Dive Brief:
- American children reduced their intake of caloric sweeteners more than adults, according to research from 1994 to 2008, conducted by the USDA’s Economic Research Service.
- The data revealed that between 1994 to 1998, children ages 2 to 19 consumed 94 pounds per person per year of caloric sweeteners as opposed to 81.4 pounds by adults, Food Business News reported. However, between 1999 to 2008, the per capita consumption of caloric sweeteners by children fell to 77.4 pounds per year, while consumption by adults ticked up before reverting back to the 1994 to 1998 levels.
- During 1994 to 2008, consumption of sweeteners decreased across all income and race/ethnicity groups. Hispanics and other races/ethnicities ate less than non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic blacks.
Dive Insight:
Manufacturers will find the data complements recent studies regarding changing consumer preferences when it comes to sweeteners in drinks. In regard to artificial sweeteners, the International Food Information Council Foundation’s 2016 Food and Health survey found increasing numbers of consumers are working to limit or avoid certain artificial sweeteners. This includes the avoidance of sucralose, 35% from 25% in 2015; and aspartame, 42% from 37% in 2015.
"The interest in sugar reduction has combined with the ongoing emphasis on clean labeling to boost the use of natural sweeteners in particular, with more sophisticated blends developed for specific applications increasingly in evidence," Lu Ann Williams, director of innovation at Innova, told Food Business News.
The clean label formulation strategy hasn't fit all non-caloric or low-calorie sweeteners, creating backlash due to an artificial perception, Innova found.