Adding tiny coloured balls and strands of sugar to food, all began with the now well renowned, coloured ‘hundreds’ and ‘thousands’, which were first introduced in the 19th century.
Traditionally, the decorative ingredient has been used for sprinkling on ice cream and sweet baked goods. However, in this post, we look at how the contemporary form of sprinkles, or edible glitter as it’s now known, is making the popular food enhancer a whole lot healthier. We also explore three great examples of the sparkly culinary embellishment in use.
Firstly, let’s look at how today’s coloured glitter is healthier than more traditional alternatives.
Unlike traditional Jimmies, Sprinkles, Nonpareils and Coloured Sugar, Cornelius-distributed Watson Edible GlitterTM is manufactured using Gum Arabic and natural colours from natural sources such as algae, turmeric and radish. Watson’s glitter ranges are 100 per cent edible, sugar-free and contain no artificial sweeteners, fats or hydrogenated vegetable oils, which keep food looking attractive without adding in any of the ‘bad stuff’.
And now for the innovation. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.
1. Drinks
Drinks and other liquids can now sparkle with on-shelf presence when they contain Edible GlitterTM Insoluble. Formulated for liquid systems and created from calcium alginate, the custom ingredient is usually non-water soluble and exempt from colourants. Follow the link to see ‘Edible Glitter Insoluble’ in action.
Hartley’s, the famous UK jam brand, has used insoluble edible glitter to great effect in this category in 2016 to create fruit flavoured glitter jelly. Watson Inc has various offers for jelly and liquids including its well-loved heart glitter below.
2. Savoury snacks
With glitter and strands typically associated with sweet products, savoury snacks might be the last thing someone would think to sprinkle with glitter. However, high-street retailer Marks and Spencer took the media by storm in 2015 with the launch of novelty ‘Winter Berries and Prosecco hand cooked crisps’. The tiny glitter stars were a novelty addition that added an extra sparkle to the novel taste sensation and were a hit with consumers.
3. Tablets and supplements
Edible glitter is also in use in the least expected of categories; it’s now easy to show a more fun and less serious side to healthcare with Edible Glitter Shapes. Swallowing tablets or supplements can be a monotonous (but often necessary) daily chore. Brands now have the opportunity to not only brighten up the consumer experience but can actually provide colour coding for the ease of identification, which offers a helping hand to those taking multiple supplements or tablets.
Ok, so hands up, we don’t actually have an example of this one. But we do have some pretty cool concept imagery of how it would look in real life. It’s such a new idea, you heard it here first!
If you’re looking to generate similar results to these fantastic examples of edible glitter usage, Cornelius and Watson can help to increase the consumer appeal of your product. We can deliver a modern, fun aesthetic that Instagrammers will love. And watch this space, because Watson has announced the addition of more shapes to its range for Christmas 2017.
Cornelius offers an extensive range of edible glitters from Watson Inc, for more information, please contact gareth.clark@cornelius.co.uk