Although some believe that food manufacturers have been slow to reformulate their products, there are leading companies making strides in reducing sugar through reformulation. Let’s explore some of the approaches manufacturers are adopting to achieve sugar reduction.

Key points:

• Sugar is a major concern for consumers when making food and beverage choices.
• Reformulation efforts are particularly prevalent in confectionery and alcoholic beverages.
• Consumers show a preference for natural sweeteners over artificial ones in sugar reduction.

New and innovative sugars are emerging, providing additional options for manufacturers.

Why is Sugar Reformulation Important?

The IFIC’s 17th annual Food and Health Survey found that “low in sugar” was the second most popular attribute associated with healthy food among Americans, with 32% of participants selecting it. This indicates the significance of sugar in consumers’ perception of healthy eating. In Europe, a recent EFSA study showed that two out of three respondents have attempted to reduce their sugar intake at some point in their lives.

These findings underscore the importance of sugar reduction for consumers, creating a potentially lucrative market for food and beverage producers.

Which Sugar Products Are Being Reformulated?

Sugar reformulation efforts have been particularly prominent in the confectionery and alcoholic beverage sectors. Manufacturers are striving to reduce sugar content while maintaining taste and quality.

How is Sugar Reformulation Achieved?

To reduce sugar content while maintaining flavor, manufacturers are employing various strategies. These include incorporating additional ingredients with high flavor profiles, such as fruits, seeds, cocoa, and nuts. These ingredients not only contribute to taste but also allow companies to market their products as having added nutritional benefits, such as protein, vitamins, or fibers.

Additionally, sugar-free alternatives using high-intensity sweeteners like Stevia are gaining popularity. However, to balance the sweetness, formulators often introduce ingredients like cocoa powder to add a touch of bitterness.

Natural vs. Artificial Sugars

Consumer preferences are shifting towards clean labels and natural ingredients. Natural sweeteners, such as honey and stevia, are increasingly favored over artificial alternatives due to their plant-based and sustainable nature. This aligns with consumers’ values and allows manufacturers to make “naturally sweetened” claims.

Another emerging trend in sugar reformulation involves using natural syrups or extracts, including rice, oat, and other cereals. These natural sweetening agents are easily recognizable to consumers and provide an ideal choice for natural sweetening. Manufacturers can also make natural claims by incorporating these syrups into their reformulated products.

New Sugar Alternatives

Advancements in sugar alternatives offer promising possibilities for sugar reformulation. Innovations in Reb M stevia production, bioconversion, and precision fermentation show potential for reducing or even eliminating sugar while ensuring affordability and sustainability in the long run.

Flavor and taste modification techniques are also being explored. Marketed as natural flavors, these techniques can help reduce sugar content in products like baked goods where sweeteners like stevia are restricted.

The future of sugar reformulation is bright as consumer demand drives industry efforts. Manufacturers are increasingly motivated to meet these expectations, and the available options for achieving sugar reduction have never been more abundant.

Research at Biofortis

Biofortis is dedicated to protecting consumer health worldwide by delivering a wide range of testing and consultancy services to the food, supplement, and nutrition industries. Biofortis supports this mission in two ways—through clinical trials and sensory and consumer insights testing. We specialize in clinical research targeting foods, ingredients, and dietary supplements that affect body structures, function, and overall health. Contact us with any clinical trial or scientific consulting needs.

Original article posted by Mérieux NutriSciences.

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Sugar reduction in foods has been a major public health priority for governments and consumers alike. Consumption of foods high in sugar has been linked to numerous diseases and other physical health complications. Reducing sugar through the reformulation of products may be the answer.

Many believe that food manufacturers are dragging their feet on reformulating their products to reduce the amount of sugar, but some are leading the way. Let’s take a look at some of the ways manufacturers are achieving reducing sugar through reformulations.

Highlights:

• Sugar is one of the biggest concerns for consumers in terms of food and beverage choices.
• Sugar reformulation in confectionaries and alcoholic beverages is particularly popular.
• Consumers prefer natural sweeteners to artificial sweeteners in their sugar reformulations.
• New novel sugars are slowly making their way to the market and may provide manufacturers with additional options.

Why is sugar reformulation so important?

According to the IFIC’s 17th annual 2022 Food and Health Survey, which explored Americans’ perspectives and behavior related to food, “low in sugar” was the second most popular answer when participants were asked what the main attributes of healthy food were (32%). The most popular answer was “fresh” (37%).  This illustrates the gravity of consumers’ perceptions of sugar and health. Additionally, this survey found that nearly three out of four, or 73% of respondents answered that they are trying to limit or avoid sugars.

In Europe, a recent study from the EFSA found that 2 out of 3 respondents had, at some point in their life, tried to reduce their sugar intake.

This data highlights the importance of reducing sugar for consumers and also what food and beverage producers see as a potentially profitable and burgeoning market.

What types of products are being reformulated?

Soft drinks have long been used as the poster child for the obesity crisis and beverage manufacturers have already taken numerous steps to reduce the sugar content in many of these drinks.

According to UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe, the European soft drink industry reduced average added sugars by 3.6% between 2019 and 2021.   While sugar reformulation in the soft drinks sector has been making major strides, industry experts believe that alcoholic beverages, such as beer and cider, will be the next major group to look to reformulate.

Another major area of sugar reduction through reformulation has been in confectionary and sweets. There have been significant product launches this year in these categories with low sugar/reduced sugar or even zero sugar claims.

How can sugar reformulation be achieved?

If consumers want less sugar and producers are to meet these expectations, what options do they have to replace sugar in their formulations?

One thing has become clear in all areas of reformulation, while consumers demand certain ingredients be cut, they still expect the products to taste good. Therefore, one of the ways producers are keeping flavor while reducing sugars is to add additional ingredients that have high flavor profiles such as fruits, seeds, cocoa, and nuts. These added ingredients not only allow the product to remain tasty with a reduction of sugar, but also allow companies to market them as having added protein, vitamins, or fibers.

Many brands are choosing sugar-free options, which often means relying on high-intensity sweeteners like Stevia. In these cases, the product can become overly sweet, therefore, formulators often add cocoa powder for instance to soften the taste through added bitterness.

Natural vs Artificial Sugars

Clean labels and simple ingredient lists are becoming more and more favored by consumers across the globe. The choice of sweetener will become even more important to consumers as their interest in reduced-sugar options expands beyond sugar content alone. Consumers are starting to look more closely at product labels for the types of sweeteners used in their food and beverage purchases as clean label demands have become commonplace. People want to buy items that are beneficial for them and the environment, and they are increasingly making purchases based on their principles. Because of this, they are drawn to product labels that are brief and emphasize natural components.

This has led consumers to favor natural over artificial sweeteners when it comes to sugar reformulations. Consumers expect reformulations to be plant-based, sustainable, and natural. Therefore, sweeteners like honey and stevia, which are plant-based are increasingly favored. It also allows food and beverage manufacturers to make the claim of “naturally sweetened,” which is much more in line with consumers’ values.

Another major trend in sugar reformulations is the use of natural syrups or extracts. These natural sweetening syrups such as rice, oat, and other cereals are easy for consumers to identify with and understand making them ideal choices for natural sweetening. Additionally, food and beverage manufacturers can make natural claims with these syrups, and they are often easy to incorporate in reformulations.

New sugar alternatives

Three of the most interesting advances in the near future for sugar reformulation are Reb M stevia production, bioconversion, and precision fermentation. These advancements once improved have the potential to not only reduce sugar or eliminate it completely but also make low-sugar products more affordable and sustainable in the long term.

Another new area that might play a critical role in sugar reformulation is the development of flavor and taste modification techniques. These substances, which are often marketed as natural flavors, can help reduce sugar in products like baked goods where sweeteners like stevia are not allowed.

Other novel food sugars like allulose are still under regulatory review but could have future potential for reformulations.

The future for sugar reformulation is bright

Overall, it is clear that consumer demand is driving sugar reformulation efforts. Furthermore, food and beverage producers seem keener than ever to meet these expectations, and how they can achieve these goals has never been more plentiful!

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What is Adolescent Hypertension?

Adolescent hypertension is hypertension that develops in childhood. Health risks associated with untreated/unrecognized hypertension include:

• Kidney disease
• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Stroke

While these are serious health risks, they won’t directly affect most children. The problem, however, is that these health conditions will become much more likely later in life. And, as hypertension is often undiagnosed and unrecognized for long periods of time, these health risks can occur without warning. 

Hypertension is basically impossible to detect without the help of a medical professional (or at least accurate blood pressure monitor readings). It is due to this fact that adolescent hypertension often goes undiagnosed.

The Prevalence of Sugary Drinks

Sugary drinks are nearly everywhere, especially for children. Sugary sodas add calories with no beneficial nutrients and, therefore, should be monitored in a child’s diet as they can replace foods that have important nutrients. In fact, larger servings of some of the sugar-sweetened sodas have more sugar in them than some candy bars!

The best way to avoid excessive sugar intake from drinks is to read the nutrition labels & ingredients. 

Avoiding High-Sugar Low-Nutrient Drinks

Association research has found that a high intake of sugary drinks is associated with increased odds of developing hypertension in adolescents. Although more studies are needed to confirm the exact nature of this association,  parents should be aware of the amounts of sugary drinks their children consume and help limit drinks that have high sugar with no/limited nutrients or food group benefits.

Making sure your children have water or non-sweetened beverages to take to school is one idea. Many school cafeterias and vending machines sell drinks that have extremely high amounts of sugar. Avoiding these drinks is imperative when it comes to dodging adolescent hypertension.

Research at Biofortis

Biofortis is dedicated to protecting consumer health throughout the world by delivering a wide range of testing and consultancy services to the food, supplement, and nutrition industries. Biofortis supports this mission in two ways—through clinical trials and sensory and consumer insights testing. We specialize in clinical research targeting foods, ingredients, and dietary supplements that affect body structures, function, and overall health. Contact us with any clinical trial or scientific consulting needs.

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Diabetes Treatments

Diabetes is treatable with insulin and other related medications. While insulin is one of the safest medications when used appropriately, it is associated with side effects in some people, such as the potential for hypoglycemia, weight gain, edema, retinopathy, and injection site reactions.  Other medications are often prescribed for Type 2 diabetes, such as metformin, and these also have side effects, which include gastrointestinal discomforts among others. In addition, medications such as these can be costly. 

Particularly with Type 2 diabetes, blood sugar levels can fluctuate, which can add to the difficulty in managing appropriate levels of medications.  This relative volatility makes finding ways to prevent or reverse diabetes a necessary area of research. Probiotics may have some properties that make them a prime candidate for future research and use in conjunction with diabetes.

Diabetes & General Health

While there is no medical cure for diabetes, there are ways for people to help mitigate and, for Type 2 diabetes possibly reverse the effects of diabetes. Because the risk of Type 2 diabetes is increased in people overweight and obese, some of the most common methods for mitigating the effects of Type 2 diabetes include:

• Low-calorie diets
• Regular exercise
• Weight loss
• Intermittent fasting
• Bariatric surgery

Medications and dietary supplements cannot reverse the effects of Type 1 diabetes. For both types, supplementation is still a good way to get vitamins & minerals and to add to a healthy diet in general.

Probiotics & Diabetes

Recent studies have shown that probiotics have positive effects on lowering bad cholesterol & triglyceride levels and may help in managing healthy blood pressure. This is important as these things can help with overall health, leading to better implementation of the ways to reduce or reverse the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes (as listed in the previous section).

Data from recent studies have suggested that probiotics may have a positive influence on supporting healthy cholesterol & blood pressure levels. Current data suggests that probiotics could have a positive role for mitigating the dangerous effects associated with Type 2 diabetes, although data on BMI, weight, and insulin levels are not as consistent.

Research at Biofortis

Biofortis is dedicated to protecting consumer health throughout the world by delivering a wide range of testing and consultancy services to the food, supplement, and nutrition industries. Biofortis supports this mission in two ways—through clinical trials and sensory and consumer insights testing. We specialize in clinical research targeting foods, ingredients, and dietary supplements that affect body structures, function, and overall health. Contact us with any clinical trial or scientific consulting needs.

The post Probiotics & Diabetes appeared first on Biofortis Research.

This could be important as there isn’t currently a way to medically reduce fat buildup in the liver, a hallmark of NAFLD. Fat buildup in the liver can be reduced over time in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle, but no medications or procedures can lower fat levels.  NAFLD can be painful and is a risk factor for developing chronic health conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, among others. 

What is Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?

NAFLD is exactly what its name suggests–excessive fat buildup in the liver. Too much fat in the liver can lead to injuries over time. According to Johns Hopkins and Mayo Clinic, NAFLD can manifest itself in many ways:

• Chronic exhaustion or tiredness
• Muscle weakness
• Unexplained weight loss
• Pain/discomfort in the liver area
• Jaundice
• Itching
• Yellowing of the eyes or skin

While most cases of NAFLD don’t require medical attention or procedures, untreated NAFLD can lead to liver failure or liver cancer (among other serious conditions). Even though NAFLD is medically untreatable, there are ways to mitigate risks or reverse the levels of fat present in the liver.

Treating Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

While there are no procedures or medications available to help with NAFLD, there are everyday things people can do to avoid it or slow/reverse the progression of the disease. Things that can help treat NAFLD include:

• Regular exercise
• Losing weight
• Dietary changes
• Treating other medical conditions properly (diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure)
• Avoiding alcohol
• Lowering cholesterol and/or triglyceride levels

While no medications are available to directly treat NAFLD, medications that help with blood pressure, diabetes, or other conditions can help with general health, mitigating the potential risks of NAFLD.

Benefits of Decreasing Sugar in Your Diet

For some people, decreasing the number of high-sugar foods and beverages consumed may be suggested by a healthcare practitioner. This may especially be true for people who have diabetes. Trying to avoid sugar altogether (i.e., a sugar-free diet) can be particularly hard to achieve, as many foods have some level of sugar, including fruit and some fresh products. However, some of these also provide beneficial nutrients. Therefore, it is important to think about how to decrease the foods that have mainly sugar and no/limited beneficial nutrients and focus on replacing them with foods that are high in beneficial nutrients like fiber.  Talking with a dietitian can help you decide on the types of foods and beverages to consume in order to increase the healthfulness of your diet.

High-sugar diets can lead to many conditions and general health issues. Diets that are extremely high in processed sugar have a much higher chance of leading to NAFLD (along with diabetes and other health conditions). 

Decreasing foods that are high in sugar may also help with weight loss and lower BMI levels, as long as overall calories in the diet also are decreased, which may help reverse the progression of NAFLD.

Research at Biofortis

Biofortis is dedicated to protecting consumer health throughout the world by delivering a wide range of testing and consultancy services to the food, supplement, and nutrition industries. Biofortis supports this mission in two ways—through clinical trials and sensory and consumer insights testing. We specialize in clinical research targeting foods, ingredients, and dietary supplements that affect body structures, function, and overall health. Contact us with any clinical trial or scientific consulting needs.

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