Get down to the nitty gritty

Ingredients company Roquette has unveiled plans to develop a functional boiled sweet, which retains a pleasant taste while providing oral care. The crucial ingredient will be the firm’s Maltisorb, a sucrose substitute which is suitable for diabetics due to its low glycaemic index.

The sweet will reduce bacteria in the mouth by cleaning the tongue with gritty Maltisorb crystals. Maltisorb can achieve at least 50% bacteria reduction on the tongue, claims business development executive of confectionery applications, Valerie Barfoot.

Roquette also has ideas about how Nutriose, the firm’s new soluble dietary fibre, could be used in a chewing gum which has long-lasting taste. “Flavour tends to disappear after the initial burst, but we are trying to prolong the flavour with long chain polysaccharides,” says Barfoot.

In November, the firm will display a selection of Maltisorb and Nutriose products at Food Ingredients Europe. The range includes mid-calorie flavoured water, sugar-free biscuits and extended-energy-release bars.

Maltisorb and Nutriose are both ideal for the formulation of slow carbohydrate foods that retain their indulgence, claims Roquette.