“The Tastesense Advanced range of solutions is our answer to this evolving low- and no-sugar space. A portfolio that enables development of nutritionally optimized products with plant-derived ingredients and no sugar added claims.”
Expanding the Tastesense range of sweeteners
Available in kosher, halal, and vegan options, the Tastesense Advanced range are non-GMO taste solutions that feature a blend of stevia, sweeteners with flavor modulation, and proprietary masking ingredients to provide further sugar reduction capabilities over its previous Tastesense Sweet offerings, McGarvey said.
“The range of taste solutions is an easy-to-use, [all-in-one] solution that delivers sweetness intensity that reaches levels more than five brix of sugar, full-bodied mouthfeel, and no off-notes while optimizing the total flavor profile. This new range enables us to deliver minimally an additional 30% of sugar reduction (or an addition of three brix sweetness intensity) compared to our current Tastesense Sweet range.”
While Tastesense Advanced can be used for both food and beverage applications, Kerry is testing how these ingredients can be used for soft drinks, which were areas highlighted in its 2023 proprietary consumer study.
Kerry also conducted a lifecycle analysis with the help of global engineering firm Jacobs to determine that Tastesense Advanced range provides a “reduction in carbon emissions by 30% on average and water usage by 45% on average” over similar ingredients, McGarvey claimed.
Consumers look to cut sugars, as CPG brands look to innovate
The release of the Tastesense Advanced range comes at a time of increased interest in low- and no-sugar food and beverage products from consumers, as CPG brands from PepsiCo to Michelle Obama’s Plezi are investing and innovating around sugar reduction.
In a survey of over 1,000 US consumers, Statista found that 59% of consumers were trying to limit sugar, and 14% were trying to avoid it. And from Kerry’s 2023 consumer study, “55% of global consumers perceive artificial non-nutritive (high-intensity sweeteners) are bad for their health, [and] .... 75% of global consumers prefer naturally perceived sweeteners,” McGarvey said.
“Our research has shown that consumers love the taste of sugar but are looking to reduce their intake for health reasons. They are concerned around the artificial solutions used to replace sugar and are asking for natural ingredients," McGarvey said in the announcement press release. "We understand that taste is a crucial factor in low- and no-sugar products and with Tastesense Advanced, we believe we have provided an excellent solution that will allow manufacturers to create the products consumers want.”