Sugar reduction remains a crucial theme for industry as both consumers and governments push for healthier food and beverages. And while many can agree “less is more,” opinions differ on how this should be done. Industry has, in turn, developed a host of systems to reduce sugar by varying degrees. 

“The beverage industry has undergone a remarkable evolution to reduce sugar,” Leigh Anne Vaughan, senior global marketing director of taste, at Kerry tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

“Consumers are demanding beverages with a lower sugar content that retain the tastes they love, and manufacturers have responded with beverages to meet these stringent new standards.” 

According to Kerry’s ConsumerFirst research, 87 percent of consumers are trying to reduce their sugar consumption or are aiming to use sugar in moderation. 

Helping to meet the demand for clean label stevia in Europe, Sweegens non-GMO Bestevia Reb M was approved by the EU Commission last month. This shortly follows the US Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Sweegen’s Bestevia Rebaudioside B as generally recognized as safe (GRAS), putting more tools for formulators to reduce sugar on the market.

ADM’s Outside Voice research indicates that 30 percent of consumers believe natural sugars are best, preferring natural ingredients like cane sugar, honey or fruit.Differing views
Research by ADM underscores that most consumers (66 percent) say that sugar reduction is important to them when choosing beverages. However, different demographics have varying priorities and are willing to make trade-offs when considering their overall well-being, including mental and emotional health. 

“For example, Gen Z and Millennial consumers prioritize obtaining energy from beverages over minimizing calories, while Baby Boomers are more likely to favor low-calorie drinks over energy,” says Sarah Diedrich, marketing director, sweetening solutions and fibers, at ADM.

Moreover, ADM’s Outside Voice research found that 30 percent of consumers believe natural sugars are best, preferring natural ingredients like cane sugar, honey or fruit. Conversely, 13 percent are satisfied with most types of sweeteners and sugar. 

“This leaves over half of consumers with differing opinions on sugar sources, which heavily varies from product to product,” she underscores. 

Getting down to zero 
Sweeteners play a critical role in keeping F&B compliant with taxes and regulations to keep high-sugar foods off supermarket shelves. A study in the UK one year after it’s sugar levy on beverages was put into place found that sugar intake dropped by 10 percent, numbers never before seen under voluntary schemes. 

Kerry’s Vaughan remarks that more than 35 countries worldwide have implemented sugar taxes and this is encouraging companies to reformulate to reduce sugar content “through various means.” 

Front-of-pack labeling schemes are making consumers more aware than ever of sugar content.She highlights that the pandemic has accelerated this shift in sugar awareness, with evidence that comorbidities such as obesity can lead to more severe COVID-19 outcomes. This alarming link led the UK to enact an immediate weight-reduction campaign which it called a “wake-up call” for public health. 

“At the same time, front-of-pack labeling schemes have become more widely utilized, meaning consumers are more informed than ever before on the sugar content of their drinks,” she adds. 

Innova Market Insights notes that the top five sweeteners used in new beverage launches between 2018 to 2020 were acesulfame K, sucralose, stevia, aspartame and erythritol.

Meeting in the middle With consumer opinions varying on the health perception of sweeteners, brands are finding creative ways to limit sugar while maintaining a natural and clean label appeal. 

Innova Market Insights notes from 2018 to 2020, more than half of sugar-reduced soft drink launches did not contain a sweetener. This suggests that consumers are opting for products that are either less sweet or are sweetened with ingredients that are naturally sweet, such as apple juice concentrate. 

ADM stresses that an appealing taste is just as important as less sugar, with 82 percent of consumers marking both attributes as “highly important.”

Moreover, the company’s research also found that a little over one-third (35 percent) of consumers seek both treat-like and healthy qualities equally when shopping specifically for new beverages. 

“Brands that offer health-forward drinks with a delicious sensory experience help deliver on the promise of permissible indulgences,” affirms Diedrich. 

Sweeteners can be combined with natural flavors for a cleaner label with significantly less sugar.Natural labeling
In view of the demand for healthy, clean label and simultaneously “treat-like” beverages, Vaughan notes that Kerry’s Tastesense natural flavoring solution offers a balanced approach.  

“It can reduce sugar up to 30 percent while delivering sweetness, appealing mouthfeel and a clean lingering effect with no off-notes.” importantly, this solution can be declared as “natural flavoring” on the label. 

Tastesense systems make use of flavor technologies that create a targeted and complex sensory signal, triggering a lower perception of off-notes. It can be used to mask the undesirable tastes in sweeteners such as stevia, sucralose and acesulfame K, Vaughan explains. 

“Each sweetener brings its own challenges,” she emphasizes. “Employing masking systems with the ability to be declared as natural flavorings are invaluable when using sugar-alternative sweetener systems.”

When combined with stevia, beverages developed with Kerry’s Tastesense can reach up to 50 percent sugar reduction, she adds. 

Harnessing plant power
ADM advises formulators to start the sugar reduction process with a high-quality sweetener with a clean taste profile. From there, complementary notes and – depending on the formulation – specific maskers can be applied to enhance low-sugar drinks.

ADM created SweetRight Edge stevia to achieve zero grams of added sugar per serving without compromising on taste. 

The company’s approach to stevia extraction and purification leads to a better performing sweetening solution with qualities that appeal to both formulators and consumers, Diedrich supports. These include low sugar content, “authentic sweetness” and clean label claims as a sweetener from a plant source. 

“Our proprietary extraction and purification technology targets the stevia leaf to maximize the glycosides. SweetRight Edge stevia delivers 15 percent more sweetness than other steviol glycosides and minimizes undesirable attributes such as bitterness and astringency,” she comments.

ADM reports that 35 percent of consumers seek both treat-like and healthy qualities equally when shopping specifically for new beverages.Building back mouthfeel
Since sugar provides multiple functions in a beverage, it’s essential to consider a replacement for its bulking properties and texture. 

Vaughan notes that sugar can also be modulated to deliver “a sensation of higher sweetness” while delivering improved mouthfeel. Increasing the perception of sweetness can make 30 percent sugar reduction possible without noticeable changes in sensory qualities. 

Also aiming to keep full-bodied beverages, ADM recently introduced SweetRight Reduced Sugar Glucose Syrup (RSGS), which can substitute for traditional corn syrup without sacrificing functionality. 

“RSGS aids in bulking and binding within reduced-sugar formulations. It also delivers viscosity comparable to traditional corn syrups for ease in processing,” comments Diedrich.

“Our other specialty syrups like SweetRight tapioca and rice syrups are non-GMO and also work well to replac sugar as they provide similar functionality and texture.”

Emerging ingredients
Other ingredients which can help beverage manufacturers limit sugar include acacia gum and inulin. 

Alland & Robert has highlighted that acacia gum is a binder, bulking, and viscosity-increasing agent that can aid in replacing sugar’s functionality. 

Last July, Alland & Robert also released an organic version to help meet the demand for 100 percent clean label products. 

Meanwhile, Sensus recently spotlight chicory inulin’s “extremely versatile” role in replacing sugar and fat while improving taste and mouthfeel.