Ingredients developers and specialists, BENEO, unveils Isomalt – a sugar replacer that maintains the delicious goodness of any chocolate bar but adds a healthy spin
Chocolate is the first word that comes to mind when consumers hear the word “treat”, with more than 1 in 3 people worldwide buying chocolate to improve their mood and indulge. But, with at least half of consumers wanting to avoid sugar so that they can eat more healthily, and 55% of households worldwide buying chocolate confectionery as part of their grocery shopping, there is a significant opportunity for those brand owners who can develop healthier low or no sugar chocolate. Thanks to BENEO’s sugar replacer Isomalt, it’s now possible to tap into this demand for healthy indulgence and create better-for-you chocolate products.
Healthier chocolate with Isomalt
Functional ingredients are already helping many producers to create such confectionery. BENEO’s Isomalt is the only sugar replacer derived exclusively from sugar beet. It has a sweetening profile similar to sucrose – but with only half the calories – a very low glycaemic response and tooth friendly characteristics. Thanks to its many benefits, Isomalt is already a popular choice for producers across the world.
A sweet deal for consumers and producers alike
When it comes to indulgent chocolate treats, consumers are not prepared to sacrifice taste. This is why sweetness is so important when sugar is reduced or removed from a product’s recipe. As Isomalt has a similar sweetness profile to sucrose but without the undesirable cooling effect of other polyols, it is the ideal sugar replacer for use in low and no sugar chocolate. Also, by combining Isomalt with natural sweeteners such as stevia, the rich taste that consumers are looking for in their chocolate is easily achieved.
As well as reducing or removing sugar in recipes, BENEO’s Isomalt also delivers a range of other benefits. As it has a very low effect on blood glucose levels, the ingredient supports a low glycaemic diet. By helping consumers to keep their blood sugar levels more stable, it increases the ‘feel-good’ factor of any sugar-free or sugar-reduced chocolate that it is used in. Isomalt is also low hygroscopic which provides stability for finished chocolate stored in more humid climates. Moreover, its sugar-like texturising properties give chocolate the nice snap that consumers expect.
Reducing sugar in milk chocolate
BENEO-Technology Center trials have shown that by including BENEO’s Isomalt and BENEO’s Orafti Inulin prebiotic fibre, the sugar content of chocolate can be reduced significantly, while still conveying the same indulgent taste as the full-sugar equivalent. In addition, the processing of this healthier chocolate shows minimal difference during refining, conching, and tempering.
A range of formats
While Isomalt is suitable for reducing or replacing sugar in chocolate confectionery, it is an ideal sugar replacer in chocolate and other inclusions for ice cream, cereal and baking applications and can be used in compound chocolate, toppings and chocolate spreads.
Thanks to the many nutritional and technical benefits of BENEO’s Isomalt, producers can ensure that low and no sugar chocolate products deliver both in terms of indulgent taste and a healthier profile.
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Media contact
Editor, International Confectionery
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