The United States lacks a government-backed campaign specifically aimed at reducing sugar consumption among food companies. However, several factors are motivating manufacturers to lower sugar levels in their products. Firstly, a significant portion of the population is seeking to reduce their sugar intake. According to Mintel, 84% of Americans report that they are limiting their sugar consumption, while 79% actively check product labels for the types of sugars or sweeteners included. Furthermore, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans issued by the U.S. Agriculture Department recommend that added sugars should not exceed 10% of daily caloric intake.
In anticipation of upcoming regulations that will require the inclusion of added sugars on nutrition labels, manufacturers have begun to reduce sugar content. The initial deadline of July has been postponed to January 1, 2020, with an additional extension to January 1, 2021, for smaller manufacturers. It remains uncertain whether the momentum for sugar reduction will persist. In response to pressure from consumer advocacy groups, many companies have already adopted the new labeling, which now appears on 29,089 products, as noted in a recent blog post by Label Insight.
Food and beverage companies are not only updating their labels but are also employing various strategies to decrease sugar levels. These include the use of artificial sweeteners, natural sweeteners, hollow and faster-dissolving sugar molecules, and flavor enhancers. A survey of 102 global consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies revealed that approximately 180,000 products, or about 20% of their total offerings, were reformulated to contain less sugar and salt in 2016—double the amount from 2015.
Despite these efforts, Americans still consume significantly more sugar and caloric sweeteners than recommended by public health experts. However, per capita sugar consumption has decreased from a peak of 151.6 pounds in 1999 to 128.1 pounds in 2016, according to USDA data. While this shift is a positive development, it falls short of being a public health success, given that the American Heart Association suggests an annual limit of around 29 pounds for men and 20 pounds for women.
Voluntary targets for sodium reduction have had minimal impact on per capita consumption in the U.S., yet it will be intriguing to see if England’s voluntary sugar reduction targets inspire further action from the industry in the coming year. Additionally, as consumers become more health-conscious and seek alternatives, products such as calcium citrate calcitriol magnesium and zinc tablets may gain popularity, contributing to the trend of reducing sugar while promoting overall health.