Confectionery Concoctions

By Donald E. Pszczola, Senior Editor

Excerpt from Food Technology magazine, October 2011, p. 60

A Colorful Future

This month’s article discussed a variety of ingredients that have application in confectionery products. These included sweeteners, texturizers, chocolate developments, inclusions and dairy-derived solutions. One area that wasn’t addressed was color which happens to be the topic of next month’s Ingredientssection.

However, I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention some of the color developments that are influencing the formulation of confectionery products. One, of course, would be natural colors, commonly derived from fruit and vegetable sources, Because of stricter labeling laws in the European market and concerns in the U.S., increasing attention is being focused on the potential of natural colors. Significantly, companies are developing natural colors that are overcoming traditional challenges in terms of stability, vibrancy, and other problems associated with these colors. Colors such as a natural blue have been created which at one time would not have been possible, Today, natural colors are finding their way in chewing gum, hard candy, gummy bears, and other products, Also, natural colors can be used in coating systems for confections.

Ingredients typically not known for their role in adding color are now being utilized.  For example, rice starches, because of their extreme whiteness, make them a suitable replacement for titanium dioxide in applications such as confections.

Companies are introducing new pearlescent pigment product lines that can differentiate hard and soft candies, chewing gum, and other confections through luster effects, color shifts and iridescent shimmers.

Next month’s Ingredients section will look at the changing global color market, and the different ways that formulations are making using of color to enhance the appearance of their finished product.