Reducing sweetness without compromising functionality is one of the challenges in developing new plant-based beverages. Our Oat Concentrate Low Dextrose gives manufacturers greater control over formulation. But what does lower dextrose really mean, and how can it influence European claims such as “low sugars” or “no added sugars”?
Developing a plant-based beverage starts long before choosing a flavour or defining its market positioning.
For R&D and formulation teams, one of the first decisions is selecting a base that can deliver the desired sensory, nutritional and technological profile without limiting subsequent stages of product development.
In oat-based formulations, one of the key variables to consider is the degree of hydrolysis of the grain.
During enzymatic hydrolysis, part of the oat starch is broken down into simpler carbohydrates, including sugars such as glucose and maltose. This process facilitates the production of an oat base suitable for different industrial applications, but it also influences factors such as sweetness and the final profile of the ingredient.
This is why we developed our Oat Concentrate Low Dextrose: a solution with a lower degree of hydrolysis that gives manufacturers a less sweet starting point and greater control over their plant-based formulations.
What Does Low Dextrose Really Mean in an Oat Concentrate?
To understand the possibilities offered by our Oat Concentrate Low Dextrose, we first need to look at what happens to oat carbohydrates during processing.
Starch consists of long chains of glucose molecules. Through enzymatic hydrolysis, these chains are progressively broken down into smaller carbohydrates.
The degree of hydrolysis matters.
More extensive hydrolysis results in greater starch breakdown, while a lower degree of hydrolysis allows a greater proportion of carbohydrates to remain without being broken down into simple sugars.
Our Oat Concentrate Low Dextrose undergoes a lower degree of hydrolysis than our Oat Concentrate Standard.
The result?
Lower sweetness and a more pronounced oat character, giving development teams an alternative when they need a base that has less influence on the final sensory profile of the formulation.
Oat Concentrate Standard vs. Low Dextrose: Different Solutions for Different Formulations
Not every plant-based beverage requires the same oat base.
That is why our portfolio includes different Oat Concentrate solutions, allowing manufacturers to select the most appropriate option according to the objectives of each development.
From a technical perspective, both our Oat Concentrate Standard and Oat Concentrate Low Dextrose have a 63–66°Bx range, a pH of 5.5–6.5 and a Brookfield viscosity of 10,000–16,000 cps.
Both formulations are also based on just two simple ingredients: oats and water.
The main difference lies in the degree of hydrolysis and the dextrose parameter. While our Oat Concentrate Standard has a value of 62, our Oat Concentrate Low Dextrose reduces this value to 35.
It is important to note that this parameter corresponds to our technical specifications and should not be interpreted directly as grams of sugar per 100 g of product.
From an R&D perspective, this difference enables us to provide two different tools for two different formulation objectives, rather than trying to adapt a single oat base to every product development.
Less Sweetness from the Start, Greater Formulation Freedom
This is probably one of the most interesting advantages of Oat Concentrate Low Dextrose from an industrial perspective.
When the base itself contributes significant sweetness, formulators have less room to build the desired sensory profile later in the development process.
Starting with a Low Dextrose, less sweet solution provides greater freedom to work with other ingredients, flavours and sensory profiles.
This can be particularly valuable when developing plant-based beverages, functional products, smoothies, breakfast products, snacks and other plant-based applications where oat-derived sweetness is not intended to dominate the final product.
In addition, the lower degree of hydrolysis helps preserve a more recognisable oat character, which can be especially relevant in formulations where the cereal is intended to play a more prominent sensory role.
But there is another consideration that is becoming increasingly important during product development:
the sugar profile we want to achieve in the final product.
Can Oat Concentrate Low Dextrose Help Us Develop a Lower-Sugar Beverage?
Here, it is essential to distinguish between the ingredient, the formulation and the final product.
Our Oat Concentrate Low Dextrose provides a less sweet starting point with a lower degree of hydrolysis, which can offer greater flexibility when managing the sugar profile of a formulation.
However, using a Low Dextrose ingredient does not automatically mean that the finished product can be described as low sugars, sugars-free or no added sugars.
Each of these claims is subject to specific requirements under European legislation.
This is where formulation strategy and commercial objectives need to work together.
Low Dextrose, Low Sugars and No Added Sugars Are Not the Same
In the European Union, nutrition claims are regulated by Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods.
It is important to distinguish between several concepts that may sound similar but are subject to different requirements.
For beverages, the claim “low sugars” can only be used when the final product contains no more than 2.5 g of sugars per 100 ml.
To use the claim “sugars-free”, the threshold is even stricter: no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 ml.
The claim “with no added sugars”, however, follows a different criterion. It is not simply based on a maximum amount of sugar. The product must not contain any added mono- or disaccharides or any other food used for its sweetening properties.
In addition, if sugars are naturally present in the food, the corresponding indication must be included.
That is why it is important to understand that:
Low Dextrose ≠ Low Sugars ≠ Sugars-Free ≠ No Added Sugars.
Our Oat Concentrate Low Dextrose can be a valuable tool within a formulation strategy designed to manage sweetness and the sugar profile of the final product, but eligibility for any specific nutrition claim will always depend on the complete formulation and the final nutritional values.
Formulating with Both the Product and the Label in Mind
We believe this represents a particularly interesting opportunity for R&D teams.
If we know from the beginning that we want to develop, for example, a less sweet beverage or explore the feasibility of specific nutrition claims, we can select raw materials with that objective already in mind.
The oat base is one of them.
Choosing our Oat Concentrate Low Dextrose allows development to begin with a less sweet and less hydrolysed base, providing greater flexibility when building the final product.
It is not about formulating first and then checking what can be stated on the label.
It is about designing the product we want to bring to market from the very beginning, considering its sensory and technological characteristics as well as its future positioning.
The Functionality We Need, with Greater Control Over Sweetness
Reducing dextrose should not mean compromising the technological characteristics required for industrial formulation.
That is why one of the key features of our Oat Concentrate Low Dextrose is that it maintains the same declared ranges for °Brix, pH and viscosity as our Standard version.
Our Low Dextrose has 63–66°Bx, a pH of 5.5–6.5 and a Brookfield viscosity of 10,000–16,000 cps.
And it does so with a particularly straightforward formulation:
oats and water.
We also work with a concentrated base designed for easy integration into industrial processes.
As a reference, 1,000 g of oat drink can be obtained from 100 g of Oat Concentrate and 900 g of water, after which the rest of the formulation can be adapted to the specific requirements of each project.
This enables our customers to work from a concentrated solution and use it as the basis for developing different concepts and applications.
Oat Concentrate Low Dextrose as an R&D Tool
We do not believe there is a single oat solution that works for every product.
That is why we have developed a portfolio that allows us to support our customers according to what they actually want to achieve.
When a formulation requires a naturally sweeter profile, our Oat Concentrate Standard may be the right solution.
When the objective is lower sweetness, a more pronounced oat character and greater control over the starting point of the formulation, we can work with Oat Concentrate Low Dextrose.
Our role does not end with supplying the ingredient.
We work closely with manufacturers and R&D teams to assess each application and identify the solution that best meets their technical, sensory and commercial objectives.
Because it is not simply about offering different ingredients.
It is about providing more possibilities for formulation.
And When the Formulation Works, Supply Has to Work Too
Developing the right ingredient is only one part of the equation.
For manufacturers, achieving the perfect formulation is of little value if they cannot then ensure continuity of production.
That is why, alongside our development capabilities and specialisation in Oat Concentrates, another commitment is central to our value proposition:
we guarantee year-round stock availability.
Through careful planning and supply chain management, we provide our customers with the stability they need both during product development and when it is time to scale up to industrial production.
For us, being a strategic partner means supporting our customers from the first formulation trial through to reliable industrial supply.
Oat Concentrate Low Dextrose: Greater Control from the Very First Ingredient
Developing a plant-based beverage with a specific sugar profile is not simply a matter of removing sugar from a recipe.
It requires an understanding of how oat carbohydrates behave, how hydrolysis influences the ingredient, what sensory profile we want to achieve and which requirements the final product will need to meet.
With our Oat Concentrate Low Dextrose, we give manufacturers a tool that provides greater control from the very beginning.
Lower degree of hydrolysis. Lower sweetness. More oat character. Greater formulation flexibility.
All backed by our expertise in Oat Concentrates, B2B development support and guaranteed year-round stock availability.
Because the final product begins long before it reaches the production line.
It starts with choosing the right base.