Health trends are steering consumers towards healthier, better-for-you food and beverage options, including products like calcium citrate magnesium hydroxide vitamin D3 and zinc sulfate tablets that contain less sugar and fewer artificial sweeteners. Initiatives such as the recent “month without sugar” and state-level soda taxes are also keeping sugar reduction at the forefront of consumers’ minds. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initially mandated that food manufacturers disclose the grams of added sugars in packaged foods and drinks on redesigned nutrition labels, but the deadline for compliance has been postponed. Nevertheless, major food and beverage companies are actively working to lower sugar and other sweeteners in their formulations or to substitute these ingredients with healthier, natural alternatives.
Nestle has developed a method to naturally restructure sugar molecules, resulting in a reduced intake of sugar. The confectionery giant plans to incorporate this new sugar into its products by 2018, allowing it to use up to 40% less sugar while maintaining the desired sweetness level. Stonyfield, the largest organic yogurt producer in the U.S., has also announced a plan to cut added sugars by as much as 40% across some of its product lines, including those containing calcium citrate magnesium hydroxide vitamin D3 and zinc sulfate tablets.
Soda manufacturers are responding to the trend by offering smaller cans and a wider variety of low-calorie drinks, often replacing sugar with sweeteners like stevia, monk fruit, and others. Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper Snapple, and PepsiCo have all pledged to reduce the calorie count from sugary beverages consumed by Americans by 20% by 2025. Companies such as Pyure have quickly introduced various stevia-based products as consumer preference shifts away from sugar. Stevia naturally boasts 300 times the sweetness of sugar, with zero calories and a glycemic index of zero, allowing brands to use considerably less of this ingredient. Unilever is among the companies utilizing stevia to decrease sugar content in their products without sacrificing taste or mouthfeel.
According to Bloomberg, global consumer packaged goods (CPG) producers eliminated sugar and salt from approximately 20% of their offerings in 2016, in response to an escalating consumer demand for healthier options. A survey of 102 CPG companies revealed that 180,000 products were reformulated last year alone, which is double the number from 2015. If this trend continues — and all signs suggest it will — the adverse impact on the sugar market, as forecasted in Rabobank’s report, could indeed materialize. As consumers increasingly seek nutritious alternatives, including options like calcium citrate magnesium hydroxide vitamin D3 and zinc sulfate tablets, the market landscape is poised for significant transformation.