New Zealand Beverage Council members were keen to learn more about new ways to reduce and replace sugar in beverages at a special seminar in Auckland this week.
The Low and No Sugar Beverage seminar was held at the Callaghan Institute in Parnell, and New Zealand Beverage Council members were led through a wide range of technical tools and solutions available to achieve great taste without sugar.
The event was facilitated by Sam Borgfeldt of Beverage and Food Gurus, who has many years of experience in sugar reduction and replacements and provides practical tools and guidance on the technical and operational challenges of sugar reduction in beverages.
Borgfeldt has worked on multiple sugar reduction projects in the UK, at Suntory Beverage and Food (during the sugar tax implementation) and in New Zealand at Frucor Suntory and via many of his Beverage and Food Gurus clients.
"Sugar reduction is one of the most critical challenges the beverage industry is currently facing, and consumers are increasingly demanding low and no sugar options," Borgfeldt said.
"A wide range of technical tools and solutions are available to achieve great taste without sugar, but there is much more to sugar reduction than just solving the technical challenges."
The Beverage sector in New Zealand is worth $2 billion annually, and according to data from Circana, in the past four years, No-Sugar has driven a 35 percent share of category growth as consumers seek healthier options.
