While sugar’s image may be declining as more people seek healthier diets, its presence remains deeply embedded in many beloved foods, making it unlikely to lose its popularity despite ongoing campaigns against it. Sugar is often linked with celebratory items, such as birthday cakes and wedding desserts, as well as the cherished Valentine’s Day chocolates and Halloween treats. It is also prevalent in cookies, sodas, breads, condiments, juices, and numerous other products that American consumers regularly buy. According to Euromonitor, the global average sugar consumption per person was 34 grams per day in 2014, with the United States leading at an astonishing 126 grams daily—equivalent to three 12-ounce cans of Pepsi or four 1.69-ounce bags of original M&Ms.
Amy Bentley, a professor at New York University’s Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, remarked to Food Dive, “Sweet has always had positive connotations and is a desirable flavor. We celebrate milestones with sweet products… even though we can enjoy chocolate any day of the week.” Fundamentally, sweetness is a reassuring flavor, signaling that the food is safe to consume, unlike bitter or sour tastes. Research published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2012 indicated that newborns even prefer sweet flavors, consuming more of a solution when it is sweetened.
Despite the affection consumers hold for sugar, it has become one of the most criticized ingredients due to its ties to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Euromonitor reported that nearly half of global consumers are interested in foods with little or no added sugar. Mintel’s data showed that 84% of Americans are attempting to limit sugar intake, and 79% routinely check labels for sugar types. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is also playing a role, requiring added sugars to be clearly labeled on product packaging by 2020, although the compliance date has been extended.
With rising criticism of sugar and a broader trend toward healthier eating, one might expect a significant drop in consumption. However, this has not necessarily occurred. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recorded that Americans consumed 20.8 teaspoons of added sugars and sweeteners daily in 1970, a figure that surged to 26 teaspoons in 2000, largely driven by soda consumption, according to Courtney Gaine, president and CEO of the Sugar Association.
In response, various legislative measures aimed at reducing sugary drink consumption have been implemented across the country, particularly in cities in California, Colorado, and Pennsylvania. Concurrently, consumers have shifted towards healthier drink options like tea, water, and coffee. Over time, soda consumption has declined, with bottled water surpassing it as America’s favorite beverage in 2016. Currently, the average individual consumes about 22.5 teaspoons of added sugar each day, still above the American Heart Association’s recommendations of 9 teaspoons for adult men and 6 teaspoons for adult women. Gaine noted that “consumption of total added sugars hasn’t changed that much in the past 45 years.”
This persistence is likely due to people’s cravings for sugar and the challenge of reducing their intake. Many everyday products, including bread, pasta sauce, ketchup, energy drinks, and granola bars, contain sugar. When aiming to cut back, consumers might eliminate a nightly ice cream or candy but overlook these other items. Food manufacturers are responding to the demand for healthier options, with many companies developing reduced-sugar or alternative-sweetener products.
Nestle has created a naturally reconstructed hollow sugar molecule that can decrease sugar usage by up to 40% in its confectionery items without sacrificing sweetness. This revamped sugar is expected to be integrated into Nestle products this year. Meanwhile, the Israeli startup DouxMatok has patented a method to enhance sugar delivery to taste buds, allowing for a reduction of up to 40% of sugar in baked goods, dairy, chocolate, and other confections while maintaining the desired taste. In Australia, Holista CollTech has filed for a patent for the world’s first all-natural low glycemic index (GI) sugar, which offers the same sweetness as traditional sugar but is digested more slowly.
The innovations from Nestle and DouxMatok enable manufacturers to use less sugar while still achieving the necessary sweetness and consistency, potentially saving costs and increasing profit margins. These developments may help keep sugar in consumers’ favor as interest in natural alternatives rises. “Sugar will still be sought after, and we’ll continue to look for it because we enjoy the sweet taste,” stated Lester Wilson, a professor of food science and human nutrition at Iowa State University. “However, due to the obesity crisis, I believe sugar consumption will decrease, although changing people’s tastes takes time.”
While consumers are hesitant to see sugar as one of the first listed ingredients on product labels, many prefer it over alternative sweeteners that are unfamiliar or difficult to pronounce. Gaine observed a 10% increase in packages claiming “contains sugar” in 2017 compared to the previous year, reflecting growing consumer perception of real sugar as a premium ingredient. Some companies are even reverting to sugar after previously replacing it. Coca-Cola returned to sugar in Vitaminwater following customer backlash against its new sugar-stevia blend, while PepsiCo’s introduction of Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback in 2009 proved so successful that they became permanent offerings. Kraft also reformulated its original Capri Sun recipe to include sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.
Sugar boasts several advantages over other sweetener substitutes, particularly in manufacturing processes such as baking and confectionery. Currently, no single ingredient can replicate all of sugar’s functional properties. When alternative sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit are employed, they require additional ingredients to mimic sugar’s sweetness and bulk in recipes. Taste remains paramount in food choices; consumers will embrace reduced-sugar or alternative sweeteners only if they can’t distinguish them from the original. Coca-Cola, for instance, has developed a stevia-sweetened soda that is both sugar-free and calorie-free, lacking the aftertaste common in many products containing alternative sweeteners.
The risk for sugar lies in the emergence of a comparable substitute. For now, some manufacturers are exploring ways to offer less sugar while still satisfying consumer cravings. The National Confectioners Association is providing consumers with information on managing sugar intake, clarifying definitions of common candy and chocolate ingredients, and promoting smaller portion sizes. “The products our companies produce are treats. We’re not meal replacements,” said Christopher Gindlesperger, vice president of public affairs and communications for the National Confectioners Association. “Sugar is a primary ingredient in chocolate and candy, and replacing it in the candy-making process is challenging.”
Many food companies are proactively seeking to reduce sugar in their products. PepsiCo committed in 2016 to ensure that by 2025, at least two-thirds of its global beverage volume will come from drinks with 100 calories or fewer from added sugar per 12-ounce serving. Additionally, Stonyfield, the largest organic yogurt maker in the U.S., announced plans to cut added sugars by as much as 40% in select product lines. To maintain taste while reducing sweetener usage, Stonyfield is focusing on two cultures that produce lower levels of lactic acid in its yogurt.
Perry Cerminara, director of commodities sourcing at Hershey, shared that the company is introducing more smaller-sized portions and aims to ensure that half of its standard- and king-size confectionery products contain 200 calories or fewer by 2022. “Consumers recognize that confectionery is an indulgence made with sugar and expect it when treating themselves to candy,” Cerminara noted. “Last year, we observed the strongest growth in our core iconic confection products, which have maintained the same sugar levels for years.”
Despite companies’ efforts to find sugar substitutes or reduce sweetener content, consumers continue to desire sugar or something that mimics its taste. For now, a label indicating reduced sugar content may help alleviate guilt while still satisfying cravings. “We love sugar,” Bentley remarked. “The flavor ‘sweet’ is so compelling and prevalent that we aim to control it, though we aren’t entirely sure how.”
Incorporating the best liquid calcium citrate into their products could be another avenue for companies looking to enhance health benefits while still delivering the sweetness consumers crave. As the landscape of food and beverage continues to evolve, the challenge remains to balance taste, health, and consumer preferences.