The long natural path of sweeteners

Every few years, a new "bad role"
the food industry. Fat, sodium, cholesterol, and carbohydrates all took turns sitting on this throne. There is no doubt that it is sugar's turn now.may

,
FDA
made changes to the design and content of
Facts
labels used in the food and beverage industry nationwide. The new label is a new design that reflects the updating of nutritional science information and is designed to give consumers a clearer picture of the choices they have. Although manufacturers have two to three years to revise or correct their product labels, many companies are already actively considering the impact of these regulations on their future composition, processes, and labeling volumes. Among them, it is worth noting that the content of "added sugar" will also be very different from the original.addition to emphasizing the number of grams of added sugar in each serving, the nutrition label should show that the added sugar is a percentage of the recommended daily limit. In the original regulations, the nutrition label only marked the total sugar content, but also by weight listed a variety of ingredients, in the nutrition table, the higher the sugar content. However, for added sugars, food producers use a variety of different names, such as right-hand sugar and fructose. Sometimes, they use different types of sugars in the same product, listing them separately, so that they are rear-arranged, further blurring the total amount of added sugar in the food.addition,
FDA
also proposes that people limit their intake of added sugars, which should not exceed
10% of total
. For example, for individuals who consume
2,000
calories per day, this equates to approximately
12,
teaspoons of sugar per teaspoon because it contains approximately
16
calories per teaspoon.
2015
report by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee found that if more than
10 percent of people's total daily calories
came from sugar, it would be difficult for them to get all the nutrients recommended by the guidelines.these revisions, manufacturers may choose to adjust ingredients or make other changes to adapt to the new rules and better position their products in the competition.consumers arethat sugar and sweeteners have a hard way to go in today's market. And according
Mintel
, there is some confusion among consumers.in a survey of market researchers, consumers were most likely to choose tequila
agave
(
34%
), followed by relatively new coconut and stevia sugars, in the
"Which sugar substitute do you think is natural". However, a quarter of respondents said none of the sugar substitutes listed in the options were natural. The list includes high fructose corn syrup, sucralose and aspartas, but also Rohan fruit and glycol (as well as tequila, coconut sugar, stevia sugar). About two-thirds of respondents said there were so many types of sweeteners on the market that it was hard for them to know the difference.good news is that with just a little education, consumers will notice the natural sweeteners. Not only do they like natural sweeteners, but many are willing to pay higher prices for products that contain natural sweeteners. A quarter of respondents between
18
and
38,
(
Mintel
called millennials) and
17%
consumers aged
39,
to
50,
are willing to pay a high price. In addition, families with children are also loyal supporters of natural sweeteners, with a quarter saying they are willing to pay a high price, while only
12% of families without children
. And high fructose corn syrup is a budget cut for many consumers, with Inmind reporting that nearly two-thirds of Millennials and nearly three-fifths of sugar substitute users (all ages) think it's harmful, even if it's a sugar substitute., however, unlike other areas, which attract consumers with only natural options, there is a
"line in the desert" in the sweetener field (representing a boundary of communication). Millennials are the most likely to agree that it's unhealthy to add sugar from juice in food and beverages, according to Inmint, with nearly half of the group agreeing, compared with
8 percent
of those over
70
. As a result, market researchers have concluded that while fruit juices may be classified as a sweetener that is more natural than other substitutes on the market, younger consumers (who are often more likely to be a cluster of natural ingredients) may not think it's better for their health at all.two reactions when it comes to sugar, suppliers respond to the increased negative effects by changing the market position of the ingredients themselves, using healthy halos provided by natural and organic ingredients, which are often successful. In fact,
8 per cent of newly listed sugars
with
"unprocessed" claims,
24 per cent with organic claims

1

1 per cent
) according to the
Mintel
Global New Products Database).when it comes to alternatives, the natural ingredients industry achieves a healthier list of ingredients and a better flavor by offering a
"better for you" chemical-free selection. "The current discussion about sugar reduction is necessary to guide consumers to more balanced nutrition, but that's not the whole story."
"
are not
bio-
, " says Jon Peters, president of BENEO. It can play a physiological role, not just food chemistry. "That's why the natural ingredients industry offers a wide range of sugar alternatives for a wide range of applications.in
BENEO
, which refers to some of the ingredients extracted from beet sugars that provide a mild sweetness.
Palatinose
can be slowly digested and successfully applied to cereals, beverages, confectionery and dairy products.
ISOMALT
provides only half the calories of sugar and has a very low blood sugar response and is well used in hard fruits, chewing gum, baked goods and chocolate. " different sweeteners have their own properties, which determine how they should be handled under various manufacturing conditions.
Today, more consumers are looking for ingredients they think are healthier, and manufacturers are responding to that demand," said
Peter Sokoloski
, a major customer representative at now Foods
. Now Foods to
challenges with its
Stevia FSE
(or
BetterStevia
). As an organic extract,
Stevia FSE
conforms to the "good health" trend and is a non-GMO ingredient that also erects a benchmark for sugar substitutes such as zero calories and no aftertaste.

Ohmes, global business manager for high-strength sweeteners at
Cargies, points out that the way stevia is used is changing. The company's
ViaTech
products, for example, are now used outside the beverage industry, including nutrition bars, cereals, baked goods and confectionery.



said suppliers such as Cargies have been able to use the sweetener to reduce sugar by
50 per cent
,
60 per cent
or even
70 per cent
) since it was first approved in
this success, non-drink brands that want to add stevia sugar to their products have also attracted a wide range of attractions, which also presents a challenge.
"In drinks, when you take out sugar, you can add water, " he explains. " "In these cases, the formulator may have to add puffing agents.

, executive vice president of Blue California
, recommends adding apple powder, apple sauce, fiber, starch, or other additives to reduce sugar while improving volume. Because "when it comes to food, sugar provides volume and other functions in addition to sweetness." So formulat designers still have to address these challenges. Although has come a long way, one-on-one alternatives are unlikely. In fact, these alternatives often don't completely solve the problem of formulator, no matter which sugar alternative they choose. " For most sugar alternatives, the key formulation challenge is to achieve sucrose-like sweetness (time intensity), non-sucrose flavor (bitter, metallic, licorice, etc.), taste, solubility, tolerance, osmosis pressure (in sports drinks), reduced freezing point, and processing and storage stability.

Kasi Sundaresan
, a senior research fellow in sweetener applications at
, said, "There is no universal solution to completely replace sugar, depending on the application itself." Sundarresan
said that when it comes to sweetener mixtures, the mixture can be more than just sweeteners, such as
Ingredion
's
ENLITEN 300000
Stevia leaf extract and
ERYSTA C40
erythyl glycol, which together give the product a better flavor. They can also be paired with fibers such as probiotics in the form of sweeteners, which allow products that use high-strength sweeteners to achieve the desired taste. consumers want clean and natural ingredients, but they don't want to miss out.
Lisa Unlu, senior food scientist at

IFP
, said,
The natural market for high-strength sweeteners has matured to meet this demand.
Product developers are developing new blends and systems that can customize the reduction or removal of sugar from formulations while providing the sweetness consumers want. The
a
blend of IFP that combines stevia sugar with Rohan fruit extract, the company also creates custom blends for its partners. also helps to address another challenge facing the natural sweetener market, with very different sweet curves for different ingredients.
"Some ingredients, such as stevia sugar, are more prominent in the previous paragraph, while the sweetness of ingredients such as rohan fruit or saccharine appears mainly in the verse,"
Unlu
added, "It's common for certain stevia ingredients to have a bitter taste." That why
formulators
IFP are often using a systematic approach that combines a variety of sweeteners. This approach ensures that "the sweetness of the front and rear segments is maintained (or maintained) in the products it develops". similar solutions have
standard solutions in the
company Suzanne's Specialties.

, the company's director of new product and business development, said overall demand for natural products was driving sales growth in natural sweeteners. "A lot of times, if you want to shift your products from the mass market to the natural product market to meet this demand, you need to replace refined sweeteners with natural ingredients. This effect can be achieved by combining multiple components. A report by Calorie Counting
vs
Cleaning Label Packaged Facts
notes that honey is a "bright spot" in calorie-sweeteners, as evidenced by the strong sales volume and sales of the ingredient in recent years. 's latest data show that
28% of
consumers have increased their use of honey for several reasons: it is "less processed" and they also like the health benefits that honey provides, such as enzymes, antioxidants and antibacterial properties. It does not conflict with the trend towards cleaning labels. same,
41%
consumers said they had added tequila