Opportunities for Stevia formulations in sugar confectionery
SWEET TEC, a conference that will take place on 11 and 12 October in Solingen, Germany, will address trends and innovations in the sugar confectionery market. In his presentation, WILD expert Stefan Krense, head of Application Confectionery, will focus on Stevia: on opportunities, challenges and fields of applications of the natural sweetener in sugar confectionery.
Stevia is on everybody’s lips – particularly since the EC-Commission has presented a working document upon the EU-approval of steviol glycosides at the beginning of July 2011. WILD is expecting official approval by the end of this year. The ingredients specialist is ready to provide European customers and consumers with the benefits of this all natural sweetener and great-tasting optimization blends for numerous food applications.
Focus on Stevia in hard candies, chewing gum and Co.
Stefan Krense, head of Application Confectionery, will discuss the specific use of Stevia in sugar confectionery at the SWEET TEC 2011. Focus is on the multifaceted product options as well as technical challenges and projected legal requirements when developing Stevia sweetened sugar confectionery.
Product development continuously faced new challenges, as the originally applied maximum dosage levels have been reduced consistently for reasons of product safety. Currently, it is planned that hard candies can contain up to 350 mg steviol glycosides per kg product, expressed as steviol equivalents. As for chewing
gum, 3300 mg steviol glycosides per kg product – expressed as steviol equivalents – shall be permissible.
For chocolate, a maximum dosage of 270mg steviol glycosides per kg product, expressed as steviol equivalents, is projected.
The sensory challenges of the application of Stevia are part of Stefan Krense’s presentation as well. He will present to the conference participants the range of natural “Taste Optimizing Solutions” that WILD has developed using a trained sensory panel. These systems address mouthfeel, masking, sweet enhancement,
and blocking of bitterness, thus rounding out and improving the taste profile of products containing Stevia.
WILD is convinced that the sensory quality of Stevia in foods will be crucial for consumer acceptance, and supports confectionery producers with broad application know-how.
About SWEET TEC
SWEET TEC will take place on 11 and 12 October 2011 in Solingen, Germany. The international seminar will address trends in the sugar confectionery market, product novelties and new technologies and raw materials. The presentations are related to various key categories, such as “trends”, “sensory perception”,
and “new technologies”. Under the category “sweeteners supplied by nature”, Stefan Krense, Rudolf Wild GmbH & Co. KG, discusses on October 11 “Technical challenges and limits for the application of Stevia in sugar confectionery”.
First time in Europe the ZDS will present a representative exhibition of Stevia sweetened products.
SWEET TEC mainly addresses to the sugar confectionery business and suppliers of the confectionery industry, specifically R&D staff, QM associates and production managers. All presentations are simultaneously translated in German and English.
The confectionery congress by professionals for professionals
In its practical courses, the ZDS as ‘the confectionery academy’ has always guaranteed practice-oriented training. And in programming its international congresses too, the ZDS regards this as a guiding principle. So it is only logical that the organising committees of these events should comprise senior staff from famous companies who – together with the ZDS – ensure that the congress programmes are arranged ‘by professionals for professionals’.
Which, of course, is also the case with this year’s sugar confectionery congress SWEET-TEC, to take place on 11 - 12 October in Solingen. The composition of the congress committee reads almost like a who’s who of the confectionery industry. Apart from Kurt Rosenplenter (Nordzucker) as chairman of the team, the companies Storck, Mederer, Procter & Gamble, GlaxoSmithKline, Katjes, Ricola, Klöckner-Hänsel, Chocotec, Wild, Curt Georgi and Nutrinova are represented in this body by senior members of staff.
So it’s no wonder that this year too, an attractive congress programme is being offered in Solingen. Apart from general trends and news from the confectionery sector, there will also be a good look at new technical developments in this ‘INTERPACK year’.
A main emphasis of the congress will be stevia – the natural sweetener. As well as getting a thoroughly critical examination of this substance, congress participants will also have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with existing stevia products by means of a product exhibition.
In addition, the abiding topics of energy saving and efficiency of production are naturally on the agenda too, as is a highly topical examination of the commodity market for sugar.
The current congress programme and application documents for the congress are to be found on the ZDS website at www.zds-solingen.de.
The Congress Organizing Committee
When a congress claims to provide “practical experience for people working in practice”, it needs the backup from our seminar team. Every major event, and this certainly applies to THE BISCUITS & SNACK SYMPOSIUM is supported by an organizing committee comprised of high-caliber staff of renowned companies. If you want to find out who will contribute to the success of the congress, here is the link to the committee.
