BENEO used this year’s ISM Sweets & Snacks trade fair in Cologne, Germany, Jan. 27-30, to showcase and sample the first toffees with its functional carbohydrate, Palatinose™. The new product concept has been created to offer consumers a healthier toffee alternative. Palatinose™ replaces more than 30% of the high glycemic sugars contained in a standard toffee recipe, supporting a lower blood glucose response.

The increasing global focus on healthy nutrition means that more and more consumers are searching for guilt-free indulgence. However, worldwide market research has shown that for many this remains a challenge. For example, one-fourth of US consumers, always or most of the time, feel guilty when snacking. Half of German consumers and nearly two-thirds of consumers in Spain, Poland and France agree that there aren’t enough healthy sweets available 

The team of experts at the BENEO-Technology Center decided to create a healthier toffee to support a lower blood glucose response as alternative to existing toffee products on the market, which can contain up to 65% of high glycemic sugars. 

The toffee and fudge category shows continued growth. The category has increased faster worldwide than the overall confectionery category in the past five years, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.4% compared to 0.9%. This development is expected to continue, demonstrating an opportunity for confectionery producers looking to develop healthier alternatives.

“Traditionally toffees conjure up pure indulgence and nostalgia but at the same time a relatively unhealthy image for consumers,” said Thomas Schmidt, BENEO marketing director. “However, the new toffees with Palatinose™ that BENEO presents at ISM preserve the traditionally creamy-sweet taste and the pleasant bite and mouthfeel of their traditional counterparts but have a significantly better nutritional profile, with a lower blood glucose response. This is BENEO’s answer to growing consumers interest in ‘better carbs’ and their wish to balance blood sugar levels while enjoying an indulgent treat.”

Palatinose™ (isomaltulose) is derived from sugar beet and has similar technological properties as sucrose. With its mild sugar-like taste it allows flavors other than sweetness to dominate, making it well-suited for sweet snacks. Its tooth-friendliness has been accepted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with a corresponding health claim in the Code of Federal Regulations and is an approved health claim within the European Union for being tooth-friendly and lowering blood glucose response. The functional carbohydrate is fully, yet slowly released, and provides glucose in a sustained manner. This ensures that blood sugar levels stay balanced.

For further information on BENEO and its ingredients, please visit: www.beneo.com and www.beneonews.com.

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 1000 people and has production units in Belgium, Chile, Germany and Italy.