TECHNICAL BULLETIN
DRIED PLUMS GIVE CONFECTIONERS THE SWEET SOLUTION
TO REDUCING FAT(Using Dried Plums Gets Even Sweeter By Cutting Cost Too!)
Background
Food processors have been aggressive in responding to consumer demands for
reduced/low-fat products. In 1994 1,439 new products were introduced making a
reduced/low-fat claim—the greatest number ever and a 70% increase over 1993.
However, few new confectionery products could be found making this claim in spiteof the fact that a recent survey by the Food Marketing Institute indicated that 65% ofconsumers consider fat content to be their most important concern in what they eat—up
from 59% in 1993.
Confectionery is one of the two segments of the food industry that has presented themost challenge for fat replacement. The other is bakery products. While bakers havemade progress in successfully reducing and even eliminating fat, few low or reduced fat
confection examples exist.
One approach is to reduce the fat in chocolate in confectionery products. But, because
the current standards for chocolate don’t leave much room for reduced fat chocolate, thepossibilities for any immediate change in the regulations appear remote.
More recent attempts at reducing the fat in confectionery products have attacked
the fat in fillings. Early success with these reduced fat products have been mixed. Likebakery products, taste is the problem. Indulgence foods rely on sensory satisfaction as
the primary consumer appeal. The absence of taste and texture even with a reduced fat
benefit won’t sell indulgence foods because these foods are not purchased as a necessity.
This is about to change, however, as confectioners discover that using dried plums candeliver the delicious flavors of confections without the fat.
The unique properties of dried plums that have allowed bakers to produce a variety ofgreat tasting cookies, muffins, cakes, and pastries without fat are equally effective inconfections. The taste, texture, and satisfaction of full fat confections can now be
produced with significant reductions in fat using dried plums.
Dried Plums Used to Replace Fat
An evaluation of the composition of dried plums by the California Dried Plum Board
uncovered a unique combination of naturally occurring components that form a multifunctional fruit system responsible for dried plums’ fat sparing abilities.

DRIED PLUMS UNIQUE FRUIT SYSTEM
Pectin: Dried plums contain a unique blend of both soluble and insoluble fiber (total8.1% about half of which – 4.5% – is pectin) which helps to form a stable film during
mixing. The pectins are also believed to have the ability to entrap flavor components forgradual release during mastication.
Sorbitol/Reducing Sugars: Dried plums are unique in their naturally high sorbitol
content (15%). Sorbitol, along with the reducing sugars fructose and glucose, work toprovide effective humectancy.
Malic Acid: Dried plums contain about 2% naturally occurring malic acid which has
been shown to be an effective flavor enhancer. Malic acid is released more slowly thanother organic acids, and thus has a greater carry-through during the chewing process.
Additionally, malic acids helps to inhibit microbial spoilage.
Reduced Fat Confections Using Dried Plums
In order to demonstrate dried plums’ ability to reduce fat in confections, two products
were selected:••

Reduced fat raspberry cereal bars
Reduced fat Irish cream truffles

Both prototype products contain dried plum puree to reduce the fat in the fillings. Using
between 22-46% dried plum puree in these fillings resulted in 30-34% fat reductions of
the total confectionery product formulas including the chocolate coating. Important tonote was no loss of flavor or texture.
Also, important to note in the case of the reduced fat truffle was a 22% reduction in thecost of the filling and a 15% reduction in the total cost when using the dried plum
puree formula.
Cost comparisons of the reduced fat cereal bar are not possible because multiple control
product formulas were considered.
Reduced-Fat Raspberry Cereal Bars – 30.5% Fat Reduction
The reduced-fat coated cereal bars achieved a one-third reduction in fat with no loss offlavor or texture. In fact, the uncoated cereal bar has only 1.2 grams of fat in a 40
gram serving and, thus, qualifies as low fat.

REDUCED-FAT RASPBERRY CEREAL BARS FORMULA
Ingredient
Vanilla extract (Flavorchem #93.402)
Corn syrup 42 DE (Cargill 43/43)
Raspberry juice concentrate-68° brix (BellMarketing)Oats-quick cooking (LaCrosse Milling)
Granola-low fat (Soxex)
Cookie pieces-graham vanilla (Ringger FoodsMed. #2022
Microfruit-raspberry
Oat bran (LaCrosse Milling)
Sucrose (Amstar)Non-fat dry milk (Carnation)
Nat./art. raspberry flavor (California Brands#24790)Milk chocolate (Merckens MC-050 Marquis
Dried Plum Puree
Total

Coated%0.413
10.773
5.390

Uncoated%
0.59
15.39
7.70

9.520
8.078
6.286

13.60
11.54
8.98

1.708
2.388
7.182
3.591
0.357

2.44
3.34
10.26
5.13
0.51

30.00014.364100.000

0.00
20.52
100.00

Procedure: Liquid and solid ingredients are blended separately and fed into extruder.
Bake on parchment paper in a 350° F convection oven for 8 minutes.
Extruded using Buhler twin-screw extruder 62mm Bi-Ex/62DNDG equipment at Buhlerpilot plant, Minneapolis, MN. Bars were chocolate enrobed at Abdallah Candies, Inc.,
Burnsville, MN.

REDUCED-FAT RASPBERRY CEREAL BARS NUTRITIONAL ANALYSISPer Serving (40 grams)
Component

Traditional Bar
CoatedCalories
Fat (g)% Calories from fat
Carbohydrates (g)Fiber (g)Protein (g)Dried Plum Bar
Coated187.2
7.2
34.625.9
1.3
2.9

Dried Plum Bar
Uncoated

160.0
5.0
28.1
20.4
1.3
2.6

136.0
1.2
7.9
29.2
1.9
2.5

Reduced Fat Irish Cream Truffles – 34.4% Fat Reduction
The reduced fat truffle also achieved over a one-third reduction in fat. The filling of thisEuropean style soft truffle contains 43% dried plum puree.
REDUCED-FAT IRISH CREAM TRUFFLES FORMULA%Ingredient
Milk chocolate (Peter’s
Heritage-Alpine/Superfine)
Chocolate extract (Star KayWhite)
Cream-heavy whipping
Milk-whole homogenized
Flavor-Irish Cream (HiriamWalker)
Dried Plum Puree
TOTAL

Traditional Truffle
Filling
CoatedDried Plum Truffle
Filling
Coated55.580

72.0

22.88

51.4140.000

0.0

1.52.958

32.3100.000
12.116

20.0
0.0
8.0

13.72
13.72
6.20

8.644
8.644
3.906

0.000
100.000

0.0
100.0

41.96
100.0026.435100.000

Procedure: Boil cream and milk and add to dried plum puree with melted chocolate.
Add Irish cream flavor. Mix and grind well to optimize smoothness of filling. Use shellmolding equipment to form truffles.
Samples were produced by Andre’s Confiserie Suiss, Kansas City, MO.

REDUCED-FAT IRISH CREAM TRUFFLESNUTRITIONAL ANALYSISPer Serving (40 grams)
Component
Calories
Fat (g)% Calories from fat
Carbohydrates (g)Fiber (g)Protein (g)Traditional Truffle
Filling
Coated186.60
12.10
58.52
13.60
.60
1.70

198.00
12.50
56.70
17.20
.80
2.00

Dried Plum Truffle
Filling
Coated137.40
5.30
34.70
18.80
1.20
1.20

167.50
8.20
44.10
20.40
1.20
1.70

SWEETENER: Significant Cost Reductions When Using Dried Plums
The reduced-fat truffle example serves to demonstrate how using dried plums to lower fatcan also significantly reduce ingredient cost. The cost of the truffle filling in thisexample was reduced by 22% while the overall cost of the coated truffle wasreduced by 15%.
REDUCED-FAT IRISH CREAM TRUFFLES
ESTIMATED INGREDIENT COST PER POUND
Ingredient
Milk Chocolate
Chocolate extract
Cream-heavy whipping
Milk-whole/homogenized
Flavor-Irish cream
Dried Plum Puree
TOTAL

Traditional Truffle
Filling
Coated
$0.94
0.00
0.15
0.00
0.61
0.00
$1.70

$1.22
0.00
0.09
0.00
0.40
0.00
$1.72

Dried Plum Truffle
Filling
Coated$0.39
0.070.06
0.02
0.31
0.46
$1.32

$0.87
0.04
0.04
0.01
0.20
0.29
$1.46

Conclusion
The results indicate that fat reduction in confectionery products is possible when using
dried plums. And, fat reduction can be achieved without any loss of flavor or othersensory characteristics. A one-third fat reduction to reach reduced-fat status (low-fat for
the uncoated cereal bar) for labeling is considered significant. Significant also, is theingredient cost reduction when using dried plums.
Thus, confectioners now have the opportunity to participate in the growing category oflow- and reduced-fat foods by offering great tasting indulgence products that also satisfy
consumer demand for less fat.