Hitting the Sweet Spot: Crafting Reduced-Sugar Caramels for Health-Conscious Consumers

Looking for ways to reduce sugar in your sweet products without compromising flavor? Great news - lowering sugar doesn't have to mean sacrificing indulgence. Whether you're reformulating an existing product or developing a new one, let's explore how we transformed caramel bites into a healthier treat.

Sugar Reduction Matters To Consumers

Added sugars are common in many processed foods, from cakes and cereals to yogurts and beverages. While sugar can be part of a balanced diet, excessive intake contributes to health issues like obesity and diabetes. With 72% of consumers now aiming to limit or avoid sugar, it has become the top dietary concern, surpassing even calories and fat. This shift, alongside World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines to reduce sugar intake, has sparked a wave of innovation among manufacturers, creating low- and reduced-sugar products that don't compromise on taste. This is an exciting time for the food industry, with new possibilities and healthier options on the horizon.

However, replacing sugar can be challenging. Sugar plays a crucial role in taste, texture, and overall product quality, making it tough to find alternatives that maintain these qualities. Many common sweeteners can't deliver the same satisfaction.

OUR SOLUTION: FOSLIFE® PREBIOTIC FIBER

FOSLIFE® short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (scFOS) offer a healthy sugar alternative derived from sugar cane. This versatile ingredient provides 70% of the sweetness of sugar with a lower caloric impact while also acting as a prebiotic fiber, supporting gut health. FOSLIFE® is increasingly recognized as an excellent choice for health-conscious consumers seeking to reduce sugar intake without losing the indulgent experience.

Beyond just sugar replacement, FOSLIFE® enhances taste, texture, and mouthfeel, particularly in low-fat and reduced-calorie products. It helps maintain the integrity of your product and contributes to a healthier profile with less impact on blood glucose levels.

OUR APPROACH: Reducing Sugar in Caramel Bites

To demonstrate the effectiveness of FOSLIFE®, we experimented with reducing sugar in caramel bites. We gradually replaced the granulated sugar with FOSLIFE® prebiotic fiber. Through rigorous testing and recipe adjustments, we successfully substituted all the sugar with FOSLIFE®, creating a reduced-sugar caramel that preserved the desired taste and texture. We sprinkled the caramels with Lower Sodium Sea Salts to highlight the dynamic duo of sugar and salt. This taste experiment in caramels shows that manufacturers can create indulgent, healthier products with FOSLIFE® that still satisfy consumers' cravings.

WHY CLEAN LABEL?

Today's consumers want transparency. They want to know what's in their food and prefer ingredients they trust and recognize. By using natural, clean-label ingredients, like FOSLIFE® prebiotic fiber, manufacturers can meet this demand and deliver delicious and health-conscious products. FOSLIFE® can be labeled as "scFOS," "fructooligosaccharide," "oligofructose", or simply as "fructan," and the prebiotic fiber can contribute to the nutritional value of the product. Undoubtedly, FOSLIFE® is a healthy sugar alternative allowing for low sugar and reduced sugar formulations while providing 70% of the sweetness of sugar.

A&B Ingredients provides a range of natural ingredients to offer manufacturers clean-label solutions to replace sugar while enhancing nutritional and functional benefits.

Explore our Natural Low Sodium Sea Salts 
Explore FOSLIFE® Sweet Soluble Prebiotic Fiber

Contact us for more information and to help you choose the right clean-label ingredients for your application needs.