The Importance of Sweeteners in Cannabis Edibles

A more discreet and healthy way to consume cannabis, marijuana-infused edibles have become popular since their legalization in states across America. From baked goods to gummies to drinks, sometimes you can’t even tell these products have cannabis in them! Why? It’s all thanks to one key ingredient: sugars and sweeteners.

What Sweeteners Are Used in Edibles?

Depending on the type of edible, a few different sugars or sweeteners can be used in manufacturing. Granulated cane sugar is most popular, as it is the most versatile and can crystallize when hard candies are made. Artificial substitutes, such as maltitol and sorbitol, are also valuable options for sweeteners.

For those looking to steer clear of traditional sugars or artificial sweeteners, there are a few natural alternatives. Products like honey and molasses provide a sweet taste and offer additional health benefits. Bremer Ingredients carries bulk quantities of these products for commercial manufacturers interested in exploring sugar alternatives for edibles.

Why do Edibles Need Sweeteners?

The primary reason sweeteners are such an important ingredient is because, without the right amount of flavoring, edibles can end up tasting a lot like what’s in them. Marijuana extracts like THC or CBD have strong bitter, earthy flavors that sugars and flavorings help mask. Plus, added fats and sugars help preserve the shelf life of edibles and allows them to be sold or stored at room temperature.

How Can Bulk Sweeteners Streamline Edible Manufacturing?

When selecting a sugar product to incorporate into commercially manufactured edibles, it’s important to ensure that it can be used in bulk. High intensity sugar substitutes like Stevia and monk fruit exist as “healthier” alternatives because they’re naturally derived and allow for smaller amounts of sugar in recipes. That said, these products cannot be used in large quantities, which is a concern for large-scale manufacturers. At Bremer, we only offer traditional sugars and sweeteners that can be used in bulk, so you don’t have to worry about disrupting your sugar ratio — or running out.


Sugars and sweeteners are key to every edible manufacturer, so it’s important you’re getting the best ingredients at reasonable prices. We distribute everything from cane sugar to sorbitol to molasses, so you can get the ingredients you need in time to keep making quality products. For information on our industries, products, and distribution, contact us — we’re happy to help!

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The Best Spices & Seasonings for Fall Baking

The weather’s getting cooler, the leaves are changing colors, and the fall season is in full swing. What better time to perfect your apple pie recipe — or finally try making the pumpkin scones you’ve been craving? Make the most of your baking this season by incorporating some of the best spices and seasonings for fall.

Which Spices & Seasonings to Use in the Fall

Fall typically emulates warm and cozy feelings, and while those sensations don’t directly translate to taste, they do often inspire a certain spread of foods. Pumpkin breads, cinnamon rolls, or apple crisps — to name a few — are all best made with a few certain spices that help create pleasant, homey feelings.

  • Cinnamon is a popular spice derived from the inner bark of a cinnamon tree. It is typically used in both sweet and savory dishes as a form of sweet to bittersweet flavor.
  • Best used fresh, nutmeg has a sweet and spicy flavor that works well alongside cinnamon and adds an extra kick to baked goods.
  • Cloves come from the dried flowers of a clove tree and add a rich, deep flavor to a variety of bakery favorites.
  • A good addition to anything from cupcakes to cookies, vanilla offers a sweet and mouth-watering flavor to baked goods.

The Value of New Flavors in Different Seasons

No matter the time of year, spices help to enhance a food’s flavor, color, and overall taste. However, we often associate different sensations with the changing seasons and the dishes we cook tend to reflect this shift. Fall and winter prompts warm and cozy feelings, which makes us more inclined to revisit our favorite soup or bread recipes. With their warm, earthy qualities, spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove fit easily into fall-inspired dishes.

Adding Fall Spices & Seasonings to Your Baked Goods

While some fall-inspired recipes already include these seasonings, they don’t have to be in order for you to add them to your dish. Seasonings can be used in a variety of ways, whether they change the entire flavor of a recipe or simply provide an extra kick of spice. What you decide to incorporate and how much will likely depend on the goal of your dish.

For bakeries looking to elevate their fall flavors and incorporate fitting seasonings into their dishes, Bremer Authentic Ingredients distributes premium bulk ingredients across the Midwest. Whether you’re looking for a wholesale spice supplier or quality bakery supplies, Bremer has what you need. Send us a message to start getting the fall flavors you need.

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Adding Sugar to Wine: The Chaptalization Process

Fall is upon us, and so is the harvesting season. As winemakers prepare for another season of tasty wines, many wonder how they can make this batch of beverages better than their last. A little tweaking of the winemaking process can go a long way, and experts have discovered the value of a key ingredient — sugars and sweeteners. Through a process known as chaptalization, sugar has played a significant role in the quality of wines across the world.

What is Chaptalization?

Put simply, chaptalization is the practice of adding sugar to wine. According to Wine Folly, chaptalization is primarily practiced in the Northern hemisphere, where the weather is cooler. Grapes are not always optimally ripe in these climates, which means they are sour and acidic without the added sugar. Chaptalization is typically undetectable and ensures the quality of a wine, even if its grapes are harvested in places with unpredictable temperatures.

Why Use Chaptalization in Winemaking?

Contrary to popular belief, the goal of chaptalization is not to make wine sweeter. If a grape is not ripe, it is unable to reach a wine’s required alcohol percentage. When sugar is added prior to fermentation, yeast is able to ferment into alcohol and increase the alcohol content of the wine. In places like Italy or California, where grapes can become too ripe, chaptalization is actually illegal. These areas may instead practice acidification, which involves adding acids to lower the pH and increase the acidity of a wine.

Some wine experts frown upon chaptalization, claiming that it negatively affects the taste and quality of wine. The process only impacts the alcohol percentage of a wine, but critics debate that — particularly in high-end, expensive bottles — an overly acidic lack of complexity can be tasted. If you’re looking to craft a well-balanced wine with simple quality, however, chaptalization is a great way to do so.

Getting Started With Chaptalization

The best way to start practicing chaptalization in winemaking is to find a reliable sugar provider near you. By having access to a quality local sugar and sweetener distributor, you won’t risk experiencing the negative effects of a less than satisfactory harvest. The sugar most commonly used in chaptalization is granulated, or white, sugar. This product is often sourced from cane, but can come from beets as well — a popular hit in Michigan. In some cases, corn syrup or sugar substitutes are also used in chaptalization. Any of these products can be purchased in bulk quantities, so your winery is always stocked with the ingredients you need.

For winemakers battling finicky weather that tampers with harvest season, chaptalization still gives you the perfect wine — and Bremer has the ingredients to help you get there. Bremer Authentic Ingredients started as Bremer Sugar & Distributing in 1946 and has been supplying Michigan and Northern Indiana with quality bulk sugars and sweeteners ever since. Get in touch with us for all of your chaptalization needs.

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FDA Nutrition Facts Label Changing

FDA Updates Nutrition Facts Panel

On May 20, 2016 the Food and Drug Administration announced the changes to the nutrition-facts panel, citing a need to update the 20-year-old existing label due to consumers demanding more accurate and helpful information about the foods they eat.

On the surface, it seems like a small change, but for those involved, there is far more to it than simply a modified look.

What the Changes Mean for Consumers

For consumers, the label will still be recognizable and easy to read. Much like a company will refresh their logo without significantly changing their logo, the FDA has refreshed the nutrition-facts panel without losing the essence of the classic clean, black-and-white look.

The updated design will make it easier for customers to get the information they usually seek first, such as calories and serving size, and also updates what, exactly, food manufacturers are required to put on the panel. These mandates are in line with current dietary shortcomings, which have changed on a national scale in the last 20 years.

For example, Vitamins A and C will no longer be mandatory inclusions on the panel. In the early 1990s, when the existing panel was created, many American diets lacked those nutrients. Now that such deficiencies are so rare, manufacturers may include the information if they wish, but are not required to do so. Conversely, Vitamin D, which was not an obligatory inclusion on the old label, is going to be required from now on.

What the Changes Mean for Producers and Manufacturers

Obviously, food producers will need to supply accurate information on the new FDA panels, which will require adherence to the new rules. In addition to the vitamins being added and removed above, manufacturers will now have to include potassium (another nutrient that lacks in American diets based on food-consumption surveys) and, most notably, added sugars.

On existing labels, all sugars are included in one item. On the new labels, added sugars will be specifically broken out and listed. For instance, if a product has 10 grams of sugar on its label now, but eight of those grams are added (see page 897 of the Nutrition Facts Label Final Rule for a definition of “added sugars”), there will now be a line beneath “sugars” to tell consumers eight of the 10 grams are added sugars.

Manufacturers have over two years—until July 26, 2018, to be exact—to comply with the new requirements. For manufacturers with less than $10 million in annual sales, that deadline is extended by one year.

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