Functional ingredient maker Beneo has announced the expansion of its ingredients portfolio with the launch of Beneo-scL85, a short-chain fructooligosaccharide (scFOS). The new variant reportedly offers customers greater versatility for sugar replacement and enrichment of foods with dietary fiber.

Sugar reduction has grown to become an important area of focus for consumers with new figures showing that globally, more than 1 in 2 consumers (57%) state that “low in sugar” claims influence their purchasing decisions. With the addition of scFOS to its portfolio, Beneo states, it opens the door for more customers to serve this trend through new product development or re-formulation. Expanding the range of ingredients with Beneo-scL85 means that manufacturers have more variety and increased potential to offer products with less sugar to meet the high demand. 

scFOS is a fiber derived from beet sugar that offers a mild, sweet taste, good solubility, and natural credentials that can contribute to improved taste and texture, as well as possibilities for bulking in applications such as bakery, dairy, and cereals. Produced in Germany in a dedicated production facility, the new ingredient is available for Beneo customers globally to buy now as a syrup. 

Using scFOS means replacing sugar while adding dietary fiber. This, in turn, improves the nutritional profile of a product, allowing manufacturers to achieve a better score for front-of-pack nutrition labeling systems worldwide.

Eric Neven, commercial managing director for Beneo’s functional fibers comments, “Short-chain fructooligosaccharide from beet sugar is a valuable addition to Beneo's portfolio because it increases flexibility and availability for our customers. In combination with the increased production capacity of our chicory root fiber production plant in Chile, Beneo's short-chain fructoligosaccharide will further secure supply to meet the high demand for solutions to reduce sugar.”