Fat or sugar?

FAT and sugar have both become threats to consumers in the Middle East and North Africa, and will remain so this year, says Ulrick & Short. The gloomy outlook however is not without hope.

In this region, obesity rates have gone up, and with that the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However the continuing appetite for processed and packaged foods among MENA consumers is not likely going to wane, although on the bright side, consumer demand for better and healthier products is also on the rise.

Ulrick & Short (U&S) believes its market-leading ranges of clean label, non-GM, allergen-free ingredients could be instrumental in tackling issues at food manufacturing and processing level.

Director Adrian Short explained: “Bakery, confectionery and sauces are huge markets in the Middle East, turning out high volumes of cakes and other delicious treats. A number of Asian markets are already considering legislation or at least tighter regulation of the sugar content of certain food and beverage products in order to address growing concerns, highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO), about increasing levels of obesity and diabetes. The ingredients that U&S produces could have a massive impact on diets in the MENA area in the future.”

(Photo: Ulrick & Short)

The Delyte range of functional ingredients from U&S can be actively used to reduce fat in a wide variety of foodstuffs – both sweet and savoury – with no impact on the perception of indulgence. Delyte fat replacers perform better in taste tests than full-fat equivalents. The company has also developed an innovative range of sugar replacement ingredients that can reduce sugar content by up to 30 per cent in cereals, snack bars, cakes and muffins, amongst other products, with no effect on product quality and luxuriance.

“Transparency and clear label are now common terms in Europe but the concept of clean and clear label is still relatively novel in the MENA markets,” said Mr Short. Ulrick & Short has a unique proposition with fat and sugar replacement ingredients, all without additives or chemicals of any type and providing a consumer-friendly label declaration. We are confident enough in our ingredients to reach out to potential new customers and partners, in order to bring significant benefits to the diets of Middle Eastern consumers - and improve the bottom line for food manufacturers across the region.”