The Choice of Ingredients to Produce Healthy Foods
* Lilia Kawazoe
Winning over consumers is the great challenge of the Brazilian food industry, especially at this moment when society is increasingly moving towards the consumption of natural, organic, and vegan foods. According to a Euromonitor International survey released last year, Brazil already ranks fifth worldwide in sales of healthy food and beverages. The study also reveals that 83% of respondents are willing to pay more for foods with these characteristics, while 22% choose to buy natural foods without preservatives and 44% prefer products without artificial colorings.
These data highlight that this sector of the industry must, more than ever, invest in the development of healthy products or at least promote the adaptation of existing product lines. For this, it is necessary to resort to the use of less processed ingredients, therefore richer in vitamins and minerals.
To replace refined sugar, one of the major culprits in this regard, there is the possibility of using Biofrutose, a liquid brown sugar derived from organic farming, recently launched by Concepta Ingredients – a business unit of the Sabará Group specialized in natural and technological solutions for the food, beverage, animal nutrition, and veterinary pharmaceutical industries.
Free from any type of additive and pesticide, Biofrutose is considered a whole sugar because it is not subjected to the conventional refining process. The product, in addition to naturally containing polyphenols and phytosterols, helps preserve the natural minerals of sugarcane, such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron. For the end consumer, the sweetness result is similar but with a fruity touch; however, it is organic, pesticide-free, and less subjected to chemical processes.
When replacing the ingredients of their food products with more natural and less processed options, it is essential that the industry also has another concern: maintaining the flavor of the final products. This is because a survey released by the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp) indicates that when choosing between a healthier food and one with better taste, 61% of respondents admitted to preferring the tastier option. Furthermore, the percentage of Brazilians who consider healthy food very bland is also significant, at 52% in 2017.
Another important factor that can assist the food industry on this journey is the search for ingredients that offer greater ease of handling and utilization. In this regard, once again, Biofrutose is an ally, since besides being able to preserve the natural characteristics of sugarcane and ensure the maintenance of flavor in the final products, it offers the advantage of being a liquid option. This represents greater ease of handling and utilization, as it does not absorb ambient moisture and does not cake during storage as frequently occurs with the dry version, which needs to be processed in mills and other equipment.
“Without a doubt, healthy eating is a trend that is here to stay, and this sector of the industry is attentive to this scenario and in search of ingredients that contribute to this great transformation.
* Lilia Kawazoe is the commercial manager of Concepta Ingredients, a business unit of the Sabará Group dedicated to the development of natural and technological solutions, focusing on the food, beverage, animal nutrition, and veterinary pharmaceutical industries.
