Sugar in food products: what if these 4 common foods didn’t contain sugar?

Sugar plays an essential functional role in food production, impacting everything from flavour, colour, mouthfeel and shelf-life to texture, binding, bulk and structure, and is central to our enjoyment of many of the foods we eat. Though sugar free and reduced sugar alternatives have gained popularity among consumers in recent years, they cannot replicate the qualities that plant based, clean label pure sugars provide naturally.

In this blog, we explore what would happen if sugar were removed from four consumer food favourites and why sugar is necessary for these products to function as they should.

Where would breakfast tables be without jam or marmalade, and where would these products be without sugar? If spreads like jams and marmalades did not contain sugar, they wouldn’t only lose their signature sweetness but would also go off more quickly.

A crystalline sugar like white crystalline table sugar is often used in jam and marmalade, but an alternative like demerara sugar may be used for improved flavour and colour. Sugar is a humectant, which means it binds water molecules into its chemical structure through osmosis. This starves microbes, such as moulds and fungi, of the moisture they need to grow. By reducing the potential for microbial growth, shelf life is extended.

In addition to this, the concentrated sugar environment enables the gelation process to take place. During gelation, the mixture is heated, activating the pectin molecules found in fruit. The high sugar concentration draws out the water molecules within the pectin molecules, allowing for the formation of a gel network which creates the thick, spreadable texture we associate with jam and marmalade.

Consumer enjoyment of these products is largely due to sugar’s role in balancing the tartness of the fruit and aiding the preservation and gelation process, a unique functional benefit that artificial sweeteners and reduced sugar alternatives have not managed to replicate.

During fermentation, lactose, a natural sugar present in milk, is turned into lactic acid by bacteria. Lactic acid lowers the pH, causing the proteins to coagulate and form a gel-like structure, which gives yoghurt its creamy texture.

Crystalline sugars are often used in the preparation of fruit purées in flavoured yoghurt to sweeten and stabilise the purée, which helps extend the shelf life of both the puree and yoghurt.

Sugar also aids the gelation process, giving yoghurt the thick, creamy consistency and moist mouthfeel we expect. By contrast, drinkable yoghurts often use liquid sugar to leave a smooth, pourable consistency, making it easier to consume on the go.

In the absence of sugar, yoghurt would have a watery-like texture and lack the rich, full bodied quality consumers would expect. To compensate for a lack of sugar, artificial bulk sweeteners or texturisers may be added, but these ingredients can only do so much in recreating the creamy consistency created by natural sugar.

Without sugar, the freezing process of ice cream is uncontrolled. This results in uneven crystallisation, where water molecules freeze into large crystals, leaving a grainy texture and reduced scoopability. Full invert sugar syrup is typically used to lower the freezing point of ice cream, preventing water molecules from forming these large ice crystals. This slows down the freezing process, helping to create the smooth, scoopable texture and mouthfeel that consumers expect.

Additionally, natural proteins, stabilisers and texturisers in other ingredients, such as cream, milk, yoghurt and egg, work in combination with sugar to influence the final structure and texture of ice cream. The removal of sugar from ice cream would not only impact its flavour, but also create an unappetising, grainy texture rather than the smooth, creamy, indulgent treat consumers desire.

While many traditional bread recipes don’t contain sugar, commercial breads and many artisan baked goods and pastries typically have added sugar to help the product retain moisture and stay fresh. The humectant properties of sugar means that it attracts and holds onto water, preventing bread from drying out too quickly and helping to maintain moisture over time.

Invert sugar syrups are typically used in this application due to their high affinity to water. In speciality breads, cane molasses and crystalline sugars add extra flavour, colour and texture.

The Maillard reaction between reducing sugars and amino acids at high temperatures aids in crust formation and flavour development in bread, resulting in a golden-brown crust and soft, pillowy texture inside. Without sugar, bread would lack structure and become stale more quickly, losing its appealing mouthfeel and becoming less enjoyable for consumers.

Sugar is more than a sweetener; it helps preserve, stabilise, retain moisture, enhance texture and provide structure. These are functional qualities that artificial sweeteners and reduced sugar alternatives can’t match, making sugar an irreplaceable ingredient in many consumer-favourite foods.

For expert guidance on selecting the right pure sugar ingredient for your product formulations that enhance taste, colour, texture and shelf-life, contact our Customer Services Team today. For more sugar insights, explore SUGARTALK or follow Ragus on LinkedIn.