IFT Releases New Resources to Aid Food and Beverage Industry in Sugar Reduction

CHICAGO — The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a nonprofit scientific organization committed to advancing the science of food and its application across the global food system, released two educational resources to aid food and beverage professionals in sugar reduction strategies.

The free-to-download Sugar Alternatives At A Glance resource and the IFT members-only Sugar Alternatives Overview provide information on widely used artificial and natural sweeteners such as regulatory status, considerations for substitutions and sweetness levels compared to sugar that can help streamline the sugar reduction product development process.

Each resource covers 19 common sugar alternatives, including artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose and saccharin, as well as natural sweeteners like stevia, monk fruit and sugar alcohols including erythritol and xylitol.

Sugar Alternatives At A Glance includes common names, commercial derivation and sweetness levels for an essential high-level overview for food and beverage professionals beginning the sugar reduction process, while the IFT members-only Sugar Alternatives Overview provides a deep dive into common use cases, regulatory status, scientific studies and considerations for substitutions, aiding developers in perfecting their formulation while saving time in the product development journey, said IFT.

“Reducing added sugar is top of mind for consumers, health and nutrition professionals and product developers, but finding the right sugar alternatives for a product can be challenging,” said Anna Rosales, IFT senior director of government affairs & nutrition. “IFT’s Sugar Alternatives At A Glance and Sugar Alternatives Overview are indispensable resources for those looking to efficiently reduce added sugars while satisfying consumer taste preference.”

IFT has also released a free-to-read special collection from its scientific publications, Journal of Food Science and Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, on the subject. “Alternative Sweeteners and Sugar Reduction” explores sweetness perception, human physiological response to sweeteners, sensory aspects and use cases of alternatives sweeteners, as well as sugar-free and reduced-sugar products.

IFT’s journals will sponsor a keynote session at IFT FIRST: Annual Event and Expo, July 13-16, at McCormick Place in Chicago. “Reimagining Flavor: Reducing Fat, Salt, and Sugar for Healthier Foods” will convene scientists from across the food system as they share cutting-edge research, practical insights and real-world experiences in reformulating food products to meet the growing demand for healthier options.

Previously, IFT provided comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on its efforts to reduce added sugar consumption, sharing insight on strategies for labeling products with added sugars and reformulating foods to reduce added sugars.