The Philippines (28 August 2024) – Tetra Pak, a world-leading processing and packaging solutions company, has published a whitepaper that introduces an innovative approach to sugar reduction in fruit juices. This development comes in response to the growing health concerns around sugar and the implementation of regulatory policies across Southeast Asia.
Consumers are becoming more health-conscious than ever, veering away from food and beverage products with high-sugar[1] content, and showing a shift towards plant-based alternatives[2]. Subsequently, this has prompted F&B companies to consider reformulating products to create delicious beverages such as juices without relying on sugar and artificial sweeteners to align with new regulations[3] and growing consumer demands. This has posed an industry challenge of reducing sugar while maintaining taste and nutritional value, prompting significant research and development efforts in this field.
Tetra Pak has developed a pioneering approach to reducing sugar in fruit juices, as detailed in their new whitepaper. This method utilizes controlled fermentation to lower intrinsic sugars such as sucrose, glucose, and fructose in fruit juices. Key technologies employed in the process include membrane filtration, enzymatic sugar transformation, and yeast fermentation.
Through controlled fermentation, Tetra Pak’s process can reduce the sugar content in juice to almost zero. This zero-sugar juice can then be blended with regular juice to achieve the desired level of sugar reduction. This innovative process ensures that the juice’s taste and nutritional quality remain intact, leveraging their well-established industry technologies.
John Jose, Marketing Director of Tetra Pak Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, and Indonesia, said “Health and regulatory trends are spurring tremendous innovation within the F&B sector. We are always on the pulse of consumer needs and ready to help our F&B customers solve challenges with our latest technology and expertise. With our advanced fermentation process, we can significantly cut down the sugar content in juice. This process allows us to create a juice that can be blended to meet any desired level of sweetness, without compromising on taste or quality.”
The whitepaper highlights that this approach has been validated through technical and consumer tests. It opens significant opportunities for the F&B industry to develop a new category of reduced-sugar juices and drinks. It also delves into the changing consumer attitudes toward sugar, provides an in-depth overview of the fermentation process, and explores the potential of this new beverage category.
As the F&B industry evolves to meet new health standards and consumer preferences, the need for innovative solutions becomes increasingly important. Tetra Pak’s commitment to research and development ensures that its partners have access to the most innovative technologies available.
Jose added: “We have over 70 years of experience in beverage production, delivering food processing and packaging equipment around the world. Given our extensive specialist knowledge and our innovative ability to combine technology with food application expertise, we are uniquely positioned to support our F&B partners in navigating the challenges of sugar reduction. Our reliable and practical approach towards the fermentation process represents yet another advancement in the field.”
To learn more, download the whitepaper from the Tetra Pak website. https://www.tetrapak.com/en-my/insights/food-categories/juice-and-drinks/reducing-sugar-in-fruit-juices-fermentation#cf-step-thankyou-textimage
[1] What’s Motivating Consumers in Asia to Reduce Sugar Intake
[2] Plant-Based Foods: How to Whet Consumer Appetite for More
[3] Framework for the Development and Implementation of Fiscal Measures on Sweet Beverages to Promote Health in ASEAN Member States
