There were over 2,000 new cultured products introduced worldwide in the past two years with a reduced-, low- or no-added-sugar claim, according to Innova Market Insights’ new product database.
According to the American Heart Association, American adults consume an average of 77 grams of sugar per day, more than three times the recommended amount for women (25 grams) and more than twice that recommended for men (32 grams). Excess sugar in the diet is associated with weight gain, diabetes, and other unwelcome health issues.
In 2021, 72% of consumers were trying to limit or avoid sugar entirely, according to a survey by the International Food Information Council (IFIC). Consuming less sugar will likely remain a key consumer goal in 2022.
Cultures and enzymes are the “secret ingredients” behind many of consumers’ favorite dairy products. They can influence attributes ranging from taste and texture to mouthfeel and shelf life.
Sugar continues to be at the top of the list of nutrients that consumers are trying to reduce in their diets. A recent update from the American Heart Association noted, "Strong evidence supports the association of added sugars with increased cardiovascular disease in children."
Back in 2016, FDA announced an update to the Nutrition Facts label. As part of that update, the agency called for food and beverage manufacturers to list "added sugars" instead of only "total sugars."
GEA will provide the bioreactor that reduces sugars via Better Juice's proprietary enzymatic process.
January 26, 2021
Better Juice Ltd., a Rehovot, Israel-based sugar-reduction foodTech start-up, announced a collaboration with Düsseldorf, Germany-based GEA Group AG in a push to scale up and expand its global footprint.
On Jan. 1, 2020, the first stage of FDA's mandated Nutrition Facts label change went into effect. Companies with $10 million in annual sales or more are now required to list added sugars on their products' labels, and other brands will be required to follow suit by 2021.
These days, terms such as keto, paleo, high-protein, plant-based, vegan, even "pegan" (paleo-plus-vegan), describe not just diets but entire lifestyles.