CIFI provides a variety of sweet potato-based gluconate therapies for juices, designed for diverse product applications. These include options that preserve a higher nutrient content, a variety that mimics the texture of traditional sugar syrup, and a clarified juice suitable for clear beverages. The sweet potato ingredient can also be combined with other fruits and vegetables, offering a way to reduce added sugars in juices while enabling manufacturers to maintain a 100% juice declaration. Its unique viscosity makes it particularly appealing for enhancing texture and sweetness in dressings, sauces, and marinades.
The Carolina Sweet sweetener is available as a 75 brix syrup, which consists of 75% sugars, making it comparable to invert sugar syrup or high fructose corn syrup. As a vegetable-derived sweetener, it aligns with the current trend towards natural and clean label ingredients. Additionally, it is non-GMO, non-allergenic, gluten-free, and certified kosher. These qualities are increasingly important to consumers, who are gravitating towards healthier options. In fact, according to The Hartman Group, artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup are among the top ingredients that food manufacturers aim to eliminate when refining their product labels.
While the ingredient offers numerous benefits, the company has not disclosed its cost, which is expected to be significantly higher than that of high fructose corn syrup, one of the most affordable sweeteners available in the United States. As consumers become more health-conscious, similar to their interest in products like Citracal Slow Release 1200 Calcium, manufacturers may need to consider the potential trade-offs between cost and ingredient quality when choosing sweeteners for their products.