Chocolate’s allure is timeless, but consumer tastes and market trends constantly change. It is chocolate’s ability to adapt that has helped it to remain the world’s favorite indulgence. In the 21st century, this adaptability can most obviously be seen in the rise of no-added sugar alternatives – up by over 17% since 2016.
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As lockdowns saw people turn to home cooking in ever greater numbers, they began to focus on the ingredients they use and the impacts they have on their health. It has accelerated a ‘be good to your body’ trend. While chocolate is essentially a combination of liquor, butter, and sugar, consumers are increasingly looking for sweet products that aren’t loaded with extra sugar in pursuit of balance.
The challenge for consumers is to find products that allow them to make smarter decisions – with simpler, healthier, and lower-calorie choices. The challenge for brands is to meet this need – alongside emerging government and public health pressures, with some countries, such as the UK, guiding producers to deliver a 20% reduction of sugar in foods – including chocolate.
With each sugar substitute or alternative coming with unique advantages and disadvantages, selecting the right alternative may not be as simple as it first seems.
Sometimes, sugar claims can be tricky and confusing. If you have any doubts about how to label sugar claims on your chocolate products correctly, you can use this chart as a guide
As we can see, there is no perfect single alternative. With choices affecting flavour, calories and textures, finding the right substitute call on Luker’s state-of-the-art food science expertise and all aspects of its chocolate-making art.
Luker is focused on meeting consumer and customer needs and began the development of an alternative sweetener that would deliver the perfect sugar substitute. Eight years of testing and tasting from Luker’s experts have seen the combination of two of these alternatives: Erythritol and Stevia.
The challenge has been to heighten the positives of each and eliminate the negatives. Luker’s painstaking research has delivered the perfect blend that is kind to teeth, delivers a low GI and avoids the laxative and digestive problems that can be associated with other sugar alternatives.
The resulting no added sugar Luker Chocolate creations deliver fewer calories and are better for our bodies, while also containing naturally derived products such as Stevia.
Above all else, they bring us the indulgent sweetness, texture and taste of Luker’s Cacao Fino de Aroma chocolate that we all love.