In May of this year, the FDA announced new guidelines for the Nutrition Facts label of packaged foods which requires the listing of all “added sugars” in the product. This comes at a time when according to the National Institute of Health (NIH) more than two-thirds of adults in the United States are considered overweight or obese. Consumer awareness of the risk factor for diabetes and obesity associated with excess sugar consumption has opened many new possibilities in the “sweet” market.
In the last three decades, the number of approved sweeteners has increased substantially. Product developers are providing more choices to meet the increasing demand by consumers for great-tasting products with reduced calories. Recent SPINS data shows stevia, blends of stevia with other sweeteners and monk fruit are emerging as versatile alternative sweeteners for soda, refrigerated juices, functional beverages and drink mixes.
Sweeteners are substances used to stimulate a sense of sweet-like taste in foods. The main function of sweeteners (sugars) is to provide energy in the body and “keep us going”. Sugars also play important functions in foods enhancing the flavor, texture and color of foods and increasing shelf-life. In addition, sugars add desirable sensory effects to many foods, imparting a sweet taste which promotes enjoyment of meals and snacks.
Sweeteners can be divided into nutritive and non-nutritive categories. Nutritive sweeteners also known as caloric sweeteners contain carbohydrates that are digested in the body, retain nutrients and have a food energy value. These include naturally occurring sugars such as those found in fruits (fructose), vegetables, dairy foods (lactose) and added sugars. Non-nutritive sweeteners are zero or low calorie alternatives which are not completely absorbed by the digestive system and as a result have a negligible food energy value.
Many of the sugars in our diet are derived from "added sugars", caloric sweeteners added to foods or beverages prior to consumption or during preparation or processing. Examples are sucrose (table sugar), dextrose (glucose), corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), agave, honey, inverted sugar, maple sugar and molasses. Agave, honey, molasses, pure maple syrup and turbinado sugar are often viewed as more natural options because they are from plant sources. These natural sweeteners are bundled with fiber, water, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Non-nutritive sweeteners approved by the FDA for use in the US include acesulfame-K, aspartame, lo han guo (monkfruit), neotame, saccharin, sucralose and stevia. Another category of sweetener is sugar alcohol, or polyols. Sugar alcohol includes sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, and erythritol.
Evidence suggests a relationship between the intake of sugars and cardiovascular disease, obesity, type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol (AHA) and dental cavities. In a 2014 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine, researchers found that the “odds of dying from heart disease increased in tandem with the percentage of sugar in the diet, regardless of age, sex, physical activity level and body-mass index (a measure of weight).”
Despite the well-publicized adverse health effects of too much sugar intake, many consumers find it hard to resist sugar. However, with the growth of the health conscious movement in the past ten years, consumers are becoming more conscious of natural sweeteners, reading labels to watch their sugar intake but still satisfy their “sweet tooth”.
Today a variety of natural sweeteners have emerged in the marketplace to meet consumer demand for low-calorie, healthier foods and beverages. According to NMI 2013 data, fifty-two percent of respondents look for foods without any “added sugar.” Consumers are not only opting for natural sweeteners like Stevia and evaporated cane sugar instead of artificial sweeteners, but are willing to pay significantly more for these products. This is especially true in the case of households with small children.
Major industry players like General Mills, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have made the switch, investing to meet the changing consumer food preferences. PepsiCo’s PEP +0.05% product now uses sucralose instead of aspartame to sweeten their drink. Coca-Cola introduced KO +0.30% which is half the calories of a regular Coke using a sweetener combination of cane sugar and Stevia.
In a 2014 Lux Research report titled “Just a Spoonful of Sugar: Sizing the Global Sweetener Market”, sugar alternatives have managed to capture 12% of the $73.4 billion sweetener market and natural sweeteners currently make up one percent and is growing. Future Market Insights (FMI) analysts project the global stevia market to be worth more than $500 million by 2020.
NP Nutra® offers customers premium ingredients to add natural sweetness to their product formulations. Aside from the popular Stevia P.E. 90% Glycosides (organic), customers have many sweet fruit and vegetable powders to choose from including Banana Powder (organic), Beet Root Juice Powder (organic), Blueberry Juice Powder (organic), Carrot Juice Powder (organic), Lemon Juice Powder (organic), Monk fruit P.E. 7% (lo han guo), Nopal Powder (organic), Papaya Juice Powder, Pineapple Juice Powder.
References:
Lux Research (September 2014) Just a Spoonful of Sugar: Sizing the Global Sweetener Market. Retrieved from
https://portal.luxresearchinc.com/research/report_excerpt/17986
http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/090112p42.shtml
http://www.nutraceuticalsworld.com/issues/2016-09/view_features/natural-sweeteners-spell-success/
http://www.sugarscience.org/the-growing-concern-of-overconsumption/#.V8_X-5MrJn5
http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/~/media/Files/Nutrition/Slideshows/2015/04/Steve%20French-Trends%20In%20Sweeteners.pdf
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/were-eating-more-sugar-less-splenda-2013-05-13
http://www.ihrmagazine.com/public-demand-for-natural-sweeteners-fueling-sales-for-the-global-stevia-market/
