New launch delivers higher flexibility for manufacturers to meet high consumer interest in sugar-reduced products

BENEO, one of the leading manufacturers of functional ingredients, has announced the expansion of its ingredient solutions portfolio with the launch of Beneo-scL85, a short-chain fructooligosaccharide (scFOS). The new variant offers customers greater versatility for sugar replacement and enrichment of foods with dietary fibre.

Sugar reduction has become an important area of focus for consumers, with new figures showing that globally, more than 1 in 2 consumers (57%) state that “low in sugar” claims influence their purchasing decisions.^[i] Through the addition of scFOS to its portfolio, BENEO opens the door for more customers to serve this trend through new product development or re-formulation. Expanding the range of ingredients with Beneo-scL85 means that manufacturers have more variety and increased potential to offer products with less sugar to meet the high demand.

scFOS is a fibre derived from beet sugar that offers a mild sweet taste, good solubility, and natural credentials that can contribute to improved taste and texture, as well as possibilities for bulking, in applications such as bakery, dairy, and cereals. Produced in Germany in a dedicated production facility, the new ingredient is available for BENEO’s customers globally to buy now as syrup.

Using scFOS means replacing sugar while adding dietary fibre. This, in turn, improves the nutritional profile of a product, allowing manufacturers to achieve a better score for front-of-pack nutrition labelling systems worldwide, e.g., NutriScore in Europe.

Eric Neven, Commercial Managing Director for BENEO’s Functional Fibres, comments: “Short-chain fructooligosaccharide from beet sugar is a valuable addition to BENEO’s portfolio because it increases flexibility and availability for our customers. In combination with the increased production capacity of our chicory root fibre production plant in Chile, BENEO’s short-chain fructoligosaccharide will further secure supply to meet the high demand for solutions to reduce sugar.”

 For further information on BENEO and its ingredient solutions, please visit: www.beneo.com and www.beneo.com/news or follow BENEO on Twitter: @_BENEO or LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/beneo.

BENEO has long-term experience in developing and producing plant-based functional ingredients from natural sources for the food, feed, and pharmaceutical industries. By supporting health and optimising taste and texture, they help improve the nutritional and technical properties of a wide variety of products.

Through a unique chain of expertise, BENEO offers customers advice and inspiration on new product ideas that support a healthy lifestyle in a holistic way. This includes the BENEO-Institute that provides decisive insights into nutrition science and legislation, and the BENEO-Technology Center that consults in application technology.

Formed in 2007, BENEO is active in over 80 countries, employs more than 1,000 people, and has six state-of-the-art production sites in Belgium, Chile, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands that deliver high-quality ingredients at all times.

^[i] FMCG Gurus Global Clean Label & Naturalness Surveys 2023