Arla Foods Ingredients’ South American application team has prepared three recipes featuring its whey permeate Variolac to demonstrate to manufacturers in Brazil how to adapt to the country’s  forthcoming regulations on sugar labeling.

The novel recipes or concepts – fermented dairy beverage, UHT beverage and UHT dessert – highlight the benefits of Variolac as a dairy solid modulator and demonstrate how its inclusion facilitates “no added sugar” claims.

“Nutritional labeling helps consumers make conscious choices when purchasing food and drink for themselves and their families. There is growing pressure – from regulators and from consumers – to reduce the amount of added sugar in products,” says Diego Pérez Márquez, regional technical support, Arla Foods Ingredients, South America.

New food labeling regulations will come into effect in Brazil in October and require producers to include front-of-pack warning signs that inform consumers about high levels of added sugar, saturated fats, and sodium.

However, sugars that are naturally present in milk and dairy ingredients do not have to be highlighted.

According to Innova Market Insights, concern over sugar intake and interest in sugar reduction is driving a sophisticated approach to sweetening foods and beverages. A recent report from the market researcher analyzes trends in sugar reduction and sweeteners in food and beverage applications, and says there is a clear focus on three parallel areas: natural sweeteners, less sweetening and no sweetness. 

Sugar claims have become a global standardVariolac eliminates “added sugar” from ingredient lists, thus aiding manufacturers with the product labeling process. 
“No added sugar” is one of the fastest-growing food and beverage claims globally, rising 18% a year, Arla Foods Ingredients reports. There is an increasing demand for manufacturers to include the claim on product labels.

Innova Market Insights also highlights that efforts to reduce sugar levels are well established and ongoing, reflecting the link to dental caries and the widely held view that high sugar consumption is a causative factor for a range of conditions, including weight gain, diabetes and hyperactivity in children.  

Government intervention in this regard has become more widespread globally, including the use of sugar taxes and the regulation of advertising targeting children, the market researcher flags.  

One example is the sugar levy that was introduced on soft drinks in the UK in 2018. Part Two of the UK’s National Food Strategy was met with mixed reactions particularly the proposal for government calls for a sugar and salt reformulation tax.

Pérez Márquez explains: “With these new concepts, manufacturers can meet Brazil’s recently introduced regulatory requirements, and they can also apply the “no added sugar” message, which can help capture the attention of new consumers.”

Variolac boosts the creaminess and milky flavor of products such as dairy beverages and desserts. It can eliminate “added sugar” from ingredient lists and reduce the number of ingredients listed on the pack.

Healthy eating trend takes off
While the legislation officially comes into force later this year, products already on the market will have until October 2023 to adapt existing recipes.

According to an Arla Foods Ingredients survey, healthier eating is a growing trend in Brazil and “Taking better care of health” is the goal for 2022, most mentioned by 66% of Brazilian consumers, while 51% say they are currently avoiding sugar.