Technology helps manufacturers cut sugar without sacrificing taste
WITH manufacturers facing mounting pressure to reduce sugar content or risk higher production costs under Jamaica’s new sugar tax regime, Caribbean Flavours and Fragrances (CFF) is making efforts to help local companies reformulate products while preserving consumer appeal.
The company hosted a sugar reduction seminar on Wednesday at Derrimon Trading Company’s headquarters in Kingston, where clients and other manufacturers were introduced to ingredient technologies aimed at cutting sugar levels, reducing tax liabilities and keeping products competitively priced on store shelves.
“When they [manufacturers] reduce the amount of sugar that they have in their products, they’re able to put in our technology, and it’s going to give the sweetness, and it’s also going to help to balance out the flavour,” said Rhonde-Gaye McPherson, quality assurance manager at CFF, in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.
“Some of the ingredients that we use actually will help to increase the effectiveness of the flavour that’s already in the product so that at the end of the day our customers will wind up with a lower-sugar product that tastes almost the same or the same.”
COTTERELL…the challenge that most companies have now is to balance how much sugar substitute to put in the product because they know the more sugar substitute they use, the product doesn’t taste as good (Photo: Garfield Robinson)
Jamaica’s new sugar tax, which charges manufacturers 22 cents per gram of sweetening ingredients used in beverages, is creating a strong incentive for companies to reformulate products. The levy applies to added sugars, certain fruit juice concentrates and artificial sweeteners, meaning manufacturers can lower their tax burden by reducing overall sweetener content and incorporating high-intensity sweeteners that deliver the same level of sweetness in smaller quantities. Five entities have so far adopted the technology and have products on the market, according to the company.
During the seminar CFF pointed to the United Kingdom as an example, where sugar taxes have been high for years; some companies cut sugar so aggressively that consumers felt the products tasted worse. As a result, manufacturers faced a challenge: reduce sugar enough to avoid the tax, but not so much that customers abandon the product. CFF argued that a similar approach is needed locally. Its solution goes beyond traditional sweeteners and instead uses what it calls “modulators” — flavour technologies designed to enhance the perception of sweetness on the palate. These modulators allow manufacturers to reduce a beverage’s sugar content while maintaining a sweetness level similar to the original product.
“The challenge that most companies have now is to balance how much sugar substitute to put in the product because they know the more sugar substitute they use, the product doesn’t taste as good,” said Derrick Cotterell, managing director of CFF and executive chairman of Derrimon Trading.
Rhonde-Gaye McPherson, quality and product development manager at Caribbean Flavours and Fragrances, discusses sugar-reduction technologies with Ian Thompson, lecturer at The University of the West Indies, during the company’s sugar reduction seminar held at Derrimon Trading Company’s headquarters on Wednesday. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)
CFF’s modulator technology is designed to bridge that gap by helping manufacturers maintain sweetness and flavour while making more substantial cuts to sugar content. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the technology, CFF’s research and development team distributed tasting samples featuring beverages reformulated with its sugar-reduction solutions alongside their original, higher-sugar counterparts. Based on samples distributed during the seminar, several of the reformulated beverages appeared to maintain sweetness levels comparable to their higher-sugar counterparts despite containing less sugar.
“It’s always good to show the product where you reduce the sugar and you don’t put any modulator or technology in there. And when you do that, you see the difference that the technology makes,” McPherson said. “Because it doesn’t matter how much flavour and other things you have in a product, a Jamaican is just going to tell you ‘this is fresh. This doesn’t taste good’.”
Kimberly Douglas, quality officer at Purity, samples a reformulated beverage. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)
CFF began developing the sugar-reduction technology in 2019 and has since refined it to make it more effective and easier for manufacturers to use. The solution has undergone years of testing to ensure it is safe and complies with local and international regulatory standards while helping manufacturers produce healthier products and lower costs associated with sugar reduction. Addressing concerns about food technology, CFF said its sugar-reduction solution is largely derived from plant extracts that have been extensively tested to enhance the perception of sweetness.
“It’s really based on scientists processing different plant extracts and testing them with the receptors in your mouth, testing them with very large taste surveys to find what will enhance the perception of sweetness,” McPherson explained.
CFF plans to continue promoting the technology through its business development team and by engaging agencies that support SMEs, with the aim of making the solution more accessible to smaller manufacturers.
