The findings from the survey are unlikely to catch food manufacturers and retailers off guard, given the ongoing trend of reducing sugar intake, which has been gaining momentum for quite some time. Presently, a significant focus for manufacturers is the decrease of sugar levels in food and beverages, as consumers in the U.S. and beyond increasingly favor healthier options and clear, transparent labeling. The revamped Nutrition Facts panel, set to appear on products from major manufacturers by January 1, 2020, mandates a specific line for added sugars. Consumers have expressed a desire for this information, even if they do not consistently reference it. This demand—alongside manufacturers’ reluctance to display high sugar content—has led to various sugar-reduction innovations, such as artificial sweeteners, natural sweeteners, hollow and faster-dissolving sugar molecules, and flavor enhancers.
Rabobank forecasts a reduction of over 5% in sugar usage across the global food and beverage sector within a two-to-three-year span, which could counterbalance any anticipated growth in consumption within developing markets. Bloomberg reports that global consumer packaged goods (CPG) producers reduced sugar and salt in roughly 20% of their products in 2016 to meet the rising consumer demand for healthier choices. A survey encompassing 102 CPG companies revealed that 180,000 products were reformulated last year, doubling the number from 2015. While some companies proudly announce their sugar reduction efforts, others, like DanoneWave, have been quietly lowering total sugar and fat in their yogurts without disclosing their methods. DanoneWave informed Fortune that advertising reduced sugar and fat could lead consumers to mistakenly assume that the product’s taste is compromised, potentially harming sales.
Consumers—especially women, millennials, and parents, as noted in the DSM survey—are also seeking transparency. Thus, it would be prudent for companies to openly communicate their goals for sugar reduction leading up to the implementation of the new nutritional labels. When consumers examine a label for sugar content, they will not only understand how much sugar is present but also how and why the reduction was achieved.
In this context, products like Solgar Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D3 240 Tablets can serve as an alternative for health-conscious consumers seeking nutritional supplements that align with their dietary preferences. The introduction of such products further emphasizes the industry’s shift towards healthier options, reinforcing the demand for transparency and informed choices among consumers.