Patric Food & Beverage Development

Food Scientist with a Chef's Palate

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Sugar Reduction Is Easy to Promise and Hard to Execute

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Sugar reduction sounds straightforward from a distance. Consumers want less sugar. Retailers want products that align with evolving health expectations. Brands want to stay relevant without losing product quality or repeat purchase. On paper, the direction seems obvious. In practice, sugar reduction is one of the fastest ways to discover how much work sugar was doing in a formula long before anyone noticed.

Consumer interest is still real. IFIC’s 2025 Food & Health Survey reported that 75% of Americans were trying to limit or avoid sugar, and among those respondents, 63% said they were focused specifically on added sugars.

That matters because most sugar-reduction conversations begin as a nutrition or marketing objective, but they quickly become a formulation, process, and commercialization problem. Sugar is not just sweetness. In many products, it contributes solids, bulk, browning behavior, moisture management, freezing point effects, and overall product performance. Current industry coverage also reflects how formulators are using sugar-related ingredients for functions tied to texture and stability, not just sweetness.

Why sugar reduction projects stall

A lot of brands assume the main challenge is finding the right sweetener system. Sometimes that is part of it, but it is rarely the whole story.

The harder problem is that once sucrose comes down, the rest of the formula tends to reveal its dependencies. Texture can drift. Mouthfeel can thin out. Flavor may become less rounded or less forgiving. Shelf life may tighten. A product that seemed stable in the original system can become noticeably more fragile after even a modest reduction.

For many brands, sugar reduction is no longer just a labeling or positioning exercise. It quickly becomes a product-performance question involving texture, shelf life, flavor balance, and process stability. Trade coverage in 2026 has focused heavily on that issue, especially in applications where formulators are trying to preserve eating quality after reducing sugar.

Sugar does more than make products sweet

This is where many otherwise sensible projects start to lose time and money.

In baked goods, sugar can influence tenderness, spread, browning, and water activity. In frozen applications, it can affect scoopability and ice crystal behavior. In beverages, reducing sugar can affect more than sweetness alone. Depending on the application, it may also change perceived body and the balance of acids, bitterness, or other strong flavor notes.

That is also why sugar reduction is rarely a one-ingredient substitution exercise. Teams may need to rethink sweetener blends, bulking systems, fibers, hydrocolloids, flavor modulation, and process parameters at the same time. Sometimes the best answer is not a dramatic reduction. Sometimes it is a smaller improvement that protects quality and margin while still moving the formula in the right direction.

The tradeoffs are usually category-specific

There is no universal sugar-reduction playbook because the functional role of sugar depends heavily on the product.

In bakery and snacks, reduced sugar can show up quickly as dryness, firmness, or faster staling. In those categories, texture is often central to repeat purchase, which raises the stakes for any reformulation that compromises it. Recent industry reporting on bakery and snack development has emphasized just how commercially important texture has become.

In beverages, the challenge is often less about structure and more about taste architecture. A reduced-sugar drink may still hit its target sweetness, but feel hollow, sharp, or unfinished. In products with functional ingredients, proteins, botanicals, caffeine, or minerals, sugar reduction can also expose bitterness or metallic notes that were previously moderated. That can push teams into a more complex balancing act involving masking, acid adjustment, and flavor design rather than sweetness replacement alone.

In frozen and dairy-adjacent products, teams may be dealing with body, stability, and freeze-thaw performance at the same time. In confectionery, crystallization behavior and texture consistency can become major constraints. The point is not that sugar reduction is impossible. It is that every category has its own failure modes, and many of them do not become obvious until bench success meets real shelf life or production conditions.

What brands often underestimate

One common mistake is treating sugar reduction as a claim-first project.

If the commercial goal is simply to say less sugar on pack, teams can end up optimizing for the label while weakening the product itself. That is risky in a market where consumers still care deeply about taste and where ingredient and sweetener perceptions can shape purchase behavior. IFIC’s consumer research indicates that brands face pressure to reduce sugar without creating ingredient statements, taste profiles, or sweetener choices that consumers find confusing or unappealing.

Another mistake is assuming a sugar-reduction project will stay confined to sweetness. In practice, the work often spreads into texture, shelf life, cost, sourcing, and process performance. That is why the easiest-looking projects can become the most expensive if the team does not define its technical priorities early.

A better way to evaluate a sugar reduction project

Before starting a full development sprint, it helps to ask a more disciplined set of questions.

What is sugar doing in this formula beyond sweetness?

Which product attributes are non-negotiable for the consumer experience?

How much reduction is realistically possible before quality or process performance starts to erode?

What will the revised system do to cost, ingredient statement complexity, and supply-chain flexibility?

And perhaps most importantly, does the commercial upside justify the technical disruption?

Those are not abstract R&D questions. They are business questions. A successful sugar-reduction project has to survive sensory review, process reality, shelf life, sourcing, and margin pressure, not just a nutrition panel conversation.

The broader public-health context is still clear. FDA states that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting calories from added sugars to less than 10% of total calories per day, and the Nutrition Facts Daily Value for added sugars is 50 grams based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Sugar reduction is worth pursuing, but not casually

There is still real opportunity here. Consumers continue to care. Brands continue to pursue better nutritional positioning. And many products genuinely can be improved.

But sugar reduction works best when it is approached as a full product-development problem rather than a quick response to market pressure. The strongest projects are usually the ones that begin with technical honesty: understanding what sugar is doing now, deciding what absolutely must be preserved, and building a replacement strategy around how the product needs to behave in the real world.

If your team is evaluating a sugar-reduction initiative, we can help you identify the functional role sugar is playing in your formula, pressure-test the likely tradeoffs, and determine whether there is a practical path to a lower-sugar product that still performs the way it needs to.

Cow’s Milk Is Making a Comeback (and Ultrafiltered Milk Is Part of the Story)

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For years, the story around milk felt settled. Traditional cow’s milk was in decline, plant-based alternatives were on the rise, and consumer preferences seemed to be shifting permanently.

But lately, the numbers are telling a different story. Across the U.S., cow-based milk is showing signs of a measurable comeback, and it is happening at the same time ultrafiltered milk is becoming a more visible, more discussed, and more deliberately purchased category. Taken together, these trends suggest something bigger than a passing moment. Consumers are re-evaluating what they want from “milk,” and dairy is responding with products that fit modern priorities.

Dairy Milk Sales Are Rising Again

After decades of decline, dairy milk has started gaining ground again in recent reporting. According to NielsenIQ data referenced by multiple industry outlets, U.S. dairy milk sales rose about 2% in 2024, while whole milk sales rose roughly 3.2%. That matters because it is not a tiny fluctuation. It is part of a broader pattern of stabilization and growth that runs directly against what the industry expected for years.

At the same time, several market reports have pointed out that plant-based milk sales have softened. In some cases, the category has posted multiple years of unit declines even as it remains a major segment overall. This is not the end of plant-based milk, but it is a shift in momentum.

Why Consumers Are Coming Back to Cow’s Milk

So what is driving the return?

Protein has become one of the biggest consumer priorities

Protein is one of the most dominant nutrition trends in the U.S. right now, and milk has a built-in advantage. It is familiar, widely trusted, and naturally contains a meaningful amount of complete protein without requiring special formulation.

Plant-based milks can compete here, but many mainstream products still contain little protein unless they are designed specifically for that purpose. When they are, they often come with higher price points and more complex ingredient decks. For many consumers, cow’s milk feels like the simplest answer.

Price is playing a larger role in everyday purchasing

Food inflation has changed shopping behavior across nearly every category. And when consumers start comparing value, dairy often wins.

Multiple retail and grocery industry analyses have noted that conventional cow’s milk is typically more affordable than many plant-based alternatives, especially in the premium plant-based segment. For consumers trying to manage grocery spend without giving up nutrition, dairy milk is an easy staple to return to.

Whole milk’s growth reflects changing nutrition attitudes

One of the most interesting details in the “dairy comeback” story is that whole milk is leading the growth.

According to NielsenIQ data cited in 2024 dairy trend coverage, whole milk sales rose around 3.2%. That aligns with a broader shift away from the low-fat era. Many consumers now associate whole milk with satiety, taste, and being less “diet culture” than skim or heavily modified products. In other words, milk is not just being re-adopted. It is being re-adopted in its most traditional form.

Taste and performance still matter

Plant-based milks have improved dramatically, but cow’s milk still has unmatched everyday versatility.

Consumers continue to choose dairy milk because it foams reliably, performs well in coffee, behaves predictably in cooking and baking, and has a neutral flavor profile that works in a wider range of applications. Sometimes the simplest explanation is still the right one. People like how milk works.

Ultrafiltered Milk: Not a Niche Anymore

While conventional milk is regaining ground, ultrafiltered milk is rising for a different reason.

Ultrafiltered milk is produced using membrane filtration, which concentrates protein while removing some water and lactose. The result is a milk that is typically higher in protein and lower in sugar than conventional milk, and often lactose-free or lactose-reduced depending on the brand and process.

This category has moved from specialty shelves into the mainstream. Brands like Fairlife helped establish consumer awareness, but the bigger story is what is happening behind the scenes.

According to Dairy Foods reporting, processors and cooperatives have been expanding ultrafiltered milk production capacity, including facility expansions specifically designed to increase UF output. That kind of investment usually reflects sustained demand, not a short-lived trend.

Why Consumers Are Paying Attention to Ultrafiltered Milk

Ultrafiltered milk is appealing because it fits several modern consumer priorities at once.

Higher protein without changing habits

Consumers do not need to learn a new product category. They can keep buying “milk,” but get a higher-protein version of it. That matters in a market where consumers want functional nutrition but still crave familiarity.

Lower sugar and lactose-friendly options

Ultrafiltered milk is often positioned as lower sugar and easier to digest. For consumers who are lactose sensitive, UF milk can feel like a more natural and satisfying alternative than lactose-free conventional milk, even though both can serve similar needs.

Premium positioning that consumers are willing to pay for

Ultrafiltered milk usually costs more than conventional milk. But it is priced like a functional product, not a commodity. With so many consumers buy protein bars, electrolyte drinks, and functional snacks without hesitation, ultrafiltered milk fits neatly into the same mindset.

The Bigger Shift: Milk Is Becoming a Functional Beverage

If you zoom out, it’s not just “dairy versus plant-based.” It is a shift in how consumers think about milk in general. Milk is no longer treated like a default grocery item. It is being evaluated like a performance product. Consumers are increasingly asking:

  • How much protein does it have?
  • How much sugar is in it?
  • Is it lactose-free?
  • Does it foam well?
  • Does it taste clean?
  • Is it worth the price?

Cow’s milk is regaining ground because it checks more of these boxes than people expected, especially when nutrition, cost, and versatility are weighed together. Ultrafiltered milk is growing because it offers an upgraded version of dairy that feels aligned with modern health and wellness priorities.

What This Means for Brands and Product Developers

From a product development and commercialization standpoint, this is an important moment. Dairy is no longer competing on tradition alone. It is competing through:

  • functional nutrition (protein-forward, lactose-friendly, lower sugar)
  • processing innovation (ultrafiltration and improved performance)
  • premiumization (higher price points justified by clear benefits)
  • sensory performance (taste, texture, and usability)

At the same time, plant-based milk is not standing still. Plant-based brands are responding with better taste, better texture, and more protein-forward formulas. This is not a winner-take-all market. It is a market where consumers are assigning different milks to different roles, and cow’s milk is reclaiming roles it was expected to lose.

The Bottom Line

Cow-based milk is not just surviving. It is gaining measurable momentum again. And ultrafiltered milk is not a passing fad. It is part of a broader consumer shift toward milk products that deliver more protein, less sugar, and better functionality, without requiring people to abandon familiar habits.

Milk is no longer a default purchase. It is a decision. And the brands that win will be the ones that make that decision feel obvious.

9 Most Fascinating Challenges in Custom Gummy Development (And How We Solve Them)

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Creating the perfect gummy isn’t just about sweetness and chewiness—it’s a delicate balance of science and artistry. Whether you’re crafting vegan gummies, functional candies, or a bold new flavor profile, each step in the process brings unique challenges. At Patric Food and Beverage Development, we specialize in overcoming these hurdles to help you create gummies that deliver on taste, texture, and functionality. Here’s a closer look at nine challenges you might face—and how we tackle them with precision.

1. Gelatin vs. Pectin: Choosing the Right Base

The Problem: A client wanted a heat-stable gummy but also wanted to maintain the same bouncy texture they loved in gelatin-based products.

The Science: Gelatin and pectin gel differently and have distinct textural characteristics. Pectin requires precise acid and sugar levels to set properly. To solve this, we prepared multiple gummy batches using different gelling agents—pectin, gelatin, agar, carrageenan, and various blends. Employing our latest-generation Stable Micro Systems texture analyzer for formal texture profile analysis, plus sensory assessments by our team, allowed us to pinpoint the optimal formula that balanced heat stability and the bounciness our client desired.

2. Sugar Crystallization: A Sticky Situation

The Problem: A potential client noticed their gummies developed a grainy texture after a few weeks on the shelf.

The Science: This graininess often arises from exceeding sugar solubility limits, enabling sucrose crystals to form in the finished product over time. Close attention must be paid to the solubility of every ingredient in the gummy, and certain stabilizers or sugar alternatives can help. For example, starch syrups both replace a portion of the sucrose and increase the viscosity and stability of the candy.

3. Uneven Dosage in Functional Gummies

The Problem: A client producing CBD-infused gummies found that dosage levels varied widely, causing compliance issues and customer complaints.

The Science: We emphasized that high-shear mixing is essential for homogeneity, and we advised testing product samples at different points in the confectionery kettle over time to identify and correct mixing shortfalls. Additionally, the format of the CBD matters. Diluting the active in MCT oil or using emulsifiers (or even a pre-made CBD emulsion) can greatly improve the uniform distribution of the CBD in the gummy base.

4. Bitterness from Active Ingredients

The Problem: A cannabis gummy maker struggled with a pronounced bitterness from their active ingredients.

The Science: We deployed a multi-pronged strategy—bitterness blockers, natural sweeteners, and precise acid adjustments—paired with flavor profiles known to mask bitterness (such as grapefruit or other citrus). After multiple trials, we landed on a flavor system that masked unwanted notes while maintaining a clean-label formula.

5. Moisture Issues: Too Sticky or Too Hard

The Problem: A confectionery company noticed their gummies became sticky during summer months.

The Science: Many gummy ingredients are hygroscopic and readily absorb moisture. Compounding matters, standard plastic films are permeable to water vapor, so gummies will slowly absorb ambient humidity if not stored in cool, low-humidity conditions. One of the most effective solutions is multi-layer (e.g., mylar) packaging that includes plastic and a metallic film barrier. Many manufacturers overlook packaging details—this simple fix often solves their stickiness woes.

6. Heat Stability: Surviving the Hot Shipment

The Problem: A nutraceutical gummy company launched a product with almost 50% active ingredient, but the specialized pectin required for gelation wasn’t as heat-stable as a standard type. Gummies melted and deformed during hot-weather shipping.

The Science: Careful selection of the specific pectin grade is crucial. The type of pectin (high-methoxyl, low-methoxyl, amidated, etc.) matters because each reacts differently to sugar (Brix), pH, and divalent cations (such as calcium, magnesium, and zinc). A heat-stability trial before finalizing pectin type is highly recommended for any product shipping in warm climates.

7. Texture Perfection: Finding the Right Bite

The Problem: A startup making functional gummies received consumer complaints about overly tough chew.

The Science: Gummy texture depends on the balance of gelling agents, sugars, and acids. However, certain sugar replacers and high levels of active ingredients can push the formulation beyond typical textural tweaks. In these cases, less common food ingredients can act as “conditioners.” For instance, MCT oil (or other fats) can soften a firm gummy. There are also non-fat ingredients that have powerful softening effects, and strategic blends can deliver an even greater reduction in toughness.

8. pH Sensitivity: The Gelling Balancing Act

The Problem: A gummy made with natural fruit flavors failed to set, creating a sticky mess.

The Science: Beyond having the correct sugar concentration (Brix) and a sufficient level of pectin, pectin also requires a precise pH range for optimal gel formation. We introduced additional acid and buffering agents to maintain this ideal pH while increasing pectin concentration. This ensured a consistent set, even with fruits like banana that are lower in acidity.

9. Color and Flavor Stability: Fading Over Time

The Problem: A client using vegetable-derived colors noticed that their gummies faded in color and lost flavor after several months.

The Science: Natural colors degrade more easily than artificial FD&C colors. We examined antioxidant use, modified the packaging to reduce light and oxygen exposure, and optimized the choice of colorants. These steps significantly extended the shelf life of both color and flavor.

Bringing Gummy Dreams to Life

From small startups to established brands, we help clients turn gummy challenges into gummy successes. Whether it’s masking bitterness, improving shelf stability, or ensuring the perfect texture, our scientific expertise and state-of-the-art lab equipment can tackle the most complex problems.

Have a gummy problem that needs solving?
Get in touch to learn how we can bring your vision to life!

Phenolic Compounds in Food: How They Affect Flavor, Texture, and Preservation

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Phenolic compounds are chemical substances characterized by one or more hydroxyl groups (an oxygen and hydrogen atom bonded together, similar to water) attached to an aromatic ring (a ring-shaped arrangement of carbon atoms with specific bonding patterns). Simply put, they are plant chemicals with specific structural features that contribute to their properties.

Plants produce these compounds as part of their defense mechanisms to protect themselves from environmental stress, pests, and diseases. In foods, these compounds are responsible for various sensory attributes, including bitterness, astringency (a dry, puckering sensation), color, and aroma.

The most well-known subgroups of phenolic compounds include:

  • Flavonoids: Found in fruits, vegetables, tea, and wine, flavonoids are known for their antioxidant activity—they help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals (unstable molecules that can harm cells). They contribute to the bitterness and color of foods.
  • Tannins: Present in red wine, tea, and chocolate, tannins are responsible for the astringent, mouth-drying sensation you experience when consuming these products. They bind to proteins in your saliva, reducing lubrication and creating that drying effect.
  • Phenolic Acids: Found in coffee, fruits, and grains, these compounds contribute to the antioxidant properties of foods and influence flavor.

Phenolic Compounds and Flavor

Phenolic compounds significantly impact the flavor of many foods. They contribute bitterness and astringency, adding complexity and depth that many consumers enjoy.

  • Dark Chocolate: The bitterness is due to high flavonoid content, particularly catechins and epicatechins found in cocoa beans. These compounds not only provide a distinct taste but also enhance antioxidant properties associated with health benefits like reducing inflammation.
  • Red Wine: Tannins cause the astringent sensations that add structure and balance to wine, affecting how it feels in your mouth and how flavors develop as you sip. They also help the wine age gracefully, developing more complex flavors over time.

Phenolic compounds also influence aroma and color. Flavonoids are responsible for the vibrant reds, blues, and purples in berries and grapes, enhancing visual appeal. Other phenolics contribute to the rich aromas in coffee and certain teas.

Phenolic Compounds and Texture

Beyond flavor, phenolic compounds affect the texture of food through astringency. This dry, puckering sensation occurs when tannins bind to proteins in your saliva, reducing lubrication.

Understanding how these compounds influence mouthfeel (the way food feels in your mouth) is essential in food development, especially when aiming for desirable textures using natural ingredients.

Phenolic Compounds and Food Preservation

One of the most important roles of phenolic compounds is their ability to act as natural preservatives due to their antioxidant properties. They help slow down oxidation, a chemical process that leads to spoilage, rancidity, and loss of flavor.

  • Oxidation: Occurs when food is exposed to oxygen, causing fats and oils to degrade, resulting in unpleasant flavors and odors.

Phenolic compounds combat oxidation by neutralizing free radicals, unstable molecules that accelerate spoilage. By stabilizing these molecules, phenolic compounds preserve natural flavors and extend shelf life.

  • Red Wine: Phenolic compounds help the wine age gracefully, developing complexity without spoiling.
  • Chocolate: Flavonoids prevent fats in cocoa butter from oxidizing, keeping chocolate smooth and flavorful longer.
  • Baked Goods: Phenolic acids from whole grains or fruits protect fats in baked goods from oxidation, extending shelf life without artificial preservatives.

Phenolic Compounds in Clean-Label Development

With increasing demand for clean-label products made from simple, recognizable ingredients, manufacturers are turning to natural sources of phenolic compounds to enhance flavor and preservation.

  • Fruits and Berries: Blueberries, strawberries, and grapes are rich in flavonoids and phenolic acids. They enhance flavor and color while providing antioxidant protection.
  • Cocoa and Chocolate: Rich in flavonoids, cocoa offers health benefits and enhances flavor and preservation in chocolate products without synthetic additives.
  • Herbs and Spices: Rosemary, thyme, and oregano contain polyphenols (another term for phenolic compounds), especially rosmarinic acid with strong antioxidant properties. They can be used in savory products to enhance flavor and naturally preserve food.

Balancing Flavor and Preservation in Food Development

Working with phenolic compounds involves balancing their sensory properties with preservation benefits. While they effectively slow oxidation, their bitter or astringent characteristics can dominate if not carefully managed.

  • Dark Chocolate: Bitterness from flavonoids can be moderated by adjusting sugar content or adding nuts and dried fruits.
  • Savory Products: Herbs and spices rich in phenolic compounds can be paired with fats and oils to create a harmonious flavor that enhances the food while providing preservation benefits.

Conclusion

Phenolic compounds are vital in food for their contributions to flavor, texture, and preservation. Their antioxidant properties make them powerful tools for extending shelf life in clean-label products, and their sensory attributes add complexity to food and beverages. As the demand for natural, minimally processed foods grows, phenolic compounds offer essential ingredients for creating products that are both flavorful and durable. By understanding how to balance these compounds’ effects, manufacturers can innovate clean-label products that meet health-conscious consumers’ expectations.

How to Make Better Functional Chocolate with Food Science

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Have you noticed that nearly all the functional chocolates available these days range from waxy and cloying, to mediocre and just barely tolerable?

Trust me, I’m a scientist—I’ve carried out careful sensory evaluation on a significant sample size of the functional chocolates. The results have been…disappointing. But I’m still hopeful. Why?

Because it means there’s a huge opportunity for a functional foods company (like yours) to corner the market niche of high-quality functional chocolate.

Until that happens though, we’re all consigned to gulping down “chocolates” that taste like muddy, bittersweet medicine. Gross.

At least each dose is small enough to take down in a bite or two…

But what if I told you that functional chocolate can be as fantastically flavored and gourmet as anything you’d find in a San Francisco Whole Foods or from a multi-generation French chocolate maker?

It just takes a little focused food science and finesse.

How to use functional ingredients in chocolates

I’m glad you asked. Whether you are trying to incorporate CBD, melatonin, or a newly available functional ingredient into your chocolate—high quality functional ingredients should be your starting point for making functional chocolate, not an afterthought.

Most functional chocolate producers add their functional ingredients almost as an afterthought. It’s just there to pack a punch and deliver a dose. So they can boast some fantastic milligram total on the packaging, and shove mediocre products down our greedy throats.

But don’t our greedy tongues deserve to be in on the experience too? Shouldn’t the chocolates we eat TASTE as good as they are a benefit to our health?

If you agree, here’s the start of an answer:

Think of your functional ingredient as a flavor ingredient. Not just a magic or medicinal one.

If it has clear aroma, bitter, or astringent notes, for example, these should be considered as components of the product from the ground up, not at the final moment.

What’s the best functional ingredient for chocolate?

First and foremost, invest in high-quality ingredients that have minimal off-flavors, if possible. In poorly purified ingredients there can be an array of unpleasant flavors. This is particularly common in the growing edibles industry.

But this is usually avoidable, because there are often a number of functional ingredient producers/vendors representing a range of qualities from cheap and dirty tasting, to clean and virtually without aroma, even if bitterness still needs to be dealt with. 

Because don’t your customers deserve better?

So why would you use anything other than high-quality ingredients in functional chocolates?

How to make high-quality functional chocolate?

Be thoughtful about every ingredient!

Making top quality chocolate always revolves around at least three main taste elements: sweet, bitter, and sour. Not to mention aroma and other sensory characteristics like astringency.

Cocoa is naturally bitter, and so are many functional ingredients. To compensate for the bitterness of functional ingredients, many brands will simply drop the cocoa percentage and drive up the sugar. But all of that sweetness also drives out the complexity.

There are many ways to mask, balance, and/or incorporate bitterness in functional foods, such as CBD-containing edibles, but remember—every adjustment you make in a chocolate recipe has a ripple effect.

Choosing ingredients that enhance existing flavors while naturally balancing those that tend to be more unpleasant, can go a long way toward creating top-quality functional chocolate to enchant the market. There are many ingredients we can use with this seemingly magical ability. If you’re wondering, one such great example is sea salt. It packs a huge punch when it comes to enhancing flavor of virtually any product.

Also, remember…

You don’t need to go bean-to-bar for gourmet functional chocolate

As a functional chocolate producer, you’re better off as a chocolatier rather than a chocolate maker. Going all the way back to the bean adds little to your goals and process except extra steps and stress.

Chocolate maker is someone who makes chocolate from scratch, using different percentages of cacao (cocoa beans that need to be sourced, roasted, and further processed) and other ingredients.

Chocolatier sources finished chocolate from a chocolate maker, and adds ingredients and flavors to create their own bar or confection.

You should certainly source one or more high-quality chocolates that will pair well with the flavor and aroma profile of whichever functional ingredient(s) you choose. And another thing…

Don’t try to cram maximum functional ingredients into every bite

Not only does that let your customer enjoy a few more bites of your delicious chocolate per dose, but decreasing the density of functional ingredient also automatically decreases the bitterness you have to deal with.

This can work on a marketing level too. Who sells more bars? The brand with 10 doses per bar, or the one that is super delicious and mouthwatering, costs less, and sacrifices only a few doses?

Summary: How does food science lead to better functional chocolate?

When it comes to formulating the best functional chocolate for the market, there are a lot of elements to consider.

  • Functional ingredients vendors
  • Format of the functional ingredients (oils, powders, etc.)
  • Dosage
  • Cocoa percentage
  • Mouthfeel
  • Appearance
  • Sweet, sour, bitter balance
  • Overall flavor bouquet

As a food scientist with a PhD in flavor chemistry, when it comes to functional chocolate formulation, one of my most important and unique tools is formal experimental-design. I have the software, lab experience, and deep knowledge of taste and flavor on a molecular level that you can’t get anywhere else.

And by the way, before becoming a functional food science consultant, I was for many years an award-winning chocolate maker and confectioner, with additional experience in formulation of bakery items, ice cream, beverages, and more.

Any worthwhile chocolate consultant could hopefully help you source a decent chocolate; but only food science can help you pinpoint the best possible version, based on multi-variable experiment setup, multi-objective optimization, and formal sensory analysis (including consumer testing, if you have the budget and time).  

So what it comes down to fundamentally is this: What are you trying to achieve?

Are you trying to make excellent-quality functional chocolate that loyal customers will buy over and over again because it’s so delicious?

Or are you just trying to get a bunch of one-time sales?

If you answered Yes to the first question, reach out and let’s formulate some gourmet functional chocolate at a quality level that still rarely exists in the functional foods market.

MORE: Want to see more about how functional chocolate formulation works? Follow us on LinkedIn!

Product Formulation Optimization #2

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The Troublesome Yet Terrific Tortilla (Part 2)

Continuing on with the product formulation optimization theme, using tortilla formulation specifically as an example, we dig in further. As a reminder, tortilla formulation is more complicated than it may at first appear. As I wrote previously:

“From the standpoint of the uninitiated, a tortilla seems a simple beast. As a plain product on its own there are no fillings or inclusions, no added flavors, swirls of color, or fancy shapes. Even the plastic bags in which they’re sold ten at a time are nothing special. But the phrase “deceptively simple” does exist for a reason. And one could reasonably argue that it was coined as a product formulation expert was doing some deep thinking about the common, yet commonly unimpressive, tortilla.”

In this recent post I also spoke about the two different types of tortillas (corn and wheat flour), and noted some of the complexities of both of them including nixtamalization in the case of corn tortillas, and the presence of gluten and necessary added fat in the case of the wheat flour tortillas. Clearly, when done well, both types of tortillas are fantastic, but my family was handed down a wheat flour tortilla tradition from my Mexican great grandmother Guadalupe Otila Macias, and since I was a wee child I’ve been truly mesmerized by this type.

Watching my grandmother mix and knead them by hand, roll them out with a flick or two of the wrist, and then bake them on top of a cast-iron griddle on the stove–the incredible smell–and then passing one steaming and blistered with flavor from hand to hand with nearly burnt fingertips, taking bites and smiling uncontrollably. These are some of the most powerful memories of my childhood. Why would I ever want to change a single detail in my original family recipe?

As I mentioned previously, wheat flour tortillas can be tricky because the gluten proteins in wheat (i.e., glutenin and gliadin) when hydrated, help to create a stretchy and springy dough that is notoriously hard to roll out. To produce a less tough and easier to roll tortilla, people traditionally added some amount of fat to the dough in the form of freshly rendered pork lard. The added lard reduces the overall gluten development, and the tortillas become more aromatic and the mouthfeel more tender and less chewy. And when everything is just right, the tortillas puff magically like perfect little pillows, making them even lighter in texture. But what about when everything isn’t just right?

tortillas freshly cooked
Freshly griddled wheat-flour tortillas made with freshly rendered pork lard, filtered water, and sea salt

The Baking Powder Bandage

The problem is that getting the ratio of ingredients just right can be very tricky. If it is even a bit off, or the griddle temperature is not optimal, or the tortilla maker is just not paying the right amount of attention, the tortillas can end up dense and unpleasant. The solution to this problem used by most is an addition of baking powder. It allows the tortilla maker a bit more flexibility in all of the important conditions. However, the texture of a baking-powder-risen tortilla is not quite the same as one without, and it has been written more than once by tortilla aficionados that the baking powder version is simply not as good.

The Vegetable Oil Blunder

Another problem is that as refined plant-based vegetable oils have become much cheaper, and good fatback from which to make lard has become less readily available in the marketplace, recipes have begun to call for either liquid oil or hydrogenated oil, also called shortening. These oil-based tortillas simply aren’t capable of tasting as good as those made from the roasted and rendered fat of flavorful hogs.

So, the modern homemade wheat-flour tortilla, which itself is scarce compared to the store-bought versions with little personality, is itself a shadow of its former glorious self. But if these changes to the modern tortilla have led to a poverty of quality, what is to be done about it? How can we possibly attempt to recreate a product formulation that most of us have never tasted?

I’ll explain how I approached this challenge in an effort to do just that. Stay tuned for más detalles in Part 3.

–Alan McClure

Product Formulation Optimization #1

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The Troublesome Yet Terrific Tortilla (Part 1)

From the standpoint of the uninitiated, a tortilla seems a simple beast. As a plain product on its own there are no fillings or inclusions, no added flavors, swirls of color, or fancy shapes. Even the plastic bags in which they’re sold ten at a time are nothing special. But the phrase “deceptively simple” does exist for a reason. And one could reasonably argue that it was coined as a product formulation expert was doing some deep thinking about the common, yet commonly unimpressive, tortilla.

So where should we start to understand the product formulation challenge better? It’s often the case that the very best examples of foods are traditional ones. And certainly where tortillas are concerned, traditional versions are far better than the most familiar brands at the local grocer. For those who have had incredible tortillas, the kind that are calling out to be eaten, simply, steaming hot from the Mexican comal, fingers burning, we know this in our gut. But if one wants this beautiful experience far away from a Mexican market or abuela, is it even possible?

What is a tortilla anyway?

First, let’s simplify the issue. Tortillas come in two main types: corn- and wheat-flour-based. Corn tortillas are traditionally made from alkali-treated heirloom corn, called “nixtamal,” a Nahuatl term borrowed from the Aztec. This process, often referred to as nixtamalization, uses a relatively dilute solution of culinary lime, aka calcium hydroxide, in water to catalyze hydrolysis and conversion of various compounds in the corn kernels’ hull. This process makes the corn easier to digest, more nutritious, less likely to contain harmful mycotoxins, and most people would claim, myself included, more delicious. In fact, the flavor is so good, that traditional corn tortillas require nothing more than ground nixtamal, water, and bit of salt, to create a fabulous flat food fit for an Aztec king. But, as previously mentioned…

Corn is not the only way…

In northern Mexico and Texas, which also used to be part of Mexico, where wheat flour was more readily available, tortillas made from this grain were more common. And because the proteins in wheat, when hydrated, help to create a stretchy and springy dough that is notoriously hard to roll out, people added some amount of fat to the dough in the form of freshly rendered pork lard. The lard reduced the overall gluten development, making the thin disks of dough easier to roll out, and moreover, made the tortillas more aromatic and the mouthfeel more tender than chewy. And when the proportions of flour:water:lard are just right, the tortillas puff magically, making them lighter and more tender in texture, and giving the surface of the tortilla a deliciously mottled appearance, due to light charring of the steam-puffed pockets on the surface, thereby creating even more flavor–Maillard reaction pathways y’all.

tortillas freshly cooked
Freshly griddled wheat-flour tortillas made with freshly rendered pork lard, filtered water, and sea salt

Now, I’m a sucker for both types of tortilla, and I’ve made countless batches of both, nixtamalizing my own corn, experimenting with many of the countless heirloom Mexican varieties, and for the wheat tortillas, rendering my own lard, getting the roasted, almost smoky pork flavor just right. But I have to admit that having grown up with wheat flour tortillas in my family, a cultural contribution of my Mexican maternal great-grandmother, Guadalupe Otila Macias, who emigrated to Texas as a young girl, I have spent considerably more time thinking about, making, and certainly eating wonderful wheat flour tortillas. And I can assure you that even with four ingredients, they are tricky to perfect, or more technically, to optimize the product formulation.

But I’ll tell you what; recently I did just that. Stay tuned for más detalles in Part 2.

–Alan McClure

Microbes May Make Mouths Merry

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Sometime back I came across an article at Science Daily that got me thinking about the impact of our little microbial friends on the flavor of our favorite foods and beverages. The authors of the study noted that certain normally tasteless compounds, when exposed to microbes that are naturally present in the mouth and/or throat, are transformed into aromatic flavor compounds, in some cases even giving off the characteristic odor of a particular food in the aftertaste.

Thinking about the variety of foods and beverages that I’ve tasted over my life, some with magnificent, long-lasting finishes, and others that seem to spiral so quickly to an unsatisfying demise, it makes me wonder to what extent the microbes in my mouth had any say in the matter. There are countless implications to all of this, including whether it is possible to optimize conversion by the microbes by altering the flavorless reactant concentration, but also potentially by altering environmental conditions in the mouth (e.g., pH, calcium or sodium ion concentration, amount of saliva, etc.).

That’s lots of food for thought, so to speak, and speaking of thought, who knows, maybe they’ll find out that there are microbes that change the way we think as well.

-Alan McClure

The Chemistry of Chocolate

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Chocolate has perhaps the most complex flavor of any food in the world. With the running count now numbering at least 40,000 compounds found in cacao/cocoa beans, this means that even the simply fermented “cocoa bean comprises more detectable and resolvable analytes than any other processed food thus investigated (Milev et al, Food Research International, 2014).”  This is undoubtedly part of the reason that scientists struggle to tell us exactly which of the thousands of compounds give chocolate its magnificent, delectable and unmistakable flavor. It is perhaps most likely that this quintessential chocolate aroma is due to a combination of the many chemicals produced during roasting through various Maillard reaction pathways, but it may also potentially be due to an as yet undiscovered compound present at a very low concentration, yet still perceptible due to its very low odor threshold. And so it is at the start of the 21st century, as we find ourselves at the dawn of space tourism, regularly cloning plants and animals, and building supercomputers smaller than wristwatches, that we still can’t fully explain why chocolate is so gosh darn chocolaty.

However, even though there is so much we still don’t understand about chocolate, we do know that many people, if asked to choose between their favorite chocolate and any other beloved food, would not hesitate to choose what Carolus Linnaeus regarded as “food of the gods” (i.e., Theobroma cacao), and this despite the fact that cacao cotyledons just off the tree taste incredibly bitter and astringent, and not chocolaty in the least. How does such a transformation from detestable to exceptional occur?

It’s in the processing, including fermentation, drying, roasting, refining, and conching.  More specifically, it is our control over and optimization of the chemical-based flavor changes during chocolate processing that eventually reveal to us a flavor of beauty! And who am I to argue with anyone who believes that this achievement is equally as impressive as Jeff Bezos strapped into a flaming phallic vessel shooting for the stars.

-Alan McClure