People in Asia tend to work the longest hours. In fact, the region has the highest proportion of people working over 48 hours a week, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO). 1 Singapore’s high-performing workforce is among the busiest in the world, 2 with each employee clocking in on average 45 hours a week. This equates to an annual average of 2,371 working hours – higher than countries with notorious overtime cultures, such as Japan and South Korea. 3 In Malaysia, 70 percent of workers4 are reporting more stress-related illnesses due to the long work hours that leave little time for rest. In this busy work culture, many are finding it harder to switch off from work, depriving them of quality rest. A study by Singapore’s SingHealth Polyclinics found that 44 per cent of Singaporeans have insufficient sleep on weekdays. 5 In a survey done by FMCG Gurus, 80% and 74% of Indonesian and Thai consumers respectively also indicated that they are unhappy with their work life balance.6 To exacerbate the problem, many do not even have the time to have proper meals. The increasing demand for energy-boosting food products, such as fortified foods and energy drinks, presents an opportunity for food manufacturers to give busy workers what they need – convenient snacks that offer sustained energy release.
Sustained energy release
One way that manufacturers can boost the energy release factor of on-the-go food products is through Palatinose™ (isomaltulose), a naturally sourced sugar derived from the sugar beet. Palatinose™ is the only low-glycaemic carbohydrate that is fully digestible. It is hydrolysed by our body four to five times slower than highly-digestible carbohydrates, such as sucrose. As a result, glucose energy is slowly released from Palatinose™ over a longer period of time as compared to highly-digestible carbohydrates, providing longer-lasting energy supply to the body and brain. This is important since the human brain relies on glucose as its main energy source. Thanks to its ability to provide a steady and sustained glucose supply, scientific studies7 conducted show the potential of Palatinose™ in improving memory and mood in the later part of the morning after consuming breakfast containing Palatinose™. This would be highly beneficial for busy executives that need to kick-start their busy workdays first thing in the morning. In the longer term, Palatinose can benefit metabolic health, as compared to highly digestible carbohydrates, such as sugar, glucose and maltodextrin. Its low-glycaemic property allows the body to burn more fat, since the body’s blood sugar levels and insulin response are lower. As a result, eating 
1 Work life balance is a must for a better quality life – Astro Awani
2 Report: Labour Market 2016 – Ministry of Manpower, Singapore
3 Long hours common for some professions in Singapore – The Straits Times
4 Work life balance is a must for a better quality life – Astro Awani
5 More than 40% of Singaporeans not getting enough sleep: Study – TODAY
6 Consumer trends, attitudes and behaviours in the Indonesian and Thai grocery market 2016 – FMCG Gurus
7 Benefit of sustained energy delivery – BENEO
low-glycaemic snacks can reduce the risk of developing various noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.8
Refuelling on-the-go
Aside from choosing foods with energy-boosting functions, consumers are also looking for food products that can better fit their hectic lifestyles, leading to the growing demand for food that can be easily consumed on-the-go, with minimal preparation time. According to Mintel, the proportion of food products launched in Asia Pacific carrying an “on-the-go” claim rose by more than 50 percent between 2013 and 2017. 9 This trend is reflected in the rapidlymodernising developing countries in Asia, where consumers are increasingly replacing traditional breakfasts with convenient breakfast alternatives.10 The snack bar markets in India and China have been growing rapidly while newer foods such as breakfast cereal and yoghurt are being increasingly accommodated into Asian breakfasts. BENEO’s Palatinose™ is an ideal ingredient for many food manufacturers. Palatinose™ is half as sweet as sugar and, at the same time, has a natural sweet taste without any aftertaste. This allows food manufacturers to create products that taste great and enhance their on-the-go convenience products to boost the energy release factor.
Smarter carbs for a better life
Today’s busy workforce leads incredibly hectic lifestyles. They want convenient food products that are healthy and can help optimise their energy levels. By replacing high glycaemic or highly-digestible sugars, manufacturers can create quality food products and snacks that are not only healthier and but also taste great.
