Low Sugar Drinks: Consumers Desire for Wellness Focuses on Low and No Sugar Beverages
Zero Sugar Drinks
As consumers become more educated about the food and beverage products they consume, their purchasing habits are changing which are contributing to shifting trends in the food and beverage markets. One of the top industry trends is low sugar and no sugar in product development and product innovation. Products with added sugar, in particular, is an area where consumers are looking to reduce their sugar intake with zero-sugar claims replacing the diet trend according to Scott Dicker, market insight director at SPINS. The beverage industry specifically has seen an increase in consumers seeking low sugar drinks or sugar free drinks. In this article, we will explore sugar reduction trends, various kinds of alternative sweeteners, and efforts to regulate added sugar in consumer product goods.
What is Low Sugar/No Sugar
More and more, consumers are seeking to lead a healthier lifestyle, and for many consumers this includes reducing their sugar intake. For some consumers, sugar reduction in beverages means cutting out sugar entirely and seeking sugar free beverages or drinks with no added sugar. For other consumers, reducing their sugar intake means looking for low sugar drinks or reduced sugar drinks.
Listed below are common sugar reduction claims and what they entail.
No sugar or sugar free or zero sugar “products have no added sugar and no ingredients that have naturally occurring sugar, such as lactose in milk or fructose in fruit.” According to the FDA, no sugar products contain less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving, and if there are 0.5 grams or less of sugar included in the ingredients, the label is required to include a statement such as “adds a trivial amount of sugar.”
No added sugar “products may have naturally occurring sugars such as lactose or fructose.”
Reduced sugar “means less sugar, for example, 25% less sugar or 30% less sugar” compared to 100 grams of the referenced food.
Low sugar “means that the amount of sugar per serving does not exceed a defined limit.” While the FDA has not legally defined “low sugar,” the defined limit for low sugar claims in Europe is 5 grams or less of total sugars per 100 grams.
Low Sugar Beverages Trends
Consumers are looking for healthier and more convenient alternatives that fit their busy schedules and address their concerns about health and wellness. When it comes to healthy beverages that meet these criteria, no sugar drinks and low sugar drinks are what consumers are looking for. Beverages with low sugar and zero sugar beverages help cut back on their overall sugar intake.
The low sugar and no sugar beverages trend is increasing globally. One of the main areas of concern in health and wellness is obesity rates. In the United States, obesity rates have tripled over the last sixty years according to nationwide surveys the National Health Institute has conducted. Due to the increasing concern in obesity levels and the rising sedentary lifestyle, North America is leading the low sugar and zero sugar beverages market. Straits Research predicts that Asia-Pacific, led by China and India, will be the fastest-growing market from 2024 to 2032 due to rising consumerism, disposable income, and demand for better-for-you products.
At Graasi, one of our objectives was to offer a light, refreshing, and low sugar beverage (only 4g of added sugar!) that consumers could still enjoy without worrying about consuming too much extra sugar. We believe that lightly sweetened beverages taste just as good – if not better – than their high-sugar counterparts.
Artificial Sweeteners vs. Natural Sweeteners
In order to create low or no sugar beverages, manufacturers are turning to sugar alternatives. When it comes to sugar alternatives, there are artificial sweeteners and natural sweeteners.
Artificial sweeteners “are simply alternatives to sucrose and other mono- and disaccharides that provide sweetness. Many have been developed to provide zero-calorie or low calorie sweetening for foods and drinks.” Artificial sweeteners that have been approved by the FDA include Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K), Advantame, Aspartame, Neotame, Saccharin, and Sucralose. Artificial sweeteners are also called nonnutritive sweeteners and are produced mainly from chemicals in a lab. They do not contain calories, sugar, or beneficial nutrients.
Natural sweeteners “normally come from natural sources and are often minimally processed” and include fruit juice, honey, molasses and maple syrup and naturally contain sugar and have some nutritional benefits.
When it comes to using artificial ingredients in general, consumers remain hesitant for health and safety reasons. According to a GlobalData study, “78% of global consumers said natural ingredients were either an essential element or nice to have when deciding between products, emphasizing the importance of clean label formulations.”
The Rise of the Sugar-Conscious Consumers
Despite the rise in obesity rates and other health issues, consumers are more health-conscious than ever. The effects of sugar on one’s overall health are becoming more commonly known and consumers are seeking beverages that make it easy for them to reduce or eliminate their sugar intake. Soda, fruit juices, and energy drinks historically contain high amounts of added sugar. Consumers are now seeking variations of these drinks free of sugar or added sugar or have reduced the amount of sugar. Additionally, consumers are also seeking alternative sugar free drinks or low sugar drinks that offer a functional benefit like immune boosting, cognitive function, or mood boosting. The sugar-conscious consumer is rising, and the industry is following suit.
Innovative Sweetening Solutions
In addition to alternative sweeteners and natural sweeteners, manufacturers can also use novel sweeteners and sugar alcohols to help satisfy sugar-conscious consumers by reducing the amount of added sugars in drinks to create low sugar drinks and no sugar drinks.
Novel sweeteners, also referred to as plant-derived nonalcoholic sweeteners or natural sweeteners, include allulose, stevia, monk fruit, and tagatose. Novel sweeteners are derived from natural sources and provide many benefits of both artificial and natural sweeteners as they are not a significant source of calories or sugar (no weight gain or blood-sugar spike) and are typically less processed and typically contain no grams of sugar.
Sugar alcohols include Erythritol, Isomalt, Lactitol, Maltitol, Sorbitol, and Xylitol. They are created synthetically and are not as sweet as artificial sweeteners. Food manufacturers are not required to include the grams of sugar alcohols per serving on the ingredients label, and they may choose to list out “sugar alcohol” on the label instead of the specific kind of sugar alcohol.
Sugar Tax and Sugar Regulations
While the popularity of low sugar and zero sugar trends vary in different parts of the world, many countries have started regulating the consumption of sugary drinks through different ways to address the public health concerns that come with excess sugar intake. One way in which countries have been regulating sugary beverages is through the implementation of a sugar tax that makes consumers pay more if they want to consume a product high in sugar, like soda. The sugar tax encourages consumers to purchase no sugar beverages or low sugar drinks to avoid paying more money. Some countries also include food-based dietary guidelines with the sugar tax to encourage water (or even sparkling water) consumption and discourage sugary beverages. Regulation also comes in the form of limitations on advertising sugar-sweetened food and beverages to children. It is likely that we will continue to see regulations around sugar and how to label sugar in products to help mitigate global health concerns related to high sugar consumption.
Sugar Reduction Trend
Rising concerns for health problems linked to high sugar consumption and a more mindful attitude to healthy living in general has consumers looking for foods and beverages with less sugar or no sugar. This global trend shows no signs of slowing down and provides an opportunity for innovation from new and existing food and beverage companies to create products with less sugar. Today, there are many sugar alternatives that can help manufacturers create beverages with no sugar or beverages with less sugar. At Graasi, we wanted to offer a low sugar beverage alternative, so we lightly sweeten our barley grass water with organic cane sugar and monk fruit for a light, refreshing, and healthy beverage. Try Graasi today without worrying about excess sugar!
https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/26640-reduced-sugar-emerges-as-top-beverage-claim
https://www.innovamarketinsights.com/trends/sugar-reduction/
https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/sugar-label-claims
https://straitsresearch.com/report/lowzero-sugar-beverages-market
https://usafacts.org/articles/obesity-rate-nearly-triples-united-states-over-last-50-years/
https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-are-sugar-alcohols
https://www.obesityaction.org/resources/the-great-debate-between-artificial-natural-sweeteners/