Specifically, in an article by the same title, published in the May, 2020 edition of Prepared Foods magazine!
Here is what Alexa Bosshardt. MPS, RDN, its author writes - and quotes - about us:
"When we (that is HIP Gastroplex) set out to create a sugar replacer, we knew we had to do more than just compete for sweetness," says Steven Kingsley, co-CEO of HIP Gastroplex, parent company of Einstein Brands sugar free marshmallows and chocolates. Chocolates and marshmallows are two of the most difficult items to craft successfully without sugar, as it provides not only a large part of the familiar flavor of these items, but other organoleptic characteristics consumers expect.
To achieve this, Kingsley developed a sweetener he named "Sugarlesse™." The blend is composed of four different components, all of them naturally occurring - thus GRAS - and produced by either fermentation or extraction from plant sources. Included is a debittered form of stevia extract to tweak the final sweetness level to equal that of sucrose.
"We comprised the blend with an eye on multiple ingredients that would each bring a specific benefit to a sweetener system and work in concert to create a whole that would be better than just one or two ingredients, as is more common when replacing sugar," explains Kingsley. "We needed to include a sweetener that would allow us to develop mass and texture - especially critical for the marshmallows - then built on one of the ingredients used for primary flavor notes. Then, we brought in an ingredient for flavor augmentation and one for color development.
This way, we could more precisely balance browning and caramelization, tenderizing, viscosity control, moisture control, preservation, and shelf life extension. All these parameters were crucial, in addition to sweetening."
Kingsley notes that his challenge in crafting the perfect combination of all of these functional properties was compounded by wanting to utilize only commercially available ingredients. "We needed to create a product that was attractive to home, professional, and industrial users. It needed to provide the same functionality as sucrose and in the same amounts; it needed to sweeten, cook, and bake like sugar; no aftertaste was a must; and it also needed to be healthy."
As far as health benefits go, Sugarlesse™ delivers 25% less calories than sucrose; it does not cause g.i. issues as do some sugar alcohols; and it is perfectly suitable for consumers with diabetes, boasting a Glycemic Index of only 42. Sugarlesse™ is also vegan and certified kosher. In addition to the marshmallows and chocolates, the Einstein Brands team is currently working on developing other products, using its advanced in-house sweetener system."
We are truly indebted to Alexa, and the executive editor of Prepared Foods, David Feder, for including us, in such a detail, in their article, which you can read here.
That's sweet life, indeed!
Here is what Alexa Bosshardt. MPS, RDN, its author writes - and quotes - about us:
"When we (that is HIP Gastroplex) set out to create a sugar replacer, we knew we had to do more than just compete for sweetness," says Steven Kingsley, co-CEO of HIP Gastroplex, parent company of Einstein Brands sugar free marshmallows and chocolates. Chocolates and marshmallows are two of the most difficult items to craft successfully without sugar, as it provides not only a large part of the familiar flavor of these items, but other organoleptic characteristics consumers expect.
To achieve this, Kingsley developed a sweetener he named "Sugarlesse™." The blend is composed of four different components, all of them naturally occurring - thus GRAS - and produced by either fermentation or extraction from plant sources. Included is a debittered form of stevia extract to tweak the final sweetness level to equal that of sucrose.
"We comprised the blend with an eye on multiple ingredients that would each bring a specific benefit to a sweetener system and work in concert to create a whole that would be better than just one or two ingredients, as is more common when replacing sugar," explains Kingsley. "We needed to include a sweetener that would allow us to develop mass and texture - especially critical for the marshmallows - then built on one of the ingredients used for primary flavor notes. Then, we brought in an ingredient for flavor augmentation and one for color development.
This way, we could more precisely balance browning and caramelization, tenderizing, viscosity control, moisture control, preservation, and shelf life extension. All these parameters were crucial, in addition to sweetening."
Kingsley notes that his challenge in crafting the perfect combination of all of these functional properties was compounded by wanting to utilize only commercially available ingredients. "We needed to create a product that was attractive to home, professional, and industrial users. It needed to provide the same functionality as sucrose and in the same amounts; it needed to sweeten, cook, and bake like sugar; no aftertaste was a must; and it also needed to be healthy."
As far as health benefits go, Sugarlesse™ delivers 25% less calories than sucrose; it does not cause g.i. issues as do some sugar alcohols; and it is perfectly suitable for consumers with diabetes, boasting a Glycemic Index of only 42. Sugarlesse™ is also vegan and certified kosher. In addition to the marshmallows and chocolates, the Einstein Brands team is currently working on developing other products, using its advanced in-house sweetener system."
We are truly indebted to Alexa, and the executive editor of Prepared Foods, David Feder, for including us, in such a detail, in their article, which you can read here.
That's sweet life, indeed!
