• New research confirms that when it comes to creating the perfect chocolate bar, reducing the amount of sugar used brings benefits in terms of taste.
• So will manufacturers reduce the amount of sugar they use in making chocolate and how will consumers receive this change?
Reducing the amount of sugar in the chocolate results in a richer, tastier flavor. This is the opinion of researchers from Penn State University, who wanted to address the growing concern of consumers regarding their daily sugar consumption. The research team wanted to find an alternative to sweeteners, as they do not act as a strong enough thickening agent as sugar does and this could lead to consumer dissatisfaction.
The solution proposed by scientists is to replace sugar with a cereal, which contains fine granular starch to stabilize the product and maintain the correct texture expected by the consumer.
The study shows that: "Granular starches, such as glutinous (sweet) rice starch and oat starch, are insoluble in water and, crucially for our use, have particles of a similar size to cocoa starch granules, but with a more neutral; therefore, we felt that they could not be detected too easily when added to chocolate."
Savory taste, low sugar content
The researchers also point out that it's not a reduction in calories, because starch is a carbohydrate, but there is an overall reduction in added sugar content, which has potential health benefits.
The low-sugar chocolate bars, made using oat or rice flour in four different volume variants with 25% or 50% sugar reduction, were a success, and subsequent taste tests collected positive results from the 66 participants. 25% of low-sugar chocolates were rated equal to or even better than regular chocolate.
The approach of scientists from Penn State University in successfully removing part of the sugar from the composition of the chocolate tablet comes to meet the consumer who tries to reduce the intake of added sugars.
The results obtained from the experiments carried out suggest that the amount of sugar added to chocolate can be reduced by 25%, effectively reducing the total sugar by 13,5%, if oat or rice flour is used. At the same time, it was also demonstrated that this addition of flour did not have a significant impact on consumer perception. The study thus offers a new opportunity for manufacturers who want to produce chocolate with a reduced sugar content, which maintains the texture and flavor of the conventional variant.
Why is it important to reduce sugar in our diet?
In addition to the damage sugar can cause to teeth, excessive sugar consumption can cause obesity and diabetes. There is also concern that eating foods high in sugar, such as chocolate and sweets, reduces the intake of more nutritionally balanced foods, leading to an unhealthy diet.
World Health Organization (OMS) recommend that less than 10% of total energy intake should come from sugar, although ideally it should be less than 5% of total energy intake. This equates to about 25 grams per person per day. However, data provided by the WHO indicate that in most countries the contribution of sugar to the total average daily dietary energy intake is higher than recommended, ranging between 9% and 15%. Additionally, children, especially school-age children and young adults, tend to have exceptionally high sugar intake.
Diabetes UK wants to make it clear that not all sugar is the same and needs to be looked at differently. At the same time he adds that "You don't have to eliminate sugar from your diet completely. Sugar is found naturally in fruits, vegetables and dairy products. It's the free sugar we all need to cut back on. And it's not just the obviously sweet stuff like cookies and chocolate. It's the sugar that hides in many foods, such as baked beans, pasta sauces, ketchup, yogurts and ready meals. Some drinks are also full of sugar. Simple changes can dramatically reduce the amount of free sugar in your diet."
What is a "free sugar"?
"Free Sugar" is any sugar that is added to a food or drink. Free sugars are also found in honey, syrup and fruit juice. They are called free because they are not inside the cells of the food we eat.
Many manufacturers in the food industry have already started to reduce the amount of sugar in their products, because the topic of sugar consumption, or rather excessive sugar consumption, has been dominating for some time. Will chocolate manufacturers follow suit?
The answer to that question is that some already have. Brands like Cadbury, with Cadbury Dairy Milk with 30% less sugar and Mars with Snickers Milk Chocolate Low Sugar Protein Bar are just some of the examples on the market as candy manufacturers respond to demand for low-sugar products. And reducing the sugar content of chocolate is an opportunity for manufacturers also due to the rising price of sugar.
Source: "Sugar reduction in chocolate compound by replacement with flours containing small insoluble starch granules", study published online: 23 January 2024. Author: Kai Kai Ma, Gregory R. Ziegler, John E. Hayes.
Article written by Gabriela Dan, Editor of Arta Albă
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