With No Artificial Sugar Substitutes
After two years of research and development at Strauss Group labs in Nazareth Elite, Israel, led by the company chocolate technology team and directed by the Group’s CTO, Eyal Shimoni, Strauss were the first to bring the good news to the consumer: a refined sweet milk chocolate bar with 30% less sugar. The sugar is replaced by two main components: dietary fiber (17%) and ground tiger nut flour (5%). Finding the unique raw materials and developing an exact recipe enabled us to retain the sweet taste while preserving the chocolate’s creamy texture.
Eyal Dror, CEO of Strauss Israel: “Strauss Group invests great resources in developing food technologies to improve its product’s profile. I applaud this international breakthrough in the field of chocolate, a product with a long-standing traditional recipe. Thanks to creativity, expertise and professionalism in the field, we have succeeded in producing a new and improved recipe, offering the consumer a line of products that are healthier while maintaining their great taste. Strauss will continue to work to improve its products by reviewing the recipes and providing technological solutions for their improvement.”
The tiger nut tuber is a natural source of sweetness. It has its roots in Spain and is integrated into the local food culture of the country, as well as in South America and the eastern states. Rich in vitamins and minerals and non-water-soluble dietary fiber, the tuber contains fats similar to olive oil. It also has a high content of resistant probiotic starch serving as food and a substrate to gut-friendly bacteria. The tuber has a slightly sweet taste, hence in a complex development process it was found to be a source of sweetness that could significantly reduce sugar while preserving the familiar taste of chocolate.