Natural edible glitter to enter UK market

US food ingredients manufacturer Watson has developed a range of natural edible glitter products to meet increasing demand for clean, natural products.

Edible Glitter is made from gum Arabic – the sap of the Acacia tree – with colours produced from a range of sources, including cabbage juice, algae, carrots, radish, turmeric and annatto. The products will be distributed by Cornelius, an independent European distributor of raw materials and ingredients for the food and drink industry.

The Watson Glitter can be used as a sprinkle, topping or baked as part of a recipe and can be used in confectionery products, baked goods and frostings. It contains no sugar, artificial sweeteners, fats or hydrogenated vegetable oils.

According to Watson, Edible Glitter is a lightweight flake that provides excellent coverage as a topping, allowing a 95 per cent reduction in usage by weight when compared to typical sprinkles or ‘shots’ found on the market. The lightweight flakes adhere readily to a variety of surfaces and in frosted baked goods the amount of frosting required for the topping can be reduced substantially.

Mary Watson, senior vice president of global sales at Watson, said, “Consumers appear to be equating artificial and unhealthy and are likely to turn away from product labels with unfamiliar ingredients. Watson understands that consumers are looking for product descriptions that are familiar to them and that they associate with ingredients they would find in their own kitchens. As a result, many consumers are looking for products that are ‘free-from’ artificial colours and flavourings today.”

Gareth Clark, sales manager for bakery solutions at Cornelius, added, “More than ever, consumers are pushing food manufacturers to use ingredients to produce products with so-called ‘clean labels’.”

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