BENEO Develops Toothfriendly Confectionery Concepts for Children

02 Feb 2015 --- As a leader in functional ingredients, BENEO used ISM 2015 to present its range of toothfriendly children’s confectionery product concepts. At the show, BENEO will be showcasing on stand bubble gum and chocolate lentil concepts that have successfully undergone scientific testing with plaque pH telemetry. Both products are toothfriendly and fully digestible due to the inclusion of BENEO’s carbohydrate, Palatinose, which completely replaces sucrose in the formulation.

The non-cariogenic benefits of Palatinose have received EFSA 13.1 and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) health claim approvals. Being the only toothfriendly, low glycaemic and fully digestible carbohydrate, Palatinose is ideal for food producers looking to explore new avenues in children’s confectionery. This is an area where standard sugar-free formulations are less desired, because children are particularly in need of balanced carbohydrate energy. The concepts at ISM 2015 have been clinically tested using plaque pH-telemetry , which is the worldwide established method of testing toothfriendliness.

The bubble gum concept at ISM 2015 has a pleasant banana flavour and can be produced using existing bubble gum technology. Its reduced stickiness facilitates processing and cleaning and offers high form stability to manufacturers. The added benefits of incorporating Palatinose in BENEO’s chocolate lentil concepts are a smooth coating and a pleasant crunch, while the core provides a similar mouthfeel and taste to conventional chocolate.

All of this, combined with the low glycaemic properties and sugar-like sweet taste of Palatinose™ enriched products, delivers the potential to innovate for confectionery manufacturers looking for nutritional and technical benefits, without sacrificing taste.

Katja Reichenbach, Product Manager Palatinose, BENEO commented: “According to the World Health Organisation, more than 60 percent of school children worldwide suffer from dental cavities. This figure shows the urgent need for confectioners to offer innovative solutions for sweet-toothed youngsters. We are pleased to present our toothfriendly tested bubble gums and chocolate lentils with Palatinose. The positive results of the pH-telemetry show once again that Palatinose is the ingredient of choice when it comes to toothfriendly confectionery – especially for children.”