Understanding the challenges to reduce carbohydrates in foods: a review

Abstract

Growing interest in low-carbohydrate (low-carb) dietary patterns has stimulated research and industrial efforts toward reformulated foods with low carbohydrate content. However, carbohydrates are multifunctional components that contribute not only to sweetness, but also to structural stability, water distribution, viscosity, and sensory perception, making their reduction a major technological challenge. To address these challenges, this narrative review analyzed the main carbohydrate sources in processed foods, including sugars, starches, and wheat flour, highlighting the reformulation strategies, sensory implications, and technological barriers involved in developing low-carb alternatives. An exploratory keyword co-occurrence analysis was also conducted to contextualize current research trends and identify thematic gaps in literature. Current evidence suggests that no single ingredient or replacement strategy consistently reproduces the physicochemical and sensory properties of conventional carbohydrate-rich ingredients across different food systems. Instead, carbohydrate reduction frequently involves trade-offs between nutritional improvement, structural stability, processing behavior, and consumer acceptance. This review highlights the need for integrated and multidisciplinary approaches combining ingredient functionality, nutritional balance, processing strategies, and sensory optimization to support the development of technologically feasible and acceptable low-carb foods. This review provides a mechanistic and integrative framework to support future advances in low-carb food reformulation.