Functional snack prototypes target natural, organic segments

A chocolate hazelnut cereal containing a natural sweetener, and an organic cranberry almond granola bar containing organic glucose syrup are two of the products Cargill plans to reveal at the Natural Products Expo East this week in Baltimore. More and more consumers are demanding healthier or additive free products. A recent Datamonitor report indicates trhat consumers in the US and Europe are looking for food and beverages that cater to more indulgent tastes, while remaining convenient and healthy. "As a global leader in nourishing people, Cargill provides differentiated sweetness solutions with the right nutritional profile to create distinctive value for our customers and provide consumers with choices to meet their health needs and taste expectations,"​ said Marcelo Montero, president of Cargill Sweetness Solutions. The chocolate hazelnut cereal will contain Xtend sucromalt, an already existing natural sweetener developed and commercialised by Cargill. The company claims Xtend is a sustained energy carbohydrate with a lower glycemic response than sugar. Xtend is particularly useful in foods where balanced energy is desired, the company said. The organic cranberry almond granola bar contains whole grain, another ingredient in demand, and is sweetened with organic glucose syrup, which is derived from organically grown wheat and hydrolysed with natural enzymes. The company said its glucose syrups are unique as "they enable developers to manage viscosity, body, mouthfeel, freezing point, texture and sweetness, and have a non-masking flavour and transparent appearance"​. Cargill will also be demonstrating its ingredients in already existing fortified beverages at the expo, with Accelerade sports drinks and Crayons fruit juice. The Accelerade sports drink contains BT-100, a combining trehalose and whey protein isolate. "Trehalose is a multi-functional carbohydrate that provides energy with all the functional benefits of sucrose and about half its sweetness,"​ Cargill said. The Crayons fruit juice drink, aimed at current demand for natural flavourings, uses Cargill's Xerose erythritol ingredient. Zerose erythritol is an all-natural sweetener, free from sugar, calories and aftertaste, that tastes and functions like sugar in beverages, dairy products and confectionery, the company added. The Natural Products Expo East is taking place in Baltimore, US, from 26-29 September.