Combining consumer desire for sweet treats with the need for healthier, low-sugar formulations is a challenge for producers of biscuits. The first sugar alternatives were introduced in the 1980s, when artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame came to replace sugar in recipes. However, a number of studies demonstrated that artificially sweetened products do not promote improved health outcomes in the long term and concerns rose about their safety and potential health implications. As a result, their popularity decreased. This opened opportunities for plant-based sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit extract around 2010. Stevia proved to be more natural but its bitter taste posed challenges for confectionery and biscuits manufacturers.
How can food manufacturers improve the nutritional profile of baked goods like biscuits, while preserving a pleasant sweet taste?
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To respond to the need of combining sugar reduction with a pleasant sweet taste, Taura offers a range of no-added-sugar fruit pieces, called JusFruit. They deliver an intense release of sweetness when chewed and the lingering aftertaste gives biscuits a sweeter perception.
To find consumer preference for different sugar reduced cookie recipes versus a full-sugar cookie, our R&D team conducted a consumer test in collaboration with independent flavour house Aromco. 26 consumers were invited to test 3 different cookies: a full-sugar cookie (38,6g/100g), a standard sugar-reduced cookie (28,2g/100g) and a sugar-reduced cookie with Taura JusFruit pieces (27,3g/100g).
In a blind test, the panellists were asked to score the 3 types of cookies on sweetness perception and overall taste perception.