Sugar Reduction or Nature's Sweetspot
ASTRAEA Allulose enables reduced- and no-sugar claims on confectionery labels
Sugar reduction is a major trend. More than half of consumers have identified reducing sugar intake as their top dietary focus according to a recent HealthFocus International, Global Sweetener Report.
“From our consumer research we know that more than 60% of consumers are actively monitoring the sugar content of products they purchase,” said Afrouz Naeini, Ingredion’s regional platform leader for Sugar Reduction in the US and Canada.
Ingredion Incorporated, a leading global provider of ingredient solutions to diversified industries, has announced that food and beverage manufacturers in the US can now intensify development of reduced-sugar products using its ASTRAEA Allulose formula following draft guidance issued from the FDA.
Similar sweet taste
The process offers a similar sweet taste profile and functionality of sucrose without all the calories and no grams of sugar, helping manufacturers create foods and beverages with better for you appeal — and now fewer grams of sugar on nutrition labels based on the FDA draft guidance.
“ASTRAEA Allulose can help enable food and beverage brands to reduce sugar and calorie counts on Nutrition Facts labels, more so now with the FDA guidance helping to unlock even more opportunities,” Naeini said.
Under the draft guidance, FDA intends to exercise enforcement discretion for the exclusion of allulose from the amount of “Total Sugars” and “Added Sugars” declared on the label and the use of a general factor of 0.4 calories per gram for allulose when determining “Calories” on Nutrition and Supplement Facts labels pending review of the issues in a rulemaking.
Ingredion claims its ASTRAEA Allulose is approximately 70% as sweet as sucrose and offers similar functionalities such as bulking, browning and freeze point depression. Allulose is absorbed by the body but not metabolized, making it nearly calorie-free. The company says these properties make allulose an ideal ingredient for formulators as they look for ways to reduce calories and grams of sugar in the products they develop.
