Baking & Snack - October 2015 - 47

FORMULATION
Sweeteners

Bakers and suppliers naturally prepare for an added sugars
declaration on the Nutrition Facts Panel.
by Donna Berry

The proposed added sugars line to the Nutrition Facts
Panel looks more like a reality than a discussion item.
This transformation occurred at the end of July when
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced
an update to its proposal to include a percent Daily
Value for added sugars.
"FDA has a responsibility to give consumers the information they need to make informed dietary decisions
for themselves and their families," said Susan Mayne,
director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied
Nutrition, College Park, MD. "For the past decade,
consumers have been advised to reduce their intake of
added sugars, and the proposed percent Daily Value for
added sugars on the Nutrition Facts label is intended to
help consumers follow that advice."
The percent Daily Value would be based on the recommendation that the daily intake of calories from added sugars not exceed 10% of total calories. This comes
from the World Health Organization (WHO), which has
repeatedly stated that adults and children should reduce
their daily intake of free sugars to less than 10% of their
total energy intake.
"Free sugars" refers to monosaccharides, such as glucose and fructose, and disaccharides such as sucrose
(table sugar), added to foods and beverages by the
manufacturer, cook or consumer. It also includes sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and

fruit juice concentrates, but not those inherent to fresh
fruits and vegetables or milk.
"We have solid evidence that keeping intake of free
sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake reduces
the risk of overweight, obesity and tooth decay," said
Francesco Branca, director of WHO's Department of
Nutrition for Health and Development.
Interestingly, in new guidelines issued in March
2015, WHO recommended that a reduction to below
5% or roughly 25 g per day would provide additional
health benefits.

Replacing sugar with an
alternative sweetener requires
thought to not only flavor but
also function. Sugar provides
bulking, browning and texture
properties in a formula.
Matsutani

Reducing sugar content
Even if the proposed Nutrition Facts changes do not
become law, today's consumers are still taking note of
the sugar content of foods, in particular, baked goods.
According to a 2015 study from Innova Market Insights,
Duiven, The Netherlands, 52% of US consumers said
they pay attention to sugar when purchasing a bakery
product, and its presence influences purchase decisions.
That's because for many consumers, it's impossible
to stop after one or two cookies. To put this into perspective, one Keebler Chips Deluxe cookie contains 5 g
sugar. By eating five cookies, a person has already consumed half the recommended amount of sugar for the
day. Thus, lowering the caloric sweetener content of all
foods efforts to appeal to today's health-and-wellness-

www.bakingandsnack.com / October 2015 Baking & Snack 47

http://www.bakingandsnack.com

Baking & Snack - October 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Baking & Snack - October 2015