The focus at the end of January at the trade fair ProSweets Cologne will be on the reformulation of confectionery and snacks.
Natural and sustainable sweets and snacks are becoming more and more popular. It is a technological challenge for manufacturers to find solutions that reconcile both health-related and taste aspects. They will receive support from the approx. 30 ingredients specialists represented at ProSweets Cologne from 28 to 31 January 2024. With an extensive selection of functional ingredients they set benchmarks in the reformulation process and enable product concepts that excel with their innovative flavours and attractive colours.
Naturalness and health are becoming more decisive when purchasing snacks and sweets. One of the most exciting questions that will be discussed at ProSweets Cologne is thus how the sweet manufacturers succeed in aligning the colour, texture, and taste to satisfy the trends towards a heightened awareness for health.
The gradual reduction of sugar always reaches its limits when the texture or the breakage and biting behaviour suffers as a result. One tries to compensate for this above all using low glycaemic carbohydrates and fibres, which are becoming more and more well-known as partial sugar replacements. For instance, in the case of sugar-reduced fruit gums inulin, a prebiotic fibre obtained from chicory roots, creates a pleasant feeling in the mouth. Short-chain fructooligosaccharides extracted from sugar beet are also mildly sweet, well-soluble and have natural characteristics that have a positive influence on the taste and texture of bakery products or cereals. At the same time they enable fibre enrichment. This improves the nutritional profile and manufacturers can achieve a better rating in nutrition labelling systems.