Healthier alternatives in fine bakery products

TODAY'S consumers are more aware than ever before of the benefits of a healthy diet and regular exercise, and how they contribute to a better quality of life and well-being. With obesity on the rise worldwide, and the increased incidence of diabetes at all ages, weight-conscious consumers are seeking food products with less calories, reduced sugar, less fat and lower glycaemic response. At Danisco, we are striving to take health and nutrition to the next level through our portfolio of innovative ingredients that offer specific physiological benefits in the areas of gut health, weight management and oral health. As an example of these application development efforts, we have created a range of bakery concept samples that contain no added sugars or high intensity sweeteners. Bulking agents In general, bulking agents provide body and texture to the final product and are usually low in sweetness and low in calories. One example of a commonly used bulking agent is polydextrose, which is a polysaccharide composed of randomly cross-linked glucose molecules with all types of glycosidic bonds (although 1,6 bonds predominate) containing minor amounts of bound sorbitol and acid. Since commercialisation in the early 1980s, polydextrose has demonstrated its versatility as both a sugar and partial fat replacer in many foods. Caloric reduction occurs because it has an energy value of 1 kcal/g compared with fat at 9 kcal/g and sugar at 4 kcal/g. Polydextrose, such as Litesse from Danisco, is digested in the same way as dietary fibre, and is only partially fermented by the intestinal micro-organisms, producing volatile fatty acids that are absorbed and utilised. The dietary fibre and prebiotic qualities of polydextrose are considered beneficial in many countries, including the USA and Japan where it has been used as a source of dietary fibre for many years. Sugar alcohols Sugar alcohols, or polyols, are produced by the catalytic hydrogenation of their corresponding saccharide. For example, lactitol is produced from lactose, and xylitol from xylose. Many can be found in nature in plants and fruits, although extraction from these sources is typically not economically viable. The hydrogenation process greatly modifies the physical- chemical properties of the sugar alcohol compared to that of the corresponding precursor sugar. The hydrogenated nature of the sugar alcohols causes them to be less prone to microbiological fermentation and more difficult for mammals to digest and absorb. It is for this reason that sugar alcohols have a reduced calorific value, can be used in low glycaemic products and are suitable for diabetics. Xylitol, with a relative glycaemic response of 8, is available in either crystalline or milled. Xylitol has a sweetness profile very similar to that of sucrose and can be used in a wide variety of sweetening applications. In many bakery products for example, xylitol can simply be used to substitute the sugar, weight for weight. In cakes, crystalline xylitol formulates and processes in exactly the same way as sucrose. Due to similar viscosity at low to moderate concentrations, similar batters can be developed, thus producing cakes with good textural and visual qualities as well as added nutritional claims. Healthy concepts The following concept samples were developed with the health-conscious consumer in mind, and consisted of a no-added-sugar orange cream biscuit, no-added-sugar oat flapjack bar, and a no- added-sugar pound cake where all of the added sugars were replaced with combinations of polyols and polydextrose for optimum flavour and textures. Possible claims and/or positioning**

Low sugars With no added sugar NAdidas Fotballsko