Improving Nutritional Values

We need sugar in our diet as glucose is the body’s primary source of fuel. Additionally, it helps to maintain our brain function [1] and provides an instant mood boost by activating the pleasure center of our brain and causing a rush of dopamine [2]. However, sugar is also the #1 ingredient consumers want to reduce in their diets [3] as excessive sugar consumption can be associated with a higher risk of developing obesity and several other non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dental cavities and certain types of cancer [4].

The World Health Organization (WHO) strongly recommends reducing the daily intake of free sugars to less than 10% of the total energy intake (approximately 50g) with a conditional recommendation of sugar reduction to below 5% or roughly 25g [5].  The WHO guidelines do not refer to the sugars in fresh fruits and vegetables, and sugars naturally present in milk, but to free sugars that are added to foods and beverages by manufacturers or consumers, and sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices, etc.

Sugar is a highly functional ingredient, especially in patisserie. Besides sweetness, it impacts various qualities of the finished product as presented in the table below.

Over the yars, Puratos has developed great solutions for every layer of the finished good (base / filling / decoration).

These solutions make it possible to achieve a sugar reduction claim in a finished product without compromising on functionality and sensory experience (taste, flavor, texture, mouthfeel etc.).

Puratos gives preference to natural fibers for replacing sugars. This not only allows our customers to keep the label as clean as possible, but also to add fiber (another benefit for the consumer).

We offer 2 categories of sugar-reduced solutions:

• Complete or concentrated mixes like Tegral Satin Cream Cake Sugar Reduced, which delivers on average 35% sugar reduction).
• Modular solutions like Acti Sugar Reduction, which is a clean label cake improver that enables sugar reduction up to 35%. It also offers the possibility of adding a ‘source of fiber’ claim.

As with many other essential nutrients, sodium cannot be produced by the body. Sodium is an essential nutrient that helps to control fluid levels and blood pressure.

It allows nerves and muscles to function properly and plays a vital role in regulating many bodily functions.

However, when consumed in high amounts, sodium increases the risk of osteoporosis, kidney disease and high blood pressure, which can lead to cardiovascular disease [10-12].

The World Health Organization recommends consuming less than 2000 mg/day of sodium (equivalent to less than 5 g/day of salt) [13].

Puratos has solutions to reduce the salt content in baked goods (and to enable a salt reduction claim), thereby helping consumers meet the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 5g of salt/day. This without compromising on functionality and sensory experience (taste, aroma, texture, mouthfeel, etc.).

We offer 2 categories of salt-reduction solutions:

• Complete or concentrated mixes that offer ready-to-bake breads with 25% salt reduction
• Modular solutions like S500 Salt Reduction: the best-performing improver on the market for salt reduction. It delivers 25% less salt without compromising on taste) [13]

At Puratos we strive to increase the fruit content of our fruit fillings wherever possible. Our fruit fillings enable the creation of delicious and nutritionally enhanced finished goods. This approach is a natural and creative way to rebalance the nutritional profile and reduce added sugar, fat, and calories per 100g of product.

Our range of fruit fillings help improve the nutritional values of fresh, long-shelf-life and frozen patisserie and bakery applications:

• Topfil is a range of fruit fillings that offer a delicious and authentic taste.
• Topfil Finest is the latest generation of fruit fillings that are completely clean label. They have an authentic taste and preserve the natural aspects of the fruits in terms of color, texture and flavor, delivering the sensation of enjoying a fresh fruit.