The prototypes included low-fat mayonnaise, vegan sausage, low calorie juice drinks and fibre enriched ice cream.
'Mango is a consumer favourite in the region'
Dominique Floch, regional sales director, MEA, Tate & Lyle, told BeverageDaily, it has developed a mango juice drink sweetened with SPLENDA Sucralose, which will appeal to consumers in the Middle East who are looking to cut calories in their diet.
It is also formulated with its Soluble Gluco Fibre, PROMITOR, which allows the product to retain a juice-like mouthfeel and was well received at the show.
“We wanted to showcase our sugar reduction capabilities at Gulfood Manufacturing and mango is a consumer favourite in the region,” said Floch.
“It is also notoriously difficult to maintain both flavour and texture when removing sugar, so this was a great opportunity for us to show manufacturers that reducing sugar does not mean they have to sacrifice on great taste.”
Floch said Tate & Lyle wanted to showcase the product at Gulfood to demonstrate its capabilities in this area and to grow its visibility in the region.
“There is an enormous amount of opportunity in the Middle East with an expected shift towards healthier consumer lifestyles,” he added.
Anticipated trend in healthier products
“Whilst we know there is an emerging trend here, consumers are yet to demand healthier products, as we have already seen in Europe. While it doesn’t keep us awake at night, we have certainly been working hard to ensure we are best placed to help manufacturers in the region provide the best solution when they do.
Shows like Gulfood allows us to get in front of manufacturers who are looking for ingredients that will help meet the anticipated trend in healthier products.”
The company also exhibited its ice cream created with a blend of ingredients from Tate & Lyle’s fibre portfolio which includes PROMITOR Soluble Gluco Fibre, PromOat Beta Glucan and STA-LITE Polydextrose.
The other prototypes on offer were processed cheese, yoghurts, milk and cream concepts and confectionery using THINGUM Starch, STA-LITE Polydextrose and TASTEVA Stevia Sweetener.
“Middle Eastern consumers have a sweet tooth, and are not currently demanding a change. Our challenge is to work with our manufacturers to show consumers that healthier products are achievable without compromising on the taste or texture they are familiar with,” added Floch.
“It’s not all about sugar reduction though, that demand will also come from a need to reduce sodium, increase fibre and include products with functional benefits.”