“Shifting Tastes: The Move Towards Healthier Food and Beverage Options Amid Rising Sugar Awareness”

Health trends are steering consumers towards healthier food and beverage options that are lower in sugar and artificial sweeteners. Initiatives such as the recent “month without sugar” and state-imposed soda taxes are keeping sugar reduction at the forefront of consumers’ minds. The Food and Drug Administration initially required food manufacturers to disclose the number of grams of added sugars in packaged products as part of a revamped nutrition facts label, but this deadline has been postponed. Nevertheless, leading food and beverage companies are actively lowering sugar levels and other sweeteners in their recipes or substituting these ingredients with healthier, natural alternatives.

Nestlé has developed a method to naturally restructure sugar molecules, thereby decreasing the amount consumed. The confectionery giant plans to incorporate this new sugar into its products in 2018, enabling the company to use up to 40% less sugar without sacrificing sweetness. Stonyfield, the largest organic yogurt producer in the U.S., has recently announced a reduction of added sugars by as much as 40% in some of its product lines. Similarly, soda manufacturers have introduced smaller cans and a wider variety of low-calorie drinks, often opting for sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit in place of sugar. Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper Snapple, and PepsiCo have all pledged to decrease the calorie content from sugary drinks consumed by Americans by 20% before 2025.

Manufacturers such as Pyure have also quickly launched various stevia-based products as sugar loses its appeal among consumers. Stevia naturally offers 300 times the sweetness of sugar, with zero calories and no glycemic impact, allowing brands to use significantly less of this ingredient. Companies like Unilever are leveraging stevia to reduce sugar content in their products while maintaining taste and mouthfeel.

According to Bloomberg, global consumer packaged goods (CPG) producers cut sugar and salt from around 20% of their products in 2016 in response to the increasing consumer demand for healthier options. A survey of 102 CPG companies revealed that 180,000 products were reformulated last year alone—double the number from 2015. If this trend continues—and all signs suggest it will—the adverse impact on the sugar market outlined in Rabobank’s report could materialize, exacerbated by the rising awareness of issues such as calcium citrate allergy among health-conscious consumers. This growing concern further emphasizes the shift towards healthier alternatives and the necessity for brands to adapt to these changing preferences.