The past decade brought a rise in sugar-related discussions amongst the food and beverage industry, public health officials and the general population. While demand for sugar and sweeteners has never been higher, the need for sugar reduction has also continued to grow. Sugar, in the form of the carbohydrate glucose, is the primary energy of… Read more »
Low-calorie beverages can be an important part of addressing high sugar and calorie intake, but many products do not succeed because key sensory factors are not addressed beyond sweetness. Tools from sensory and analytical sciences can be key to building back mouthfeel in beverages which have reduced levels of sugar.
Over 170 million tonnes of sugar are consumed annually, resulting in increased risk of obesity and chronic disease for many as well as production of substantial CO2 emissions, land, and water use. Sugar alternatives that can improve both health and sustainability outcomes can be an important tool for the future health of the planet.
Addressing sustainable nutrition is top-of-mind globally, but optimising for nutrition and sustainability can impact taste of foods and beverages. Learn about the role of taste science in tackling challenges that come with sustainable nutrition initiatives like sugar reduction and plant-based eating.
Is dairy fat healthy or unhealthy? Why do we see recommendations to reduce saturated fat intake, while at the same time see headlines from studies showing full-fat dairy may be healthy for us? The answer lies in the fact that food can often be more than the sum of its parts. Dairy, saturated fat &… Read more »
New research, led by the Monell Chemical Senses Center, has now found that liking of fatty food is more complex than its fat content alone – it could also be related to inborn genetic traits of the consumer related to fat perception. The team published their findings in Chemical Senses. Research has shown over the… Read more »
What is the difference between sugar and added sugar? For those in the food and nutrition world, added sugar might be something we hear about every day. Global dietary recommendations continue to recommend reducing added sugar intake, legislation taxing added sugar content of foods or beverages is increasingly common, and the update to the nutrition… Read more »
Dining out of home and calorie-rich restaurant menus are often blamed as a main driver of the obesity issue worldwide. World Health Organization global estimates that more than 1.9 billion adults aged 18 years and older are overweight (WHO,2018). What if we could make healthier choices in restaurants more obvious and easier to make for… Read more »
Read a webinar summary in the article “Calorie reduction to become a “critical component” of future food design“. Consumers are often unaware of the energy density of the foods they consume, making them vulnerable to excess calorie consumption. As a result, initiatives to reduce the number of calories in foods and beverages are emerging globally, either voluntarily… Read more »
Low-calorie sweeteners are go-to solutions for sugar reduction in foods and beverages, but it can be hard to know which one to use. They all have different taste characteristics, as well as different impacts on health. A recent study from researchers at Purdue University studied which low-calorie sweetener is the best for weight management, the… Read more »
Germany recently approved an initiative called the National Reduction and Innovation Strategy focused on introducing voluntary reduction targets for the amount of salt, sugar, and fat in food. The government is working with industry players to determine what the reduction targets will be in early 2019, with the goal of achieving the targets by 2025.… Read more »
For most of our lives, many of us are fighting a constant battle of trying to eat less to maintain a healthy weight. Tasty foods and large portion sizes are alluring throughout most of childhood and adulthood. There are certain times, though, when the opposite is true. Some people struggle with loss of appetite and… Read more »
“Which sweetener should I use, and how much?” These are questions being asked by formulators across the food and beverage industry as sugar drives more and more purchase decisions for consumers. We’ve known for a long time that ‘less is more’ when it comes to sugar from a nutrition science perspective. WHO and USDA have… Read more »
Summary (scroll down for an infographic summary) Speakers Sugar Reduction Around the World – Consumer, Health & Legislation Demands: Aisling Aherne, PhD, RNutr, Nutrition Science Manager, Kerry Overcoming the Complexities of Reduced Sugar: Ashley Baker, VP RD&A, Kerry In a world that loves sugar’s familiar qualities…where do you start for its successful reduction? Sugar ranks at the… Read more »
Numerous countries across the globe have initiated actions to reduce sugar intake, including reformulation, targeted taxation, front-of-pack labeling, and more. Initiatives to reduce sugar content of foods can be dependent on the supply chain being able to support such changes. The World Health Organization recently undertook a novel food supply chain analysis to identify possible… Read more »
Sugar is at the top of the list when it comes to improving nutrition in foods and beverages, but it is not as simple as making sure these products still have enough sweetness. This infographic takes a look at challenges and opportunities for the future for sugar reduction. Stay tuned this month for more resources… Read more »
Trends in the food and beverage industry are moving more and more toward the idea of ‘natural’, including eating less processed food. This can leave many of us wondering ‘what is the role of processed food for my nutrition?’ A scientific statement in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition titled Processed foods: contributions to nutrition… Read more »
Could fat be the key to maintaining flavor when modifying sugar or salt levels in food? A new study in the journal Food Quality and Preference explores the impact fat content has on liking of soups and custards with varying levels of fat, sugar, and salt content. Researchers provided study participants either creamy tomato soup… Read more »
A new study in the Journal of Nutrition found that carbohydrate taste sensitivity is associated with starch intake and waist circumference in adults. Individual differences in taste sensitivity and the role of taste in promoting intake of specific foods or ingredients associated with obesity have long been investigated but results are mixed. Results from this new… Read more »
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