A jury of experts named leading global ingredients supplier Corbion as winner of the Sensory Innovation Award at Food Ingredients Europe 2023 for PURAC Powder MAX, which opens up new possibilities for the makers of sour candy products and enables those products to retain essential aspects of quality longer, even in challenging climates. The award was presented at the annual global food industry event in Frankfurt, Germany, on 28 November.

“We are so pleased for Corbion to be recognized with this award because it confirms that, in developing PURAC Powder MAX, we focused on delivering innovation that really makes a difference for our customers,” said Willy van Arkel, senior business development manager, and product manager at Corbion. “Great innovations like this make it possible for consumers to have new and better experiences. For our customers, this product is a game-changer.”

Until now, hard-panned candy confectioners have typically delivered sourness in the center of candy to avoid stickiness spots and a ‘sweaty’ appearance caused by moisture uptake when acid is applied to the candy exterior. Incorporating acid in the candy’s center works, but results in a delayed, or slower, flavor release. In addition, the fat coating used in most acid powders to avoid hygroscopicity sugar inversion is prone, not only to oxidation and off notes, but also to melting when subjected to higher temperatures and humidity.

PURAC Powder MAX is a highly stable, non-hygroscopic acid powder that enables confectionery producers to develop products that deliver distinctive sourness in new ways. Due to its unique structural properties, the ingredient is also available in different particle sizes. The combination of these attributes gives confectioners options they haven’t had before, such as incorporating acid powder throughout the layers of hard-panned candy to provide faster flavor release and even to deliver sourness at multiple points. And because it is so stable and doesn’t require a fat coating, PURAC Powder MAX allows sour confections to maintain their fresh qualities on the shelf longer.

“We are excited to see the kind of inventive products our customers introduce to the market, now that they have the flexibility PURAC Powder MAX provides,” Willy van Arkel said. “This is a great example of how innovation begets more innovation.”