Not too long ago it was fat that was considered the
healthy eater’s nemesis, now it’s the turn of sugar.
Recent research has outlined the negative health
effects associated with consuming too much sugar,
namely:
obesity,
diabetes,
tooth
decay
and
cardiovascular disease and, as a result, the
government
has
outlined
an
ambitious
sugar
reduction and reformulation programme as part of its
childhood obesity plan being launched by Public
Health England.
Many of us think we are making good food choices by
consuming low fat or other types of ‘healthy’ foods - without realising the sugar content has
been increased to compensate and produce a foodstuff that is actually comparable to the
original ‘unhealthy’ version. Now the UK government has set the target of reducing the sugar
content of foodstuffs generally by 20% by 2020, including a 5% reduction in the first year. The
guideline daily amount for sugars in the UK has dropped to just 30g, which is less sugar than
you’d find in a 330ml can of coke!
Amongst many others, the sweet bakery industry is one sector which is already being
significantly impacted by these new recommendations. Thankfully for cake and other
manufacturers, leading British owned clean label ingredient specialist Ulrick & Short is able to
turn the production of baked goods and breakfast products on its head with its unique sugar
displacement product, avanté.
This innovative ingredient enables manufacturers to reduce sugar by up to 30 per cent in
cakes, snack bars and muffins – amongst other products – with no effect on product quality.
Replacing sweetness is relatively straightforward with the use of artificial sweeteners and
natural sugar substitutes, but replicating the functionality of sugar has always been more
challenging. Here’s a brief overview of why...
The Impact of Sugar
Sugar is a highly functional ingredient. Depending on its application, it will contribute different
and potentially multiple functions. It is this varied and vast functionality which makes sugar
such a challenging yet interesting ingredient to replace.
Volume – Even though it’s missing from every ingredient list, air is a key ingredient for good
cakes!
Creaming the fats and sugar aerates the batter, increasing volume prior to the addition of
baking powder. Due to the high surface tension of the batter the carbon dioxide released by
the baking powder is only able to increase the size of existing bubbles, not produce additional
ones. If there is too much sugar present then the cake will collapse due to the sugar
crystallising in the cake, firstly preventing gluten from forming then creating a heavy top which
makes the cake unable to rise.
Structure - The combination of protein coagulation and starch gelatinisation is what forms
the final structure of the cake sponge, and the rate that this occurs is directly correlated to
the levels of sugar present in the cake.
Colour, flavour and aroma formation - The chemical reaction between reducing sugars and
amino acids, from proteins, is known as the Maillard reaction and it is this which gives colour
and flavour to the cake, as well as releasing aromas. The Maillard reaction only occurs on the
surface of the batter as this is the only part of the cake which reaches a high enough
temperature and dehydrates enough to allow the reaction to occur.
The second reaction which aids colour and flavour formation is caramelisation. This is the
breakdown of complex sugars into simple sugars prior to polymerisation.
Preservation - Due to sugar binding water, the shelf life of the cake can be extended. Sugar
lowers the water activity in the cake by increasing the osmotic pressure: the pressure required
to prevent the water flowing from a high water activity area to a low water activity area. A
higher level of sugar increases osmotic pressure because the sugar is binding the water, which
results in microorganisms being unable to absorb the water they require for growth: effectively,
there is no free water for the bacteria to grow, hence inhibiting microbial growth.
Texture – Sugar acts as a tenderising agent as it absorbs water, delaying protein coagulation
and starch gelatinisation.
So, in addition to being sweet, sugar also increases the starch gelatinisation temperature,
slows down protein coagulation, increases batter volume, provides crust colour, extends shelf
life and improves texture and softness within baked goods.
In short, sugar plays a far more complex functional role than most consumers realise, and
calls for a reduction in sugar levels can only realistically be met by bakery manufacturers
committing to the use of innovative replacement ingredients such as those developed by Ulrick
& Short.
The bakery market in the UK alone is predicted to grow by nine per cent by 20201. Given the
choice, consumers will select products perceived to be lower in sugar as long as they can be
confident that the eating experience will be unaffected. With avanté, up to a third of the sugar
in cakes and muffins can be replaced without losing any functionality - but with the added
benefit of improving the nutritional value of the product; lowering sugar and therefore overall
calories. This improved nutritional profile will in turn help consumers have their cake (and eat
it) yet stay within their recommended GDA limit of 30g.
Ulrick & Short is the leading British-owned starch specialist, supplying household name food
manufacturers across the world with naturally gluten-free non-GM ingredients, and innovating
across a diverse range of food industry sectors including bakery, meat, dairy, soups and
sauces. The company has a team of dedicated sector specialists and food technologists based
in Yorkshire and works hand in hand with customers to maximise value from product
development.
To request a copy of the full White Paper on the Functionality of Sugar in Cakes, simply email
[email protected] with your request, name, title, company and contact details.
For more information visit www.cleanlabelingredients.com
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Innova Market Insights