BENEO, one of the leading manufacturers of functional ingredients, is using ISM 2011 to demonstrate its sugar-free and healthy confectionery concepts. At the 2011 show the company is developing its Sweets Collection tool further by demonstrating a wide range of innovative and creative ideas for sugar-free confectionery as well as tooth-friendly chewy candies and natural replacements for artificial colourings.

Creative candy concepts

ISM 2011 is the perfect opportunity for BENEO to show the wide range opportunities that are available to confectionery producers who use its popular sugar replacer, ISOMALT. New concepts on stand include filled candies that combine chewy and hard candy, as well as ‘green’ candies that support a sustainable approach towards manufacturing.

The Sweets Collection tool demonstrates BENEO’s pioneering approach to the sugar-free confectionery market and proves that new, healthy and tasty concepts are feasible. Alongside ideas for various taste as well as chewy and hard texture combinations, the Sweets Collection also shows what tomorrow’s confectionery may look like with longer taste sensations, low hygroscopicity for improved shelf-life, different shapes and flavour combinations, limited only by the imagination, not the technology.

Sustainable sweets

‘Green’ candies are increasingly popular amongst consumers and confectionery producers alike. With this in mind, green candy concepts on stand at ISM 2011 include ‘Amoretto’, an amaretto-flavoured candy and ‘Cobeca’, a coffee candy. Due to its low hygroscopicity, candies containing ISOMALT require no additional packaging and as a naturally derived ingredient, it further reduces a product’s carbon footprint.

Tooth-friendly chewy candies

Also on stand at ISM 2011 are the first tooth-friendly, yet fully digestible, mint-flavoured, chocolate-filled chewy candies that contain BENEO’s next generation carbohydrate, Palatinose™ (isomaltulose). As the only fully digestible disaccharide on the market to have tooth-friendly credentials, Palatinose offers manufacturers new possibilities in the confectionery field. Tests showed that when added to confectionery products, Palatinose creates a stable, less sticky mass which leads to improved machinability and ultimately finished chewy candies that keep their shape well.

Derived from beet sugar, it is a white, crystalline powder which gives the same energy as sugar and a similar sweetness, but is kind to teeth. Furthermore, it is low glycaemic (GI 32) and provides prolonged energy in the form of glucose for muscles and the brain.

Replacing titanium dioxide

BENEO is also using ISM 2011 to promote its range of native rice starches such as Remy B7, Remy FG and Remyline AX DR, which are used by leading food manufacturers in their products instead of titanium dioxide. BENEO’s rice starch is known for its extreme whiteness and, unlike corn or wheat starch, has no yellowish or greyish shine to it. This makes BENEO’s native rice starches an ideal replacement for titanium dioxide in confectionery applications such as coatings.

Sugar-reduced chocolate

BENEO’s portfolio supports the development of sugar-reduced chocolate. By incorporating Orafti® inulin and ISOMALT into their chocolate creations, manufacturers can develop calorie reduced products that are low in sugar, or that carry a ‘no added sugar’ claim, and are low glycaemic. Furthermore, the use of inulin in a product increases its dietary fibre content and promotes digestive health.

Ingrid Willibald-Ettle, head of customer technical service at BENEO comments: “The show is the perfect platform for us to present our innovative range of sugar-free and healthy confectionery solutions. This year, visitors will be able to view and taste an even wider range of new and healthy confectionery solutions and see the variety of marketable possibilities available when using BENEO’s ISOMALT, Palatinose, native Remy rice starches and Orafti inulin.”

For further information on BENEO and its ingredients, please visit the company’s website.