Innovating with sweeteners and sugar alternatives

Sugar consumption in the United States has been on the rise in the past decade. Between 2018 and 2019, Americans consumed about 11 million metric tons of sugar, up from roughly 10 million metric tons in 2010.¹ According to the University of California San Francisco,² the average American consumes 66 pounds of added sugar each year.

Meanwhile, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)³ is trying to curb the domestic addiction. The CDC has indicated that Americans are eating and drinking too much added sugars, which can lead to health problems such as weight gain and obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. To live healthier, longer lives, the CDC says that Americans need to be more active and ‘eat better’, which includes consuming fewer calories from added sugars. This is also outlined as one of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Healthy People 2020 Objectives.⁴ The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has enforced the mandatory declaration of added sugars on the Nutrition Facts Label, beginning 1 January 2020.