It’s that time of the year again when chocolate confectionery and sugary sweets will be high up on everyone’s shopping lists, as they are synonymous with Christmas. Recent research has also found that three-quarters of consumers in the U.S. think that confectionery is central to their festive traditions.
Now that’s a sugar rush!
But there is a new wave of change – sugar reduction in products and confectioners, driven by the rising awareness of consumers wanting to lead a healthier lifestyle. Popular diets such as plant-based, paleo, and keto have also contributed to changes in consumer’s consumption of this confectionery indulgence.
Smart brands such as Nestle have already jumped on this sugar-reduction trend. In fact, they have gone a step further and invented a new way of making chocolate – without adding sugar!
The chocolate will be made wholly from cacao fruit with white cacao pulp as a natural sweetener. Not many know this, but the cacao pulp, was once partially used and discarded, and it is now being used to create a more sustainable, health-conscious option for consumers. Now that’s called having your cake and eating it too (sugarless, of course!).
In a world of alternatives, some brands have adopted sugar replacers such as stevia, agave, monk fruit extracts, honey, and even date paste in their products.
But there is one more sugar replacer lurking in the dark – Synsepalum dulcificum (say it one more time, and it will sound like a spell from Harry Potter!) – also known as the miracle fruit or miracle berry.
But growing the miracle fruit is extremely difficult outside of its natural environment, and its scarcity compared with high demand would likely make it too expensive for the average consumer.
However, scientists are conducting research on its production and on recognizing it safe for use. But until then, miraculin will remain restricted in its usage in niche food and beverages.
Now, if you are wondering if you could see an example of the products and brands that have used these sugar replacers in their product, Spoonshot’s AI platform can do that for you.
One of the brands that use – monk fruit and tapioca powder (both ingredients share a high novelty and flavor) in their bars is Evo Hemp Cherry Walnut Hemp Bars.
Another brand that uses date paste and camu camu powder (high novelty) in their snack products are Navitas Organics Power Snacks Coffee Cacao.
Now, this is just the tip of the iceberg, you can explore more such products, menus and recipes and get new product ideas from our technology platform.
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