BENEO has announced it will focus on healthier snacks at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Food Expo in Las Vegas.

Taking place from June 25 June to 28 June, visitors to booth #4023 will learn how small bites to eat throughout the day can be made healthier to be in in tune with today’s consumer requirements.

Under its show theme ‘A Better Day with BENEO’, solutions for healthier snacks will be presented that are natural, clean label and respond to current consumer trends. These include sugar replacement, a healthy weight and digestive health, as well as improved energy supply. With a versatile portfolio of ingredients from nature, BENEO helps to improve a snack’s nutritional profile and add proven health benefits.

Research shows that snacks have taken centre stage in consumers’ preferences. Around 90% of consumers eat multiple times a day and 7% say that they forego meals altogether in favour of all-day snacking (Hartman Group, 2013). In addition, every third US consumer experiences fatigue, particularly in the morning and afternoon, and relies on in-between-meals to bridge that energy gap to maintain optimal function during the day (Ipsos Research 2016). Consumers are also concerned about artificial ingredients contained in many food products.

President of BENEO Jon Peters said: “Many US consumers today, particularly millennials, are tending to skip meals completely in favour of snacking all day.

“They are looking for fast and healthy options that contain benefits beyond just basic nutrition to help sustain their busy lifestyles. This means foods that deliver a beneficial impact on weight and energy management as well as digestive health.”

By replacing high glycemic sugars, BENEO’s all natural prebiotic chicory fibre and the slow-release carbohydrate Palatinose™ (isomaltulose) help support a healthier metabolism which effectively supports weight management.

Including chicory root fibre in snack products helps to cut sugar and calories but also adds a valuable source of prebiotic fibre that beneficially influences gut microbiota composition and improves overall well-being. Consumers associate digestive health, regularity and feeling fuller for longer as the main benefits provided by fibre.

For athletes and consumers with busy lifestyles and multiple demands from jobs, households and family lives, BENEO’s Palatinose™ offers characteristics that matter. Palatinose™ is a slow-release carbohydrate that provides full energy in a sustained way and promotes fat burning during physical activity. Its generic name is isomaltulose, which occurs naturally in honey. Palatinose™ itself is derived from non-genetically modified organism (GMO) sugar beet. By replacing high glycemic sugars, it makes snack products such as bakery, cereals, beverages or confectionery healthier.

BENEO’s portfolio of clean label rice starches has proven successful as a texturiser in versatile applications such as bakery, confectionery, dairy, convenience foods, and gluten-free applications. For example, BENEO’s new native rice starch Remypure confirmed its high-performance in products that are processed under demanding conditions, including soups and sauces, fruit preparations or desserts.

Visitors to BENEO’s booth #4023 will enjoy a nutritious low-sugar, high-fibre and protein bar from the US company NuGo Nutrition. NuGo Slim has a low glycemic index of 24, which is one of the lowest tested and published glycemic index of any low sugar or sugar-free protein bar.

Sweetened only with BENEO’s chicory root fibre (no maltitol or artificial sweeteners) and coated in dark chocolate, NuGo Slim helps keep blood sugar steady and supports weight management efforts.