FDBusiness.com

Sugar content is currently a global focus in the food and drink industry. Consumers have turned their attention to sugar and its implications on human health. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that more than 1.9 billion adults around the world were overweight or obese in 2014.[1] In addition, around 1.5 million deaths were caused by diabetes in 2012.[2] The global rise of these conditions, which both can be linked to consumption of foods high in sugar, has encouraged consumers to re-evaluate their eating habits and look for products with inherent health benefits.

In North America, new sugar-reduced dairy product launches in Q1 2015 alone surpassed the 2014 total.[3] Sugar reduction has become a popular concept for many food producers, whether it is decreasing the amount of sugar in products or substituting it with natural sweeteners, such as stevia.

Manufacturers are looking for methods and ingredients to carve their share in this growing market. One such example is enzymes that enhance the natural sweetness of dairy without compromising on taste.

Unleashing the Natural Sweetness of Dairy

Sugar lactose is the main carbohydrate in milk. Its sweetness can be doubled in a natural way by using the enzyme lactase, which is also present in the human body. Lactase breaks down lactose into the more easily digested and sweeter forms of sugar: glucose and galactose. These forms have a higher relative sweetness than lactose and create a flavour which is very similar to sucrose. This allows for a sugar reduction of 10-20%, without any additional ingredients. A further reduction of up to 50% is possible in combination with other natural sweeteners.

High Quality Lactase For Optimal Performance

The use of lactase can cause challenges in dairy processing, such as the presence of invertase – a common side-activity in commercial lactase. Invertase creates instability in sweetness levels, which may lead to loss of sweetness, and negatively affect the flavour of many sugared dairy desserts, such as fruit yoghurts. With that in mind, DSM has developed a lactase enzyme that is free of invertase, as well as arylsulfatase (an impurity in lactase preparation). Maxilact LGi® boosts sweetness levels in dairy, while reducing sugar addition in flavoured milk or sugared dairy without compromising on taste.

By combining Maxilact LGi® with natural flavours or stevia, the amount of sugar can be further reduced up to 50%, which results in a superior sweetness profile. Next to its clean taste and consistent performance throughout the shelf-life, Maxilact LGi® can be easily integrated in the production process, and is suitable for a wide range of sugared dairy applications. For more information: info.food@dsm.com I www.dsm.com/food.

[1] http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/

[2] http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en/

[3] Mintel, GNPD

What is driving consumer behaviour?

There is an untapped market opportunity for manufacturers to formulate appealing products that ‘hit the sweet spot’ for dairy. DSM has investigated consumer perceptions and behaviour on sugared dairy. With its Global Insight Series it provides the dairy industry insights into consumer preferences on sugared dairy and an understanding of contemporary food trends. More info: wwww.dsm.com/food.

DSM’s international survey reveals:

• 70% pay more attention to the amount of sugar added in dairy than 3 years ago
• Taste (48%) and artificial sweeteners (36%) are the most important reasons for not choosing reduced-sugar dairy.