Sweeteners (intense, bulk, polyols)

Gut reaction: Zero-calorie sweeteners produce same response as water

19-Dec-2013 By Nathan Gray

Consumption of zero-calorie artificial sweeteners in a drink may have an identical effect on gut responses as water, according to newly published human data.

Euromonitor beverage industry outlook: Declines in carbonates, the promise of 'natural' and the war on caffeine

16-Dec-2013 By Maggie Hennessy

From declining interest in soft drinks to the ongoing war on caffeine and the explosion of raw juices and functional beverages, 2013 has certainly been an eventful one for the beverage category. Count on another strong year for premium juices, coconut...

A look at regulation in 2014 PART ONE: Farm bill, sugar labels and biotech

16-Dec-2013 By Maggie Hennessy

What will 2014 bring on the regulatory front for the food and beverage industry? From the stagnant farm bill to the ongoing debate on biotech to consumer confusion on the various forms of sweeteners, trade associations representing the sugar, HFCS and...

CRA president: ‘Corn sugar’ campaign wasn’t some kind of bait and switch effort to deceive people about HFCS

13-Dec-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Corn - and more specifically high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) - has a “very serious image problem”, says Corn Refiners Association (CRA) president and CEO John Bode, and he’s on a mission to do something about it.

Sugar limits should be halved to protect teeth: Study

12-Dec-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations for added sugar intake should be halved to protect teeth from dental caries, suggests a review published in the Journal of Dental Research.

Analyst tips Coke to ride out shocking US diet soda slump

12-Dec-2013 By Ben BOUCKLEY

US analyst Bonnie Herzog predicts that diet soda sales declines could fuel a 15-20% drop in overall US carbonated soft drink sales by 2020 but believes Coke is best-positioned to ride out the storm.

Monk fruit solves 'big problem' with chocolate school milk: BioVittoria

11-Dec-2013 By Mark ASTLEY

Monk fruit is making inroads in the US dairy industry by providing a solution to the “big problem” of declining milk consumption in schools, monk fruit supplier BioVittoria has claimed.

Diet drinks and satiety: Kids don’t compensate for missing calories from other sources, says study

11-Dec-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Sugar-sweetened and sugar-free beverages produce similar satiety in children, says a new study that challenges the oft-quoted hypothesis that artificially sweetened drinks make people crave sweeter foods or serve as an appetite stimulant.

Chobani goes head to head with Yoplait Greek 100 with new all-natural Simply 100 Greek yogurt

09-Dec-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Chobani is going head-to-head with Yoplait Greek 100 with the launch of Chobani Simply 100 Greek Yogurt, a 100-calorie authentic strained Greek Yogurt sweetened with monk fruit, stevia leaf and evaporated cane juice.

NYC Health Dept unveils provocative new ad campaign targeting sugary drinks: 'Your kids could be drinking themselves sick'

26-Nov-2013 By Elaine WATSON

New York City’s Health Department has unveiled a new anti-obesity campaign highlighting the potential health risks of excessive sugary drink consumption.

Artificial sweeteners are safe and effective tools for weight management, says obesity specialist

26-Nov-2013 By Elaine WATSON

While consumer concerns over artificial sweeteners have been blamed - in part - for the funk the diet soda market currently finds itself in (click here), the fact remains that they are safe and effective tools for weight management, according to one obesity...

Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech posts $14.3m loss in Q3, but on a mission to 'reach every consumer in every market' via China partnership

20-Nov-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Stevia supplier GLG Lifetech posted a net loss of $14.3m in the third quarter, but said it is making solid progress in its collaboration with COFCO, China's largest food company, to develop foods and beverages with stevia that will reach "every...

60-second interview: Matt Fifer, co-founder, 8th & Walton Group

Getting on the shelf… and staying there: Most new suppliers don’t realize how much it’s going to cost, says ex Walmart exec

20-Nov-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Want to get on the shelf at Walmart? Prepare to put in some serious work, says Matt Fifer, who spent nearly 13 years in senior roles in store & club operations, people development, marketing, and international marketing at Wal-Mart before co-founding...

Tate & Lyle defends sucralose safety after researchers claim the sweetener is “not biologically inert"

18-Nov-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Tate & Lyle has reassured consumers that sucralose is a safe ingredient following the publication of a review alleging that the high intensity sweetener is “not biologically inert" and that more research is needed to determine what happens to...

Senomyx: First products from collaboration with PepsiCo using sweet taste modifier S617 will be commercialized in 2014

13-Nov-2013 By Elaine WATSON

San-Diego-based flavor innovator Senomyx says the first products arising from a collaboration with PepsiCo using a novel sweet taste modifier called S617 should hit shelves next year - contingent upon a GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) determination.

I-522 vote: Initial returns suggest voters in Washington State say NO to GMO labeling; but too close to call yet

06-Nov-2013 By Elaine WATSON, Hank Schultz, Maggie Hennessy

Initial returns indicate that voters in Washington State have given the thumbs down to GMO labeling proposal I-522, in similar proportions to the vote on California's GMO labeling proposal Prop 37. 

CFS: FDA should reject calls to define ‘natural’ without first inviting public comment

05-Nov-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Washington DC-based non-profit the Center for Food Safety (CFS) has urged the FDA to reject calls to make an administrative determination over whether GMOs belong in products marketed as ‘natural’.

Non-GMO erythritol sees RTD manufacturer interest

05-Nov-2013 By Maggie Hennessy

Last month, Pyure Brands rolled out organic non-GMO erythritol after seeing there was a space in the marketplace for products using natural alternative sweeteners. Now the sweetener supplier is seeing increasing demand for reformulations using non-GMO...

Headwinds south of the border depress Ingredion earnings

31-Oct-2013 By Hank Schultz

Food ingredient giant Ingredion reported a steep drop in year-over-year earnings in the third quarter of 2013, mostly from problems in South American markets.  In addition, the company foresees a complicated impact from a newly-passed tax in Mexico on...

Special edition: Tackling diabetes. Formulating for healthy blood sugar

How can the food industry address the ticking time bomb of type 2 diabetes?

25-Oct-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Given that one in three American adults is expected to develop type 2 diabetes by 2050, and poor diet and lack of exercise may be largely to blame, what can food and beverage manufacturers do to tackle this epidemic?

‘Shocked’ Dr Pepper boss links US diet soda slump to aspartame unease

24-Oct-2013 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS) CEO Larry Young says he is ‘shocked’ by the summer slowdown in diet soda that also hit his firm's North American sales and partly blames misperceptions of aspartame.

Natural sweeteners a 'compelling attribute' for soda drinkers: Zevia

21-Oct-2013 By Mark ASTLEY

The use of natural sweeteners, such as stevia, in carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) has become an increasingly “compelling attribute” for North American consumers, stevia-sweetened soda brand, Zevia, has claimed.

As soda consumption decreases, biomarkers of chronic disease risk improve, says new analysis

18-Oct-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Reductions in the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages are associated with improvements in biomarkers for chronic disease risk, says a new study from North Dakota State University.

GMO debate gets ugly as General Mills takes flak from GMO Inside and GMA is sued by Washington State attorney general

17-Oct-2013 By Elaine WATSON

In new developments in the highly charged debate over GMOs, General Mills has been targeted in a report blasted by a plant geneticist as “a collection of discredited studies and half-truths”, while the GMA has been slapped with a lawsuit alleging it concealed...

Judge to General Mills: The courts, not the FDA, can decide if GMOs belong in ‘100% natural’ products

17-Oct-2013 By Elaine WATSON

A federal judge handling three lawsuits vs General Mills over ‘100% natural’ claims on Nature Valley products claimed to contain GMOs and other allegedly ‘un-natural’ ingredients says the courts are perfectly capable of deciding if consumers have been...

Big interview: Ben F. Pierce Gore, Pratt & Associates

The plaintiff's attorneys taking aim at Big Food: Caped consumer crusaders or cynical opportunists out for a fast buck?

15-Oct-2013 By Elaine WATSON

When you think of plaintiff's lawyers, two images probably come to mind: Consumer crusaders like Erin Brockovich or grubby ambulance-chasers in John Grisham novels. But where in this spectrum should we insert the top attorneys representing plaintiffs...

Why are Americans falling out of love with diet soda? And what are they drinking instead?

14-Oct-2013 By Elaine WATSON

If current trends continue, carbonated soft drinks volumes could decline 15-20% by 2020 driven by sharp declines in diet variants, predicts Wells Fargo. But why have Americans fallen out of love with diet soda, and what are they drinking instead?

Tate & Lyle innovation SVP: The population as a whole is deficient in fiber

14-Oct-2013 By Elaine WATSON

While proteins, whole grains and omega-3s might have got more air time lately, fiber should be top of mind for formulators given that nearly all consumers are still getting significantly less than they need, and you can now add fiber to almost anything...

Special Edition: Sweeteners

Stevia 2020, from Reb-A to Reb-X: Blends of new glycosides, ingredients from fermentation contribute to increasing complexity of market

04-Oct-2013 By Hank Schultz

Stevia scientists are still rolling the taste rock up the hill, engaged in the seemingly Sisyphean task of solving the ingredient’s lingering issues.  The sweetener’s huge potential drives formulators on, and after hundreds of thousands of research man...

Steviva Ingredients launches all-natural agave nectar and stevia sweetener for lower-calorie bars, beverages, baked goods

03-Oct-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Stevia specialist Steviva Ingredients has developed an organic syrup combining blue agave nectar and stevia extract that is suitable for formulators looking to cut calories and maintain clean labels in sauces and dressings, bars, beverages and baked goods.

Stevia innovation: PepsiCo tackles Reb-D solubility challenge

01-Oct-2013 By Elaine WATSON

A patent application filed by PepsiCo describes methods of enhancing the solubility of steviol glycoside Reb-D such that it can be used in higher amounts in beverages and beverage concentrates, overcoming a key formulation challenge.

Sweeteners: HFCS to monk fruit

HFCS-free: The trend stalled by consumer indifference?

27-Sep-2013 By Stephen Daniells

What do Hunt’s ketchup and Capri Sun have in common? They both switched back to using high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) after taking it out of the recipe, the former citing ‘consumer indifference’ and the latter citing sugar prices. Market data indicates...

General Mills unveils sustainable sourcing commitments for 10 core raw materials

26-Sep-2013 By Elaine WATSON

UPDATED - General Mills has unveiled a commitment to sustainably source 10 key ingredients, representing 50% of its raw material purchases, by 2020. 

Stevia: PureCircle expands presence in Latin America with new facility in Mexico City

25-Sep-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Stevia specialist PureCircle has expanded its presence in Latin America with the opening of a new facility in Mexico City.

Infographic: The facts behind low calorie sweetener consumption

25-Sep-2013 By Nathan Gray

Sweeteners are widely used to replace sugar in diet and low calorie products within the food and beverage industry. However, many consumers are still worried about these ingredients. So, what are the facts behind low calorie sweeteners?

The brain cannot be ‘fooled’ by artificial sweeteners, warn researchers

24-Sep-2013 By Nathan Gray

It is hard to fool the brain by providing it with 'energyless' sweet flavours, according to new research in mice that suggests that consumption of zero-calorie sweeteners leads to higher sugar consumption later.

WakeUp! ‘Sky’s the limit’ claims award-winning functional drinks brand

24-Sep-2013 By Ben BOUCKLEY

The head of an Israeli firm behind a patented functional energy drink WakeUp insists that the ‘sky’s the limit’ if the award-winning drink is accepted by a specific market segment demanding alertness.

ADM to set up new global HQ; Decatur to become North American HQ

23-Sep-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) is scouting around for a location suitable for a new global headquarters and customer center.

Breaking news

Cargill to settle deceptive marketing lawsuit alleging Truvia stevia-based sweetener is not ‘natural’

20-Sep-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Cargill has agreed to settle a proposed class action lawsuit alleging it is misleading shoppers by marketing its Truvia consumer products (which contain stevia extract Reb-A and erythritol) as ‘natural’.

Food labeling bill proposes radical changes to 'natural' claims, wholegrain labels, added sugars; but chances of success are slim, say lawyers

19-Sep-2013 By Elaine WATSON

A bill proposing sweeping changes to food labeling laws covering everything from ‘natural’ claims to whole grain statements has been welcomed by consumer groups, but stands little chance of success, legal experts have told FoodNavigator-USA.

GMA launches GMO Facts website: ‘Ingredients grown using GM technology require fewer pesticides, less water and keep production costs down’

19-Sep-2013 By Elaine WATSON

The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) has created a new website designed to address questions about GMOs.

Packaged Facts: Non-GMO foods will account for 30% of US food and beverage retail sales by 2017

17-Sep-2013 By Elaine WATSON

US retail sales of non-GMO foods and beverages are projected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.9% in the next five years, and could represent 30% of the market with a value of $264bn in 2017, predicts Packaged Facts.

PureCircle: Next generation Reb D and Reb X stevia sweeteners ready for commercialization in 2014

16-Sep-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Leading stevia supplier PureCircle says “investments and assets are in place from agriculture to manufacturing” to be ready to commercialize two next generation stevia products - Reb D and Reb X - in 2014.

GMOs and natural claims: ‘FDA is losing credibility with industry, consumers and the international community by ignoring key food labeling controversies’, says attorney

12-Sep-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Is it too risky to label products that may contain ingredients from genetically engineered crops as ‘all-natural’? And will the FDA step in and decide this issue so consumer class action lawsuits over this issue stop clogging up the court system?  

Cargill-Evolva on fermentation-based steviol glycosides: 'Pace of progress continues to exceed our expectations’

10-Sep-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

The pace of progress on the joint development program of Cargill and Evolva to produce fermentation-based steviol glycosides is ‘exceeding expectations’ with the resulting ingredients potentially hitting the market earlier than expected. 

Chobani: The FDA, not the courts, should judge whether term ‘evaporated cane juice’ is permitted on pack

09-Sep-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Are reasonable consumers being misled by companies using the term ‘evaporated cane juice’ (ECJ) to describe dried sugar cane syrup (aka sugar) on product labels? And should this issue be determined by the FDA or the courts?

Special Edition: Sweeteners

Stevia First bets on US-based production, technical innovation

05-Sep-2013 By Hank Schultz

Stevia First, an early stage company based in Yuba City, CA, has built its business model on bringing stevia production onshore in the US.  Supply chain transparency and technical innovation are the two pillars on which the company is built, said CEO...

Mountain Dew Kickstart generated more than $100m in first year, says PepsiCo

05-Sep-2013 By Elaine WATSON

PepsiCo’s new energizing juice drink Mountain Dew Kickstart has generated more than $100m in sales in its first year, bosses at PepsiCo revealed yesterday.

Sucralose prices out of China drop, but is this a temporary blip or a long term trend?

04-Sep-2013 By Elaine WATSON

While many US firms were struggling to get hold of sucralose from China early last year, the opposite is now true, with buyers reporting a glut of product on the market and a sharp reduction in prices.

PepsiCo examines potential of unripe bananas, plantains as natural gluten substitutes, sugar replacers, binders, fibers

03-Sep-2013 By Elaine WATSON

PepsiCo has been experimenting with ingredients from unpeeled heat-treated green bananas and plantains to serve as everything from a gluten substitute to a sugar replacer in products from oatmeal to smoothies, crackers, bars and cookies, a recent patent...