How do you choose the perfect caramel texture and flavor to enhance a food product?

With its gourmet nuances and varied textures, caramel is a key ingredient for enhancing many food products. However, caramel is an extremely malleable product, both in terms of texture and flavor. So much so, that choosing the ideal industrial caramel to enhance a food creation is no easy task. To achieve this, it is essential to understand the different possibilities caramel offers, whether as a flavoring solution, sauce, topping or filling. That's why Metarom, specialist and creator of food flavorings and caramels, presents the taste properties, different forms and applications of caramel.

Caramel: an ingredient with countless taste properties

Caramel, a confection obtained by cooking sugar, stands out by developing a complex palette of flavors. Its rich aromas, derived from the Maillard reaction and caramelization, vary according to temperature, cooking time and the ingredients used. Depending on the technique used, caramel can express sweet, creamy flavors or more intense, toasty ones.

Whatever the case, its sweetness remains a major asset that instantly produces a sensation of pleasure and indulgence. Fortunately for consumers concerned about their sugar intake, there are now solutions for creating low-sugar caramels while maintaining an intense, gourmet taste.

What is flavoring caramel?

Flavoring caramel is much more than just cooked sugar. It's a caramel specially designed to bring a subtle depth of flavor by evoking fruity, toffee, buttery and even smoky notes. Used in a wide variety of food products, it can be added to enhance both sweet and savory dishes. The flavoring caramels developed by Metarom are designed to meet specific taste requirements and blend harmoniously with all kinds of food formulations.

Different types of caramel to suit all foods

Depending on their use, caramels can take many forms. As a specialist in caramel production, Metarom is able to develop tailor-made caramels for use in all types of foodstuffs: ice cream, dairy products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, confectionery , cereal products, health foods etc.

Caramel in a flavoring solution

Caramel in the form of a liquid flavoring solution can be processed in an infinite number of ways. It can be added to beverages or dairy products to add a subtle taste.

Caramel sauce, topping

Perfect for topping desserts, caramel sauces are designed for creaminess and ease of application. Used as a finishing touch on pastries and ice creams, caramel topping is appreciated for its stringy texture and beautiful shine.

Caramel filling

Ideal for injection or extrusion into confectionery or bakery products, caramel filling adds a gourmet touch to every bite.

Caramel: a confection with 1,000 facets

Whatever the type of caramel, its texture is crucial to its application. This can vary from fluid to viscous, or from thick to melting. Mastering the science of rheology (the study of the flow and deformation of materials) is therefore essential to guarantee an optimal taste experience. Manipulating the texture is also necessary to guarantee the compatibility of a caramel with the industrial machines used on the production line.

Are you looking for a fluid caramel for a topping or a thicker texture for a filling? Metarom adjusts viscosity parameters and adapts to your technical constraints to create the customized caramel you need.

How do you choose the type of caramel to use in a product?

Choosing the right caramel for a food product depends on a number of criteria, such as:

• The final product: a drink does not require the same type of caramel as a pastry. For example, a thin caramel filling is ideal for ice cream, while a thicker filling is more suitable for cookies.
• Storage conditions: ice cream stored in a freezer, for example, requires a specific caramel that won't freeze, to guarantee the pleasure of tasting it.
• Production constraints: the ability to pump and handle caramel on automated production lines can influence the choice of texture and rheology.
• Mouth feel: depending on the desired effect (runny, crunchy, melting), the caramel must be designed to offer an adapted sensory experience.
• The desired flavor profile: some products require a soft, sweet caramel, others a more intense, toasty note.

Solutions to limit the sugar content of caramels, without compromising pleasure

With concerns about sugar consumption on the rise, manufacturers need to find alternatives to traditional caramels that are just as tasty, but less sweet.

The caramel clear label focuses on simplifying the ingredient list by using ingredients that consumers recognize and have in their own kitchens. For example, instead of using glucose or fructose syrups, it is possible to use only sucrose (table sugar). This transparency reassures the consumer while preserving an authentic taste.

To improve the nutritional profile of their caramels, manufacturers can reduce the salt content while increasing fiber or protein. This can transform caramel into a gourmet product that is also more interesting from a nutritional point of view, responding to the health demands of consumers.

Finally, for products aimed at specific categories of consumers such as athletes, sugar-free or protein-enriched fillings can be developed. These gourmet fillings fit perfectly into low-carb products and protein snack ranges, offering a taste experience without compromising on flavor.

Create a custom caramel with Metarom

At Metarom, we understand that every product is unique. That's why we help our customers develop caramels tailored to their specific needs. To achieve this, our R&D team works closely with you to adjust the texture, rheology and flavor profile of the caramel to meet your technical and taste requirements. From the design phase to industrialization, Metarom is at your side to make your product a gourmet success.

Choosing a caramel with the perfect texture and flavor for a food product is a delicate process that requires specialized expertise. Thanks to Metarom's customized support, food manufacturers can count on innovative solutions tailored to their needs, to create flavoring caramels and low-sugar caramels of any texture.

Thanks to Metarom, you can enhance your products with made-to-measure caramels and meet consumers’ expectations with regard to taste, texture and pleasure.