The findings from this survey should not be surprising for food manufacturers and retailers, as the shift away from sugar has been gaining momentum for quite some time. Currently, a primary focus for manufacturers is to reduce sugar content in food and beverages, as consumers in the U.S. and beyond increasingly favor healthier options and clean, transparent labeling. The revised Nutrition Facts panel, which will be featured 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 don’t always scrutinize it. This demand, combined with manufacturers’ reluctance to display high sugar levels, has spurred a variety of sugar-reduction innovations, including artificial sweeteners, natural sweeteners, hollow and faster-dissolving sugar molecules, and flavor boosters.
Rabobank has projected a reduction of 5% or more in sugar usage across the global food and beverage industry within a two-to-three-year timeframe, which could counterbalance any expected growth in consumption in developing markets. According to Bloomberg, global consumer packaged goods (CPG) producers eliminated sugar and salt from about 20% of their products in 2016 in response to the increasing consumer demand for healthier products. A survey of 102 CPG companies revealed that 180,000 products were reformulated last year alone—double the number from 2015. While some companies are eager to highlight their sugar reductions, others, like DanoneWave, have been lowering total sugar and fat in their yogurts without disclosing their methods. The company informed Fortune that promoting reduced sugar and fat might lead consumers to assume the product will taste inferior, potentially harming sales.
Moreover, consumers—especially women, millennials, and parents, as noted by the DSM survey—also seek transparency. Thus, clearly communicating the goals for sugar reduction leading up to the implementation of the new nutritional label could be a prudent strategy. 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. Additionally, as a part of a broader wellness strategy, incorporating products like calcium citrate softgels could complement these efforts toward healthier lifestyles. The focus on transparency and innovation in sugar reduction aligns with the growing trend of integrating health supplements, including calcium citrate softgels, into everyday diets, appealing to the health-conscious consumer.