Naturally Sweet

For quite some years, sugar has been blamed for the many health related problems that affect our lives and lifestyles.

The popular belief is that eating too much sugar or intake of good amount of sugar in diet can cause diabetes and obesity. But according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), eating too much sugar alone doesn’t cause diabetes, but it may be a contributing factor in some cases. However, according to a website (www.diabetes.org.uk) “though we know sugar doesn’t directly cause Type 2 diabetes, you are more likely to get it if you are overweight. You gain weight when you take in more calories than your body needs, and sugary foods and drinks contain a lot of calories.” The said website also said that sugar doesn’t cause Type I diabetes.

The debate rages on…Meanwhile, there is no denying the fact that the role of sugar in the bakery and confectionery industry, despite the emergence of sugarless cakes and desserts, is still all pervasive. Sugar plays a crucial role towards the taste, texture, and even in the appearance of baked products.

Despite the powerful ‘health conscious wave’ propelled by frequent overseas travel, lifestyle changes, growing impact of media, and the rise in disposable incomes among the middle and upper middle income segments of our urban population in the recent times, sugar still remains one of the chief ingredients of India’s bakery industry.

However, at the same time, the usage of natural sweeteners also seems to be on the rise in the industry. With health consciousness in the post-modern Indian society gaining ground, there has been lots of talk regarding us age of natural sweeteners as sugar substitutes in the country’s food & beverage industry, which of course includes India’s bakery and confectionery industry too.

Raw honey, maple syrup, dates, stevia and coconut sugar are some examples of natural sweeteners, which can reduce the usage of sugar and artificial sweeteners in dessert preparations.

The Sweet Leaf