Reducing Calories by Replacing Sugar with High Potency Sweeteners; and Developments in Flavor Masking and Sweetness Enhancement Technologies Using Stevia
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
- Greg Horn, Senior Director, Sweetener Technology, WILD Flavors, Inc.
- Nicholas L. Rozzi, Ph.D., Commercialization Manager, Godiva Chocolatier, Inc.
With the current obesity epidemic in the United States, food and beverage companies are faced with a great challenge - how to reduce caloric consumption in the population without sacrificing taste. Research has shown time and again that taste is the number one driver in a consumer’s selection of foods. This session will provide an overview of the sweeteners used in the United States, the sweet taste receptor, and a general history of sweetener blending, successes, and challenges. Stevia extracts are considered by many product developers to be the Holy Grail since it is a natural sweetener with no calories. However, stevia’s inherent issues with bitterness, lingering sweetness, and off-tastes present major challenges in creating great tasting products that consumers will purchase repeatedly. This session will examine these challenges, as well as the processing steps that enhance the taste of stevia extracts. You will benefit from a toolbox of solutions that address how stevia extracts can be used to make naturally sweetened, no- or reduced-calorie food and beverage products that consumers will accept.
About the Speakers:
Greg Horn has been ivolved in the beverage industry for more than 20 years, and is currently senior director, Sweetener Technology, at WILD Flavors, Inc., where he manages the commercialization and application of stevia and taste modifiers. Prior to his current assignment, he was the senior director of Technology and Innovation at WILD Flavors, where his primary roles were to investigate the benefits, applications, and commercialization of novel health ingredients, natural colors, and specialty ingredients. He previously worked for PepsiCo, managing the development and national rollout of several new initiatives. Mr. Horn serves as the vice chairperson of the Non-Traditional Beverage Committee of the International Society of Beverage Technologists.
Nicholas Rozzi is the commercialization manager for Godiva Chocolatier, Inc, and manages the transition of products from prototypes through industrial production, overseeing product development at co-manufacturers and licensed product producers, as well as the development of new ingredient technologies. He is also adjunct faculty at Purdue University. Prior to his current position, he worked in various positions at Roquette America, Inc. in R&D and New Products Management. In his last role at Roquette America, Inc., he managed a team of scientists in the development of applications with a focus on health and wellness. He received bachelor’s and doctorate degrees in food science, both from Purdue University. He is a Professional Member of the Institute of Food Technologists, and has served on various national committees and panels. Dr. Rozzi has served for the last three years on the advisory panel for the Wellness Conference .