘sweet’ spot of the industry – will lead to exciting new flavors and nutrient delivery, says ingredient supplier Ingredion, with the company’s new encapsulation matrix opening up product developers’ creativity.
The popularity of stevia as an alternative sweetener has unleashed a blizzard of competition to supply the ingredient, mostly from mainland China, raising the question of whether the market is becoming unbalanced on the supply end.
Unilever has added new ‘challenges and wants’ to its open innovation platform, this time seeking help with a stable natural red colour for fruit and dairy, and technologies to reduce sugar in ready to drink teas.
PepsiCo UK and Britvic claim to have 'won the race' to launch the first UK soft drink containing stevia extract by formulating the high intensity sweetener within a functional water range from the end of April.
Stronger industrial starch margins in Europe have boosted sales at sweeteners manufacturer Tate & Lyle following the announcement of the firm’s full year results.
A UK expert claims that a suggested 10% tax on sugar-sweetened soft drinks in the UK would be an ineffective means of tackling a rising obesity epidemic, but that an industry-led end to ‘pricing parity’ between sugared and sugar-free soft drinks could...
In-depth understanding of how stevia works with different flavour systems, bulking agents, and other ingredients is required to optimise NPD or reformulation of existing food and drinks using the natural sweetener.
A panel within India’s food safety regulator has recommended the approval of stevia as natural alternative to sugar for soft drink concentrates, chewing gums and other processed food products.
Belgian chocolate firm Cavalier has confirmed that it is planning to launch the UK's first chocolate range containing stevia from January next year, while other launches across the EU will also follow initial listings in Belgium from November.
