According to findings published in LWT - Food Science and Technology, 30 per cent replacement of sucrose with arabinoxylan oligosaccharides could produce cookies similar to traditional types in terms of diameter, height and colour.
Furthermore, at such a level of incorporation (about 10 grams per 100 grams of cookies) the ingredient may be sufficient to produce a potential prebiotic effect in consumers, suggest researchers from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and Fugeia NV.
“This level, at a daily consumption of about 27.5 g of cookies per day, which is even lower than the current average consumption of cookies per capita per year (10 kg vs. 14 kg, respectively) in the Benelux, shows the potential of contributing health-beneficial effects,” wrote the researchers.
The study used arabinoxylan oligosaccharides (Brana Vita 200) from wheat bran that is being developed by Fugeia. The Belgian company has been analysing the nutritional properties of natural wheat bran fibres for several years, and conducted clinical studies indicating gut health and other benefits.
In 2008 UK-based ingredients giant Tate & Lyle dipped into its independent €30+m venture capital fund to the tune of €3.5m to partner with Fugeia to research the gut health and antioxidant properties of bran fibres.
The prebiotic market
The prebiotic fibre market is dominated in Europe by three players: Belgian companies Beneo-Orafti and Cosucra and Sensus which is based in the Netherlands.
Beneo-Orafti is by far the biggest player and the development of robust science has been an integral part of its business strategy since the prebiotic fibre market began to explode in the 1990s.
Fugeia has been pursuing a similar strategy, and T&L's involvement was heralded as a significant boost given Fugeia’s size at the time of the announcement. The deal also involves academic institutions.
Others involved are the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (K.U. Leuven), whose own Gemma Frisius Fund has co-invested, along with the University College Sint-Lieven (KaHo Sint-Lieven).
Study details
Scientists from K.U. Leuven and Fugeia collaborated for the new study. Sugar-snap cookies were formulated by substituting the arabinoxylan oligosaccharides for either flour or the sucrose at various levels, the resulting cookie quality analysed.
Results showed that flour substitution was not a viable option, and produced “unacceptable products”. However, replacing up to 30 percent of sugar produce cookies with “comparable diameter and height and only a slightly darker colour than had control cookies”, said the Belgium-based formulators.
“This shows that incorporation of wheat bran extract arabinoxylan oligosaccharides in a cookie recipe, with the necessary process optimization, may not only provide prebiotic dietary fibre in such products but, by its potential as a sucrose replacer, also decrease the formula sucrose level, yielding products that are healthier from both points of view,” concluded the researchers.
Market sizes
Market analyst AC Nielsen estimates the European digestive health market is worth about €2.2bn.
T&L Ventures received a share of Fugeia's equity in return for its investment although it would not disclose the detail of the deal.
Source: LWT - Food Science and Technology
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.lwt.2010.11.008
“Arabinoxylan oligosaccharides (AXOS) as a potential sucrose replacer in sugar-snap cookies”
Authors: B. Pareyt, M. Goovaerts, W.F. Broekaert, J.A. Delcour