Making bakery better: Synergy exec details strategies to reduce calories without compromising on taste
09 Sep 2021 --- With more choice in the bakery sector than ever before and a spotlight on health and well-being, pressure is building to reduce the calorie content of baked goods. In line with this, Synergy Flavours is tapping the demand of making bakery “better.”
Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, Natalie Sheil, category manager at Synergy, explains how reformulating baked goods to create calorie and fat-reduced products comes with a set of challenges.
“Sugars and fats are key ingredients in bakery products, and removing or reducing these ingredients can affect the flavor and texture of the product, as well as reduce the shelf life and visual appeal.”
Sugar and fat are key ingredients in many baked goods, including cakes, pastries and biscuits. For manufacturers to successfully create calorie-reduced bakery products, it is essential that they understand the sensory attributes of reformulated products to “bridge the gap” with flavor and texture enhancing solutions, she emphasizes.
Reformulation top of mind
According to Sheil, there are a few factors responsible for the increased demand for reformulated products.
“Government initiatives such as the ‘Better Health’ campaign in the UK encourages consumers to lose weight, while the British government also places responsibility on the food industry to reduce the calorie content of unhealthy food products over the next five years.”
A further incentive is set to come from the UK government later next year, as it plans to limit the promotion of foods high in fat, sugar and salt by using a points-based system.
“These new rules will likely encourage many manufacturers in the bakery industry to reformulate recipes to reduce sugar and fat, particularly if they are reliant on promotions in store,” adds Sheil.
There is also consumer understanding of labels to consider, she highlights.
“Consumers are more aware of ingredient lists than ever before, and with some consumers opting for products showcasing low sugar/salt/fat claims, there’s an opportunity here for manufacturers to create products to suit this audience.”
Indulgence trending
While indulgent food and beverage products provided comfort to many during the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, research has indicated that eating unhealthily and putting on weight are concerns for European consumers due to the COVID-19 outbreak, reveals Sheil.
“With the pandemic exacerbating consumer concerns relating to the impact of diet on health, there is also room for manufacturers to appeal to conscious consumers with products that can offer a natural health ‘halo,’ both through reformulated products with reduced calorie/fat content, or clean label
It is vital that manufacturers understand the sensory attributes of reformulated products, says Synergy. ingredients.”
It is a task which, according to Sheil, is easier said than done, with some of the key ingredients used in bakery – including butter, sugar and cream – also contributing significantly to the overall fat and calorie content of these products.
She affirms that this is made more difficult as many consumers will not compromise on taste when eating indulgent foods.
Delivering functionality and flavor
Sugar and fat are key ingredients in many baked goods, including cakes, pastries and biscuits, contributing sweet taste and influencing flavor perception. They have several critical functional properties.
Reducing sugar can significantly impact sweetness, caramelization and flavor impact while reducing fat content can affect the texture, structure and mouthfeel.
Other factors to consider are a reduction in shelf life of products and reduced visual appeal.
Bridging the gap
Each product matrix is different, and it is crucial to understand the sensory profile of reformulated products to develop a solution that can bridge the gap.
Having a deep understanding of sensory attributes can allow bakers to make significant changes to recipes to reduce sugar, fat and calories in one go without compromising the taste and maximizing the product’s appeal.
Producing better-for-you baked goods that taste satisfying can be achieved via three key strategies, says Sheil.
“One is to reformulate products to reduce fat and sugar while maintaining taste, using, for example, advanced flavor solutions,” she explains. “Another is to extend ranges to offer alternative products with less sweet ingredients or flavors, like citrus, botanical and floral flavors.”
“Alternatively, manufacturers could extend ranges to offer alternative products that contain additional well-known ‘healthy’ ingredients, such as whole grains, fiber, nuts and seeds.”
Achieving 40% fat reduction in muffins 
Consumers are more aware of ingredient lists than ever before.
Understanding the complexities of fat and sugar within bakery recipes starts with a sensory analysis of full-calorie and reduced-calorie products.
In this regard, Synergy recently launched a unique flavor-based ingredient that enables significant reductions in fat and calories in a range of baked goods, including muffins, cakes, cookies, biscuits and morning goods.
This all-natural and “next-generation” ingredient combines flavor technology, functionality and mouthfeel to replicate the taste and texture typical of baked goods but within reduced-calorie recipes.
The solution was trialed in a standard plain muffin recipe and presented to a panel of tasters for group descriptive sensory analysis.
Each panelist was given three samples of muffins to taste and score based on a number of typical sensory attributes.
Results showed a significant improvement in indulgence, sweetness, creamy mouthfeel and overall aroma when the solution was added to a reduced-fat muffin recipe. There was a 37 percent fat reduction, 22 percent saturated fat reduction, and 14 percent fewer calories in the reduced-fat muffin.
Further sensory analysis revealed “no significant difference in liking” between the full-fat muffin and a reduced-fat muffin with the Synergy solution.
By Elizabeth Green
