How is the European ingredient industry responding to the new health agenda? Technical challenges and solutions

ELC Symposium, 21 November 2012 - Brussels

Peter de Cock, Global Nutrition and Regulatory Manager, Cargill

Structure of presentation

• Reminder of what we want to achieve: reduce intake of sugars/fats/calories.

• The overall strategy … and problems for food technicians:• Removing fat: the impact on our food…

… and possible solutions• Reducing sugar: the challenges…

… and technical options

• The added opportunities of reformulating foods:• Dental health and glycaemic control• Enhance nutritional quality

The challenge

Less sugars, less fats, less calories Reduction of obesity Prevention and control of diabetes Increase healthiness and nutritional

value

Challenge: make sugar- and fat-reduced products that provide a good flavor, the right texture and an indulgence factor

Replacement of oils/fats

Replacement of sugars

Fats

REDUCED CALORIE

PRODUCTS

Intense sweeteners

Bulk sweeteners

Air

Carbohydrates

Proteins

Low/no absorption Olestra

Acesulfame-K, aspartame, stevia, …

Polyols: maltitol, sorbitol, isomalt, …

Air, nitrogen, …

Starch, maltodextrin, fibers, hydrocolloids

Vegetable/Animal Simplesse, whey protein

Strategy

FibersPolydextrose, inulin,

oligofructose, …

Fat/Oil functions in foods: some examples

Technical Functions

Mar

gari

ne

Spre

ads

Bak

ery

Frie

d S

nac

ks

Con

fect

ion

ary

Dre

ssin

g Sa

uce

s

Infa

nt

Form

ula

StructuringMouth Feel Ingredients CarrierFlavour CarrierVitamin CarrierEnergy SourceEssential fatty acids carrierProcessing SupportShelf life Extender

Not a function in all cases

Air Cell

Liquid Oil

Solid Fat

Sugar Crystal

The implications of removing fat

In Cakes/Muffins the shortening> Acts as a tenderizing agent> Aids in volume expansion (entraps air bubbles)> Contributes to flavor> Improves eating quality

Cake/Muffin batters are mixes in which small fat globules are suspended. This air-fat system plays an important role in texture, volume, and grain

Removing fat will cause collapse of structure of batter and baked products

‘Healthier fats’/ ‘fat modification’

• Besides fat reduction, a reduction is desired of saturated fatty acids (SAFA) and and increase in mono- and poly-unsaturated fats (MUFA and PUFA)

• However, SAFA play an improtant role in technical functionality and sensory properties because of their melting point/profile.

• Fat modification solutions are needed to enable reduction of SAFA in final product.

Fat modification solutionsFractionation Range of fractions out of one product by application

of cooling and filtration Fractions with higher melting points

Hydrogenation Chemically changing melting point / pattern

(melting curve) Saturation on unsaturated (double) bonds in fatty

acid chains via addition of hydrogen Trans formation is inevitable side effect in partially

hydrogenated products Not preferred any more

Inter-esterification Re-arrangement of fatty acids over triglycerides

Change of melting curve and melting speed and thus physical properties of the oil

Wide range of unique new products(fats) with same fatty acid compositions but that however do not exist in nature

Fat modification solutions

Example: Effect on melting profile of Palm versus Palm inter-esterified

10 15 20 25 30 35 400

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

PALMPALM INES

T (°C)

SFC

(%)

Inter-esterification changes melting profile

Solutions

• Creation of harder fats with a higher melting profile, e.g. via interestification, to decrease level of SAFA needed for structure and mouth feel.

• Balance can be achieved by using higher amounts of liquid oils which have a more nutritionally beneficial fatty acid profile.

• Production process and recipe of final food products have to be modified as well to achieve an acceptable final product.

Margarine

Margarines with different melting profiles

Margarine with optimum profile for spreadability

Margarine which is too soft, runny.

Margarine which is too hard, brittle.

Margarine Improved hardstocks through interesterification Reduction of SAFA Maintaining product melting curve (mouth feel) Trans fats free

10 15 20 25 30 35 400

102030405060708090

100

Hardstock 1Margarine with 60% Rape seed oilImproved Hardstock 2Margarine with 80% Rape seed oil

SAFA MUFA PUFA0

10

20

30

40

50

60

with 60% Rapeseed oilwith 80% Rapeseed oil

Conc

entr

atio

n (%

)

SFC

(%)

Control Light

84 vegetable fat 20 precooked modified starch 4.5 gelatin or maltodextrin 7 emulsifier 1 salt 0.7 16 water 66.8

Light butter spread

Lipids20%

Glucides11,5%

Water 66,8%

CALORIE

0

800

200

400

600

CALORIE

Lipids84%

Water16%

W/O emulsion : starch, maltodextrin or gelatine are used to ‘gelify’ the water phase and stabilize it

0

800

200

400

600

Implications of removing fat in cream cheese

Full fat

Firm textureCreamy

No syneresis50% fat reduced

Loss of textureSoft - Liquid

WaterySyneresis (water

on surface)

50% fat reduced reformulated with

inulin as fat replacer

Firm textureCreamy

No syneresis

Sugar : more than a sweetener

Absorbs water

CaramelizesIncorporates air in baking

process

Speeds growth of

yeastEnhances

smoothness & flavour

Delays discoloration

Regulates gelling

Improves appearance of canned fruit

Sucrose functions in foods: some examples

Technical Functions Ce

real

s

Bev

erag

es

Bak

ed

Goo

ds

Cak

es,

Cook

ies

Jam

s, Je

llie

s

Pro

cess

ed

Food

s

Con

fect

ion

s

Dai

ry

Froz

en

Des

sert

s

Sweetener

Texturizer

Preservative

Shelf Life Extender

Fermentation

Crystalline AppearanceCaramelization

Maillard Reaction

Solubility

Freezing Point

Boiling Point

One single sweetener cannot replace all sugar functions, typically a combination of sweetness ingredients is used

Sucrose replacement options

• Intense sweeteners

• Bulk sweeteners

• Other bulking agents

Sugar replacement – Key applications

• Beverages (main application for intense sweeteners)• Confectionery (chewing gum, hard candy, soft candy,

mints, chocolate, etc.)• Bakery (cookies, biscuits, cakes,

pastries, frostings)• Dairy (ice cream, yoghurt)• Fruit preps and fillings• Snacks and puddings• Flavored syrups• Tabletop sweeteners• Pharmaceutical and personal care

Options: trying to replicate sweetness

0 50 100 150

FRUCTOSE

SUCROSE

XYLITOL

MALTITOL

ERYTHRITOL

SORBITOL

MANNITOL

DEXTROSE

ISOMALT

LACTITOL

10 % aqueous solution

Polyols – Relative Sweetness

Polyols generally have a similar sweetness quality to sucrose

0.0

5.0

10.0

Herbal

Bitterness

Metallic

Chemical-medicinal

Sweet aftertaste

Green-herbalaftertaste

Bitteraftertaste

Sweetness

Drying, astringentafter-feel

Intense sweeteners – Challenges Blending stevia with sucrose: QDA of 10% sucrose equivalent

Full cal

0.0

5.0

10.0

Herbal

Bitterness

Metallic

Chemical-medicinal

Sweet aftertaste

Green-herbalaftertaste

Bitteraftertaste

Sweetness

Drying, astringentafter-feel

Intense sweeteners – Challenges Blending stevia with sucrose: QDA of 10% sucrose equivalent

Full cal50% saving

0.0

5.0

10.0

Herbal

Bitterness

MetallicGreen-herbal

aftertaste

Bitteraftertaste

Sweetness

Drying, astringentafter-feel

Chemical-medicinal

Sweet aftertaste

Intense sweeteners – Challenges Blending stevia with sucrose: QDA of 10% sucrose equivalent

Full cal50% saving80% saving

TIME (arbitrary units)0

20

40

60

80

100

STEVIA

ASPARTAME

SUCROSE

RESPONSE (% of peak)

Time-intensity, ~8% SE

*Source: Prakash, DuBois et al, 2008, Food & Chemical Toxicology, 46/7S:S75-S82

Intense sweeteners – Challenges

Lemon/lime beverages: sensory panel results (n=20-30)

Samples with 2.5% and 3.5% erythritol scored significantly better than stevia control (0% ERT) and were closest to the sucrose control

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

44.5

0% ERTStevia Control

0.5% ERT 1.5% ERT 2.5% ERT 3.5%ERT 8% SucroseControl

Diff

eren

ce fr

om 8

% S

ucro

se

7 po

int s

cale

Stevia sweetened samples

Sweetness Quality Overall Flavor Mouthfeel Aftertaste

Reduction of Stevia sweetness lingering

Stevia + 2.5% erythritol

All samples at 7% SEV

Stevia

Sucrose

The added value of sweetness reformulation

Replacement of sugars

REDUCED CALORIE

PRODUCTSPolyols

Improved dental health

Improved glycaemic control

Muffins

Positive controlFull sugar

Negative control30% sugar reducedTaking out sugar : muffin collapses 30% sugar reduced

with rice starch and oligofructose

Reference Test 1

Test 2

challenge

solution

Ingredients Control Reduced sugar

Oligofructose (P95) 0 5.14

Flour 9.3% proteins 47.4 47.4

Shortening 24.2 24.2

Sucrose 15.8 10.81

Vanilla 0.1 0.1

Eggs 7.6 7.6

Baking powder 0.6 0.6

Salt 0.3 0.3

Water 4 3.85

Total 100 100

30% sugar reduction in shortbread cookies

Oligofructose has a sweetness profile similar to sucrose but less sweet (30%)

Sugar out, fibre in …

Sugar out, fibre in …

• Taste of the reduced sugar cookie is quite close to the reference (slightly less sweet)

• Hardness is slightly lower (328 versus 398*)• Colour is a little darker

Sugar30% sugar reduced

Shortbread cookie: No Sugar added

Test 1 Test 2

challenge solution

Control Light

- skimmed milk 47 2 milk powder - 57 sucrose 13.3 - maltodextrin 13

20 hazelnut paste 20 6 cacao powder 6

14 oil - 1 lecithin -

- xanthan 0.2 - aspartam 0.2 - salt 0.3

Light chocolate spread

Lipids15%

Glucides33%

Protein6%

Water 44%

0

500

100

200

300

400

CALORIE

0

500

100

200

300

400

CALORIE

Lipids29,3%

Glucides64,5%

Protein4,5%

Water

Conclusions• Today, there is a growing interest, both among consumers

and public policy makers, in improving the nutritional quality of foods in support of healthy eating.

• Food ingredient manufacturers are active at the forefront

• taking industry initiatives to respond to these trends

• developing strategies to help food manufacturers both to reduce calories and improve liking characteristics of food

• Meeting these demands is not simple. Fats and sugars have numerous taste and technical functionalities. Simply removing fats and sugars is impossible, leaving foods that are not accepted by consumers.

Conclusions

• Ongoing search and research to develop new solutions is a highly complex process and still much in progress

• Address main health concerns

• Resolve application challenges

• Satisfy evolving consumer needs and expectations

• When developing European regulations, decision-makers must fully take account of the technical implications of aspiring to improve the nutritional qualities of food.