Understanding the Flavor Modification Properties of Caramelized sugar Ingredients
Plant-based food development is exploding, from meatless to beverages and beyond. Developers are faced with the challenge of masking the off-notes and gritty textures plant proteins leave behind.
The solution to this quandary can be found with using low amounts of caramelized sugars in plant-based development projects. Let’s look at why using caramelized sugar ingredients makes sense.
What’s in a Name?
With caramelized sugar ingredients, the key word to focus on is “caramelized”. That’s because the secret to the flavoring strength of these ingredients is the caramelization of the sugar. Water and sugar, that’s all that goes in to making caramelized sugars and the list of benefits is impressively long.
- Masking properties with off-notes
- Flavor modifications
- Labels as natural flavor
- Cost savings
- Sugar reduction
- Low usage rates
Masking Properties
When caramelized sugars are used in plant-based food and beverage development, you receive the benefits of much improved flavoring and mouthfeel. That’s because the caramelization of the sugar smooths out a food system and essentially negates the off-notes you get with plant proteins. What you’re left with is a brighter more prominent flavor note and cleaner labeling in the end-product.
Cleaner Labels
Caramelized sugars are for flavor modifications, not sweetening. These ingredients are applied at low usage rates (.5-2% on average). So, sugar contribution on a nutrition listing is negligible and caramelized sugar can label under natural flavor or caramelized sugar.
Sugar Reduction
Reduce sugar usage with a sugar? Yes you can. That’s because caramelized sugars are for flavor modifications,, and the caramelization of the sugar can bolster sweet notes. So depending on the end-product you can actually reduce added sugar totals by 25%. Click here to learn more about sugar reduction with caramelized sugar.
Cost Savings
Because of the masking properties with plant-based food and beverages, developers will see a real cost savings. You’re able to lower the usage rate of expensive flavorings and masking agents for off-notes by including caramelized sugars in your formulations.
Summing it all Up
You can’t go wrong including caramelized sugar ingredients in your plant-based development projects. Eliminate plant protein off-notes, reduce sugar usage and realize a cost savings. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain using caramelized sugars. It’s that one ingredient you need, you just may not realize it yet.
THE CARAMELIZED SUGAR EXPERTS 
Published by