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The New FutureBY JUSTIN SHIMEK AND of LAUREN Sweet SHIMEK pg 34 10.16 • www.ift.org © Erik Khalitov/iStock, © Lisa F. Young/Shutterstock The New © justinroque/iStock/Thinkstock Future of Sweet The New Future of Sweet Emerging consumer trends and technical innovations in sweeteners are changing the taste of America’s foods and beverages. hile historically sugar has rarely been the start designing products for where consumers will be hero, it’s certainly been the villain in more moving. This is critical because even with the nimblest recent times with “good fats” and the of concept-to-launch cycles, the process of building sales Wpower of protein taking center stage in consumers’ distribution takes time, and with the need to maintain minds. The current anti-carb culture gained traction high consumer relevance in the near and long term, with the Atkins and South Beach diet regimens over manufacturers must be thinking about not only where two decades ago and continues its momentum with diets the consumer is today in terms of food and nutrition of the moment like Whole30 and Bulletproof. Many attitudes, but also where the consumer will be five to 10 consumers have a love-hate relationship with sweetness: years from now. wanting full flavor but with less sugar. With the announced changes to nutrition facts labeling to require Less Sugar, but More Flavor Please! calling out added sugars and having a % Daily Value As consumers demand more options that are less sweet, based on a Daily Reference Value (DRV) of 50 grams but not bland, even tradi- going into effect as well as recommendations from the tionally sweet categories, American Heart Assoc. and World Health Organization such as sodas and yogurt, to substantially limit sugar intake, the sugar content of have diverged in flavor pro- foods is being further highlighted and scrutinized (AHA files, with new products that 2016). Consumer confidence in institutions and experts include salty, acidic, bitter, has been eroding in general, and recent revelations of a or spicy tastes. In the bever- decades-old effort to speciously shift attention away age category, products with from sugar to fat as related to occurrence of cardiovas- natural flavors and less sugar cular disease further fuels mistrust (O’Connor 2016). are getting traction. La Croix, Consumers have become more wary of expert guidance a sparkling water with added at the same time they are exposed to nutrition messages natural flavors, has gained a from a wide range of sources and levels of credibility in cult-like following among an ever-hastening social media information cycle. Millennials and is a favorite Additionally, as consumers become more discerning of stocked item at tech compa- the food ingredients on labels, developers face the chal- nies like Yelp and GrubHub lenge of creating clean label products—with natural, (Ding 2016). Spindrift spar- familiar, and shorter ingredient lists—that also meet kling waters, made with real consumer desires for foods with reduced sugar or no added sugars. In order to future-proof their product Stubborn Sodas tout the fact that they portfolios, food manufacturers are finding it is critical contain no high fructose corn syrup and to anticipate consumer attitudes about ingredients and no azo dyes. 10.16 • www.ift.org 35 pg The New Future of Sweet Brands like Fage have introduced consumers to the idea of yogurt products with savory flavors. featuring lower sugar con- tent. In fermented products, the balance between added sweetness and natural acidity is being redefined and reverting to more traditional flavor profiles. In all of these products, reduc- ing sugar means not only reducing the sweetness of the product, but boosting and balancing other basic tastes and the flavor fruit juices and less sugar than traditional profile to a desirable place. The hope is that sodas, recently won “Carbonated Beverage changing consumer tastes will also buoy of the Year” during “BevNET’s Best of major reformulation efforts since making 2015” awards competition. Additionally, any change to a beloved product or iconic both product platforms tout clean and sim- brand can be challenging to do without ple labels along with great taste. New flavor upsetting loyal consumers. Last year Yoplait profiles that explore sweet and sour and Yogurt implemented a 25% sugar reduction sweet and spicy are beginning to take off to the Yoplait Original line, a further with fermented beverages like Synergy improvement to the line that removed high Kombucha that celebrates tangy and pungent fructose corn syrup several years earlier, notes and Dry Soda, which has introduced acknowledging that the taste would be less seasonal flavors like Malawi Watermelon sweet but a flavor consumers would still and Serrano Pepper. New-to-the-world love (Yoplait 2015). As consumers seek less sugar-free beverages like Koa Okalino, which sugar and products that are less sweet, it’s is made by centrifuging juice from 11 fruits still a mandate that companies deliver on and vegetables, are entering the market. products with full flavor and clean labels. Even core-to-the-category producers like Coke and Pepsi have been broadening their The Better Sweet offerings, in part by launching versions of With a negative perception of commonly their popular colas such as Coca-Cola Life and used sweeteners such as high fructose corn Pepsi True that use stevia and sugar to deliver syrup and sometimes even granulated white soft drinks that have about one-third less beet and cane sugar, manufacturers are sugar than the flagship versions. However, exploring less refined alternative sources of even large producers have been adding craft sweetness such as turbinado cane sugar, options with more experiential flavors. sugar brown rice syrup, maple syrup, coco- Stubborn Soda from PepsiCo, Purchase, nut sugar, date paste, and sweet potato N.Y., is sweetened with fair trade–certified puree. The product range of sugars and sugar and stevia and is positioned around no sweeteners from Wholesome!, Sugar Land, artificial sweeteners, no high fructose corn Texas, are speaking directly to consumers syrup, and no azo dyes. Stubborn rolled out in a contemporary way as being “committed in bottles this summer after premiering on to providing the most delicious Fair Trade fountain in 2015 with flavors like Black Certified, organic, natural, and Non-GMO Cherry with Tarragon and Orange Hibiscus Project Verified sweeteners sourced from (Arthur 2016). ethically and environmentally responsible In the yogurt category, the emergence growers and manufacturers” (Wholesome of Greek-style and Icelandic-style yogurts Sweeteners 2016). As an example, coconut like Fage and Siggi’s reintroduced thicker sugar is increasing in popularity, although textures and tangy flavors to an otherwise sales volume is still low, because of a con- predominantly sweet category. Small pro- sumer perception that it is a wholesome, less ducer Blue Hill Yogurt, Pocantico Hills, refined alternative from a recognizable N.Y., introduced its line of savory yogurts, source. Some coconut sugar producers are including tomato, beet, and carrot, and promoting that it contains key vitamins, 10.16 • www.ift.org 37 pg The New Future of Sweet In order to future-proof their product portfolios, food manufacturers are finding it is critical to anticipate consumer attitudes about ingredients and start designing products for where consumers will be moving. minerals, and phytonutrients as a equivalent alternative to some corn evolve over time. Even while benefit, as well as other attributes syrups but have a source that is researchers continue to clarify bio- that contribute to a higher food compatible with the food values for chemical advantages of specific ethos—that their product is high- consumers in the natural channel. sweeteners, ingredients with com- end, artisanal, organic, and However, some segments of con- mon or recognizable names with non-GMO Project Verified. sumers may associate brown rice “kitchen logic” will likely be more Coconut sugar is also considered a syrup with the potential for con- readily acceptable by consumers. low glycemic index sugar, so it may taining higher levels of arsenic from Consumers will likely still continue have additional appeal to consumers the environment, which has been to make food choices based on taste concerned about spiking their blood reported in the media over time and nutrition but in an accelerating sugar or who are diabetic or (Allen 2012). In general, moving to manner on the provenance of ingre- prediabetic. sugars that are perceived as less dients versus the foundational Individual sweeteners can also refined or are pantry-recognizable science. have their own unique challenges ingredients where appropriate is Other once-heralded artificial (real or perceived), so it is critical to one formulation strategy that com- noncaloric sweeteners like sucralose understand what matters most to a panies are exploring. However, it is and acesulfame-K are losing appeal particular consumer target. For important to realize the specific with Millennials and more health- example, brown rice or tapioca ingredient may have its own unique and label-conscious consumers. syrup may be a functionally tradeoffs and perceptions that will Two natural noncaloric sweeteners pg 38 10.16 • www.ift.org Wholesome! natural sweeteners are positioned to appeal to consumers seeking sweetener options that are organic, fair trade–certified, and non-GMO Project Verified. Photo courtesy of Wholesome Sweeteners Inc. have increasingly become popular alterna- tives: stevia fractions and monk fruit extracts. Each of these ingredients has been improved by supplier efforts to improve the raw material supply chain and refine and improve the extraction process, resulting in a better raw material for developers. Also, natural ingredients start to become cleaner sweetness enhancers and bitter blocker fla- in taste profiles and very tunable to specific vors have done much to improve the applications. However, as the stevia glyco- perceptions by modulating the sweetness sides become more refined, there are time-intensity curve.

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