BENEO used the ISM 2017 exhibition in Cologne, Germany, to showcase a new Sweets Collection including its latest innovations in sugar-free hard candies.

The Sweets Collection features BENEO’s unique sugar replacer, ISOMALT, and includes a compilation of state-of-the-art sugar-free hard boiled candies that appeal to all senses with both a stunning visual appearance and great taste. Visitors enjoyed tasting a variety of samples that address the latest consumer trends—including those involving sensory sensation and ethnic appeal.  

Sweets Collection visitor samples included the following sugar-free candies:

•Fruit Veggie Twister (Orange-Carrot-Ginger Candy): This swirl candy includes a perfectly balanced combination of fruity and spicy flavors, tapping into the trend for vegetables in new categories.  According to Innova Market Insights, “the green light for vegetables” started with the rise of smoothies and juices combining fruits and vegetables. Since then, it has moved into dairy applications, such as yogurts; and is set to expand into the candy market with launches of new flavors and a healthy image. 

•Hot-Cool-Booster: This stamped candy-in-candy is characterized by combining two opposite flavors with a thin chili-fruit layer covering the lemon-menthol core. All together, it creates the ultimate sensory experience.  This innovative hot-and-cool flavor combination is the perfect answer for consumers increasingly searching for new taste sensations. 

•Mango Sticky Rice Delight: This side-by-side candy concept is based on a very popular dessert in Asia and has been developed in direct response to the growing demand for “ethnic authenticity” in the market. According to Innova Market Insights, the number of new product launches with an ethnic positioning has nearly doubled in the past four years. As more people travel abroad, consumers, particularly Millennials, are increasingly looking for products with high authenticity and special ingredients to remind them of the exotic flavors enjoyed in holiday destinations such as South-East Asia. 

BENEO’s ISOMALT was present in all of the candies included in the Sweets Collection.  Derived from beet sugar, it has a mild, sugar-like sweet taste, meaning there is plenty of room for other flavors, allowing for completely unique taste combinations to be created. BENEO’s ISOMALT has received EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) health claims for both its low glycemic and tooth-friendly characteristics. Also, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a dental health claim. Both of these new claims open up marketing possibilities for confectionery producers. 

BENEO’s team of experts for application technology (BENEO-Technology Center), as well as for market and consumer insights, are continuously developing innovative ideas to excite and stimulate the market for sugar-free hard boiled candies, or boilings. The company is supporting partners and customers closely throughout the complete product development process. 

Thomas Schmidt, Marketing Director at BENEO, comments: “As a leading ingredient manufacturer, BENEO is committed to delivering high quality ingredients, as well as new inspiration to the market through our innovation concepts.  With our new Sweets Collection, we want to stimulate the worldwide candy market with creative ideas that are in line with current consumers’ trends and at the same time appeal both in terms taste and appearance. Our new concepts will open the door to new and exciting possibilities for our customers, revitalizing this very important market segment.”

For further information on BENEO and its ingredients, please visit: www.beneo.com and www.beneonews.com or follow BENEO on Twitter: @_BENEO or LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/beneo.

BENEO offers functional ingredients derived from chicory roots, beet sugar, rice and wheat. BENEO is the ideal partner to help improve a product in its nutritional and technological characteristics. Key nutritional benefits are ‘less fat’, ‘less sugar’, ‘less calories’, ‘added fibre’, ‘gluten-free’ and dairy alternatives as well as energy management, digestive, bone and dental health. Key technological benefits focus on taste and texture improvements. Through a unique chain of expertise, including the BENEO-Institute that provides decisive insights into nutrition science and legislation, and the BENEO-Technology Center that consults in application technology, BENEO actively supports customers in the development of more balanced and healthy food products.

BENEO is a division of the Südzucker Group, employs almost 900 people and has production units in Belgium, Chile, Germany and Italy.