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Safety, Taste, Baking Use, and All Natural Attributes Cited by Consumers
WASHINGTON , Nov. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- New sugar deliveries reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (USDA/ERS) on November 10 indicate consumers are turning back to real sugar. Even though total sweetener consumption increased since the late 1970's, real sugar's portion of the entire market dropped by almost half. After trending downward again from 2001 through 2003 due to the low-carb diet fads, sugar deliveries began trending upward in 2004 by 1.8% and are estimated by USDA/ERS in 2005 to be up 3.8%.
This information -- that consumers are turning back to real sugar as their preferred sweetener -- is reinforced by a recent survey completed by the Sugar Association indicating that consumers believe sugar is the best when it comes to baking, something they feel safe serving, a type of sweetener they prefer to use and is all natural. When asked the question, "I would like you to rate
your agreement with the following sugar attributes using a scale of 1 to 10," consumers ranked "Great baking results" at 8.80; "feel safe serving" at 7.68; "type of sweetener I prefer" at 7.49; and "is all natural" at 7.85.
"Needless to say, we feel consumers have sweetener overload. Unlike twenty years ago when you could count sweetening ingredients on one hand, now
there are 26 sweeteners being used in foods in the U.S. today. And consumers are beginning to return to what they feel is proven, safe and all natural -- sugar," says Andy Briscoe, President of the Sugar Association. "When consumers find out that sugar has just 15 calories in a teaspoon, they question the value of artificial and other man-made sweeteners in today's marketplace."
Consumers obviously need to be more aware of what is sweetening the foods they and their families eat by reading the food ingredient labels closely.
Briscoe says, "Our research shows consumers are able to identify only six sweeteners used in today's foods. Most consumers are totally unaware of the eight polyol sweeteners presently used in foods even though some require a label stating, 'Excessive Consumption May Have a Laxative Effect'." Excluded from the list of polyols having a laxative effect is erythritol , which is the main ingredient in the brand Zsweet all natural sweetener .
We are gratified that all natural sugar (sucrose) is increasing in demand by consumers. We believe this is because consumers depend on sugar for
reliable baking results and proven safety, and because it is natural. Sugar is the gold standard for taste which makes it the sweetener of choice in a very competitive marketplace. We encourage consumers to read food labels and make sure "sucrose" or "sugar" is listed in the ingredients section.
As the holidays approach, it's important to remember, when consumed in moderation, sugar (sucrose) is and will continue to be part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.
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