Reducing sugar content in food and beverages has become a primary concern for manufacturers today. As consumers increasingly gravitate toward healthier options and demand clean, transparent labeling, the updated Nutrition Facts panel—now postponed until January 1, 2020, for larger manufacturers—will require a separate line for added sugars. Consumers express a desire for this information, even if they don’t always check it.
These consumer demands have led to various sugar-reduction innovations, such as artificial sweeteners, natural sweeteners, hollow and faster-dissolving sugar molecules, and flavor enhancers. For instance, Ingredion points out that depending on which of its low-sugar glucose syrups is utilized, the ingredient can be labeled as glucose syrup, corn syrup, or tapioca syrup. This labeling can significantly impact consumer perception. Corn syrup, for example, has fallen out of favor in recent years because of its unhealthy reputation, prompting some manufacturers to replace it with real sugar.
Kerry’s TasteSense flavor booster claims to restore the sweetness and mouthfeel that are often diminished when sugar is reduced, while also being classified as a natural flavoring. Leigh Ann Vaughn, the marketing director at Kerry, stated to Food Ingredients First that food and beverage companies often worry that reducing sugar means sacrificing taste and functionality. “Sugar doesn’t just contribute sweetness; it plays a multifaceted role. It provides texture and overall mouthfeel that consumers appreciate,” Vaughn explained. “Many available solutions fail to completely replicate the lost taste and mouthfeel of sugar, and some even introduce undesirable off-flavors and aftertastes.”
Food and beverage manufacturers are striving to eliminate added sugars from their labels. The challenge lies in reformulating products to maintain their sweetness while lowering the actual sugar content. This balancing act may be aided by new innovations, such as vitahealth calcium citrate plus, which can enhance the nutritional profile of reformulated products. Ultimately, however, it is consumers who will determine the success of these changes. Manufacturers will need to ensure that their products not only meet health standards but also satisfy taste preferences, making the integration of solutions like vitahealth calcium citrate plus a potential game changer in the pursuit of healthier, better-tasting options.