Dive Brief:

• BiPro USA has reformulated the chocolate and French vanilla flavors of the company's whey protein products, replacing sucralose with the natural sweeteners monk fruit extract and stevia leaf extract. The change doesn't affect the nutritional profile or taste of the products, according to the company.
• BiPro USA made the ingredient change because many consumers voiced interest in a more natural whey protein.
• "Our product was already one of the highest quality proteins available in the world and carried a strong amino acid profile," according to Polly Olson, vice president of new business development, marketing and sales at Davisco, BiPro's parent company. "Now it is naturally sweetened and naturally flavored, which will meet the demands of our customers."

Dive Insight:

BiPro is following the ongoing consumer trend away from artificial ingredients. The effects of artificial sweeteners are the subject of debate, as pointed out in Food Dive earlier this year: "However, for every study positing that artificial sweeteners are safe, there seems to be one or more that report the opposite. Scientists link artificial sweeteners to everything from weight gain (which defeats its purpose) to altering gut microbes which can lead to metabolic diseases like glucose intolerance and Type 2 diabetes."