Why replacing sweetness is only the starting point
Understand the wider role sugar plays in flavor balance, acidity, body, mouthfeel, refreshment, and finish.
February 23 | 1:00 p.m. EST
Deliver the refreshment consumers expect, with less sugar and no unnecessary sensory compromise.
Consumers may be looking for beverages with less sugar, but that does not necessarily mean they want less sweetness, flavor, body, or refreshment. When sugar is removed, acidity can become sharper, bitterness and functional ingredients can become more noticeable, fruit can seem less ripe or juicy, and the overall beverage may feel thinner or less satisfying.
Join our experts for a practical conversation about rebuilding the complete drinking experience in reduced-sugar and zero-sugar beverages. Explore how developers can combine sweetener systems, flavor design, taste modulation, masking, and mouthfeel solutions to address the particular sensory challenges of each beverage application.
Sugar is a multifunctional ingredient. Beyond delivering sweetness, it helps round acidity, support flavor perception, contribute body and mouthfeel, and create a clean, satisfying finish.
Reducing sugar can therefore produce very different challenges depending on the beverage. A carbonated soft drink may become sharper or thinner. A juice drink may lose perceived ripeness and juiciness. An energy drink may reveal more bitterness from caffeine, botanicals, or vitamins. The greater the sugar reduction target, the more comprehensive the reformulation strategy may need to become.
This fireside chat will explore how product developers can identify these sensory gaps and use an integrated toolbox to rebuild the beverage experience.
In just 30 minutes, you will gain insights into:
Understand the wider role sugar plays in flavor balance, acidity, body, mouthfeel, refreshment, and finish.
Explore why carbonated soft drinks, juices, refreshers, energy drinks, and other beverage formats require different reformulation strategies.
Learn why sweetness onset, peak, decay, lingering character, and aftertaste influence how closely a reduced-sugar beverage resembles the original experience.
Discover how sweetener blends, flavor architecture, sweetness optimization, masking solutions, and mouthfeel tools can work together to address temporal mismatch and flavor distortion.
Learn how defining the target experience, reviewing the base formula, identifying sensory gaps, and developing prototypes can support a more focused development process.
The conversation will introduce dsm-firmenich capabilities related to:
Pietro Caruso
Director, Technical Applications
Srini Subramanian
Senior Director, Business Development
Through an accessible expert conversation, they will examine the technical decisions behind creating refreshing, balanced beverages with less sugar.
This fireside chat is designed for professionals involved in:
It is ideal for beverage manufacturers and brands developing reduced-sugar or zero-sugar products while seeking to protect taste, refreshment, and consumer acceptance.
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