Toothfriendly NEWSLETTER OF TOOTHFRIENDLY INTERNATIONAL 1/2011 NEW SERIES: Ask an expert Thai health group says no to sugar First Toothfriendly concept store opened in Germany What’s hot in Toothfriendly? INGREDIENTS + PACKAGING + FLAVOURS + CONCEPTS sheril leemann Formulating tooth- Strategy briefing friendly gummy bears with isomalt Editorial comment A tooth that ticks all the boxes The use of dental claims on confectionery products is admittedly a controversial and complex issue. We have seen breath mints that claim to be “anti-cariogenic” and chewing gum that is endorsed by dubious dental foundations. When it comes to product labeling, there is a wide split between what the public health lobby wishes to see and what the confectionery industry is prepared to say. One dental message, however, has remained indisputable for nearly thirty years. The Toothfriendly logo, a smiling tooth under a protective umbrella, is a health claim which ticks all the follow- ing boxes: TOOTHFRIENDLY NEWS is the annual newsletter of the non-profit as- The logo conveys a message that is easy to under- sociation Toothfriendly International. √ Clear stand, even by illiterate children. Toothfriendly International is dedicated to improving oral health by promoting non-cariogenic nutrition and dental √ Consistent A product can be labeled “toothfriendly” hygiene. The association owns the only if it lacks both cariogenic and erosive potential. worldwide right to license the “Tooth- friendly” trademark for guaranteed toothfriendly products. √ Convincing The Toothfriendly concept is supported TOOTHFRIENDLY INTERNATIONAL by dental professionals around the world. Bundesstrasse 29 4054 Basel - Switzerland Tel: +41 61 273 77 07 Fax: +41 61 273 77 03 Unlike many other labeling schemes, the Toothfriendly quality seal is likely to survive [email protected] another thirty years. How do we know this? Firstly, consumers prefer simple visual www.toothfriendly.org cues. Recent reviews of research carried out on behalf of the Food Standards Agency THE ASSOCIATION confirm that consumers are often confused by complicated health statements on food labels. President Prof. Bernhard Guggenheim Secondly, the fact that the Toothfriendly logo makes a difference to consumers’ Executive Director choices is proved again and again. Several consumer surveys in various countries have Dr. Albert Bär found that the Toothfriendly logo - when placed prominently on the front of the pack- age - persuades a majority of consumers for the toothfriendly choice. Project Management Yael Ellenbroek Irene van Loon A third fact that speaks for the Toothfriendly labeling scheme is the new EU-wide Kati Weiss Health Claim Regulation which states that all health-related statements must be backed up by scientific evidence. This certainly is the case with all Toothfriendly- Germany: Hedi von Bergh endorsed products. Switzerland: Kati Weiss Corinne Voisard Editor, Toothfriendly International Turkey: Selda Alemdar The Netherlands: Lisette De Jong SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD: Members of Toothfriendly International Prof. Thomas Imfeld University of Zürich Prof. Ellmar Hellwig University of Freibrug Prof. Cor van Loveren University of Amsterdam Prof. Elin Giertsen University of Bergen Toothfriendly News 1/2011 3 Toothfriendly trends Every year, we look at the most interesting toothfriendly product launches around the world. These ten product innovations provide valuable clues to what could be in store for the future. New era for erythritol in Europe Adding erythritol has become the favourite ingredient makeover strategy of manufacturers 1 striving to improve the taste, texture and nutritional qualities of chewing gum. Offering zero calories and high laxation threshold, erythritol is a toothfriendly sugar substitute which was of- ficially accepted in Europe in 2006. As witnessed by the latest additions of Wrigley’s Five range, Perfetti’s Mentos Gum and Cad- bury’s liquid-filled Trident line-up, erythritol demand is booming - rumour has it that the supply side may even face production shortages thanks to booming demand. Calcium makes a “gumback” 2 Gum giants 3 The chewing gum industry is making efforts to battle for burst keep gum firmly positioned as a dental health product. Now that most manufacturers have Gum giants Wrigley, Cadbury and replaced sugar with toothfriendly alternatives, Perfetti are this year battling as new dental ingredients are sought to draw atten- never before for the attention of tion to gums dental properties. In 2010, Turkish novelty-hungry teenagers with Ülker launched a new gum brand Oneo boasting new bursting flavours. What the dental benefits of calcium pyrophosphate, a begun as the comeback of liquid- chemical compound that is commonly used as a filled gums has quickly developed mildly abrasive agent in toothpastes. into an array of flavour-changing shift gums and two-layer slabs. Whether the flavour firework will truly drive new growth in the mar- ket or simply cannibalize existing flavours remains to be seen. Tin takes Perfetti into premium league 4 In 2010, package design was clearly one of the biggest innovation frontiers for confectionery brands. While usually the train of development goes for a more modernized look, last year saw the return of traditional tin boxes. Perfetti, for example, went from plastic to “premium” metal boxes in an attempt to create a more sophisiticated look for its dental candies Smint and Frisk. Cavity-free chocolate a new healthy niche for kids 5 Spotting a gap in the kids’ market for all-natural toothfriendly chocolate, German Alpia has created a treat that offers great taste without risk to teeth. Sweetened with non-laxative isomaltulose, the toothfriendly chocolate is finding favour with health-conscious mothers.The innova- tion is based on bulk chocolate from Barry Callebaut. 4 Toothfriendly News 1/2011 Ice ice baby 6 Dentists give go-ahead for stevia 7 The challenges of creating ice cream Wild’s Sunwin stevia has been awarded the Toothfriendly seal of approval based on that kids want to eat and that moth- a plaque-pH telemetry study conducted at the Dental Institute of the University of ers feel comfortable about are not Zurich. The study demonstrated that Wild’s Sunwin stevia poses no risk for teeth, new ones. In Switzerland the leading as it does not depress the plaque-pH below the critical level of 5.7. When the acid retailer Migros cracked this problem concentration falls below this threshold, teeth can be damaged. on the ice cream shelf by creating a toothfriendly water ice sweetned with “all-natural” stevia. The outcome is a The approval means that manufacturers may use stevia toothfriendly treat that not only moth- as a part of the sweetening solution and state that the ers approve but one which kids will product is “safe for teeth”, granted that no other cari- also be enthusiastic about. ogenic or erosive ingredients are added. Package revamp set to refresh Smint sales 8 Smint is looking to expand on its leading position in the power mint market with a full packaging redesign. Apart from the Toothfriendly logo embossed on the front label, the new Smint design sets dental claims aside and concentrates on the essentials. “We have refreshed the packaging to show a clear association with ‘freshness’, the main driver when purchasing a power mint”, says Aimee Reason, UK Smint Brand Manager. Furthermore, Smint is looking to widen its assortment in the UK by launching a new spearmint variant. Floral flavours 9 freshen up the candy category The Russian Sula started with a Baby expert HiPP goes mission to bring healthier candy 10 offerings to the Russian high-end toothfriendly consumer. Now, the brand has the goal to reinvent the category with For the first time in its history, Tooth- interesting floral flavours such as friendly International has allowed its juniper, camomille, lime blossom, recognized quality seal to appear on a sea buckthorn or sage. range of infant teas. The endorsement is based on scientific pH-tests demon- strating that HiPP’s baby tea range is both non-cariogenic and non-erosive, thus fulfilling the toothfriendly crite- ria. The accredited tea range comes in mixed herbal flavors and is available in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. “Dentists welcome HiPP’s initiative to draw mothers’ attention to dental health”, confirms Dr. Albert Bär of Toothfriendly International. “On its product labels HiPP highlights the fact that only unsweetened tea should be offered to kids between mealtimes and also informs parents about further risks related to baby bottle car- ies. The company truly lives up to its reputation as a responsible marketer”, says Dr. Bär. Toothfriendly News 1/2011 5 Confectionery production Rethinking gummy bears No sugar, no taste? Kati Weiss sets the stage for producing sugar-free gummy candies without unpleasant side effects. A glance at the supermarket shelf shows and a tendency to crystallize, it is usually that “sugar-free” has become a standard not the primary candidate for candies with a claim in many product categories. And soft and translucent texture. It could work as yet, despite strong performance in estab- part of the sweetening mix though.” lished sectors such as chewing gum or lozenges, the entry of major candy brands Another non-laxative bulk sweetener mak- to the sugar-free confectionery market has ing waves is isomaltulose, a fully digestible remained limited. toothfriendly carbohydrate often quoted as the “next generation sugar”. Isomaltu- “The risk of gastro-intestinal discomfort has