The Sugar-Free Snack Challenge: Delicious Crackers, Significant Cost-Savings

A zoomed-in view of a pile of round, buttery tan crackers with a scalloped edge and visible salt nearly fills the composition. A warmer teal background in the lower left corner helps showcase shadows from the overlapping, randomly stacked crackers. Seven little holes in each cracker give a nod to the baking process. TastesNatural™ made sugar-free versions of these crackers in-house, resulting in a matching delicious flavor and approximately a 21% cost savings.

Bites from the Bench:  As part of a series of testing of sugar replacement in everyday snacks with TruSugr™, we will be posting weekly results. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram to stay on top of news.

 

Week 2: Sugar-free Crackers

The sugar replacement TruSugr™ challenge series continues with a ubiquitous snack for adults and children alike, crackers. Crackers have become a regular part of many people’s diets. However, it is important to be aware of the hidden sugar content in crackers.

For our testing, we focused on diminishing and/or eliminating the sugar in two common cracker types:

  • a buttery round cracker – mimicking one that is common in kids’ diets, and
  • a wheat-based square cracker with sweeter end notes – mimicking a pantry staple

 

Sugar-free (SF): Our Food Scientists started with the goal of sugar-free and accomplished this with ease in both cracker structures.

  • SF Buttery Round Crackers: Same light, flaky texture as full sugar control. The taste-profile is nearly identical to the original store-bought, with blind-taste test panelists struggling to decipher the difference.
  • SF Wheat-based Square Crackers: Results were fantastic. Taste profile, texture, and color is near exact. These were met with rave reviews around the office.

 

Cost Comparison:

  • SF Buttery Round Crackers: cost-savings is nearly at 21% as compared to sugar cane
  • SF Wheat-based Square Crackers: savings of nearly 11% as compared to sugar cane

 

What is TruSugr™ ?

TruSugr™ is a high-quality sugar replacement that includes our patented and patent-pending bitter blocker component. Many sugar substitutes have a lingering after-taste. Our taste technology erases that aftertaste, allowing the sweetness to shine.

 

What are the benefits of TruSugr™ ?

  • The low usage rates ends up saving customers money, while providing the health benefits top tier CPG companies want.
  • With the concerning recent news of sugar substitutes like aspartame and sucralose, TastesNatural™ is proud to provide a safer sugar replacement.
  • Plant-based.
  • Zero-calories.
  • Significantly more sustainable than beet sugar or cane sugar.
  • Tooth-friendly and has a glycemic load of zero.
  • TruSugr™ comes in an easy-to-mix fine powder form.
  • Proven success in a variety of applications, and our in-house R+D team offers input on formulation, helping to streamline customer’s time and resources.

 

TruSugr™ is a game changer for CPG snacks. With “around 91% of consumers influenced by sugar-reduction claims,” and an option like TruSugr™, what are you waiting for?

As the slogan says, We Make Healthy Taste Good™. Test it for yourself (for free) and experience better taste, naturally.

 

Previous Results of Sugar-free and Reduced Sugar Testing:

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