“One thing has been clear over the past several years: Americans are hungry for healthier sugar alternatives. That’s why we’re thrilled to have Just Date’s delicious and nutritious organic granulated sugar now available on Sprouts' shelves nationwide,” Haley Walsh, west coast director, Just Date said in a press release.
Brand and retailer alignment on upcycled initiatives
Just Date’s Organic Date Sugar is the first of the brand’s portfolio to be Upcycled Certified, a growing third-party certification which includes 260 companies that standardize food waste reduction through a verified supply chain, and thereby reduces greenwashing.
The Upcycled Certified logo is featured on the front of the date sugar’s packaging, which is also made of recycled materials, according to the company’s press release.
Food waste reduction is also part of Sprouts’ ESG strategy. In its recent Q2 earnings call earlier this month, the retailer made $1.7 billion in net sales, highlighting that 87% of its food waste was recovered while the equivalent of 27 million meals were donated to over 400 food rescue organizations.
Consumers continue to reduce or avoid sugar, but more are likely to consume caloric sweeteners
Just Date’s Organic Date Sugar includes one gram of fiber per teaspoon and 48 grams per cup. Just Date’s portfolio also includes Date Sugar, Date Syrup and Pomegranate Syrup, with an upcoming launch this year of a date-sweetened confection.
As a sugar substitute, date sugar can be found in several forms: molasses, syrup, vinegar, sugar (crystals and powder) and paste.
While similar in appearance to brown sugar, date sugar is made from dried and ground dates, maintaining its nutritional profile which includes potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, B vitamins, Vitamin K and zinc; and a source of polyphenols, flavonoids and carotenoids.
Nearly 75% of Americans reported reducing or avoiding sugar in their diet according to IFIC’s sweetener survey, with more people preferring caloric sweeteners, followed by brown sugar and sucrose (sugar).
As consumers continue to seek less processed sugar alternatives to improve diet and nutrition, date sugar poses a unique stance in the sweetener space as it’s made from ground whole dates, keeping intact its fiber content, offering a low glycemic index and serving as a caloric sweetener that may be attractive health conscious consumers.
