Ulrick & Short has unveiled a gluten-free sugar replacer for cakes, muffins and other baked goods. 

Called Avanté 9, the replacement reduces sugar content by at least 20% and can be used in gluten-free bakery recipes, while maintaining the volume, texture and crumb structure of the standard products, said the ingredients manufacturer.

The NPD was announced ahead of the deadline for sugar reduction targets set by government agency Public Health England as part of its Childhood Obesity: A Plan For Action. Targets, announced in March 2017, require food and drink manufacturers to voluntarily reduce overall sugar by 20% by 2020 across a range of products that contribute most to children’s sugar intakes.

“We’ve had a lot of success in the past in significantly reducing sugar in standard products, [so] it was a natural progression to introduce this technology to the gluten-free sector,” said Ulrick & Short research and development technologist Emma Walker.

“Gluten-free bakery is tough enough, and to match the product integrity of the standard is not easy to do. However, gluten-free baked goods are still subject to the traffic light system, and they are still affected by the 2020 regulations – the same as any other product”.

In September, Ulrick & Short released Synergie Legato, an ingredient based on tapioca and formulated to improve the textural properties of gluten-free cakes, breads and other baked goods.

A new fat alternative called Delyte 10, aimed at bakers looking to reduce the calorie content of shortcrust pastry, was also launched by the company in November.