Beverage Industry logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Beverage Industry logo
  • NEWS
    • R&D News
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Products
    • Reader's Choice Poll
  • CATEGORIES
    • Alternative Drinks
    • Beer
    • Bottled Water
    • Cannabis Beverages
    • Carbonated Soft Drinks
    • Energy Drinks & Shots
    • Juice & Juice Drinks
    • Plant-Based Beverages
    • Sports Drinks
    • Tea and Coffee
    • Wine & Spirits
  • R&D
    • Beverage R&D Features
    • Ingredient Spotlight
  • PACKAGING
    • New Packages
    • Packaging Equipment
    • Packaging Material
  • OPERATIONS
    • Distribution
    • Plant Focus
  • TOP LISTS
    • Beer Market Report
    • Executive of the Year
    • State of the Beverage Industry
    • Top 100 Beverage Companies
    • Truck Report
    • Wholesaler of the Year
  • MEDIA
    • eBook
    • Podcast
    • Polls
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Annual Manual
    • Contract Packaging Guide
    • Take a Tour
  • MORE
    • Classifieds
    • Channel Strategies
    • eNewsletters
    • Events
      • Membrane Technology Forum
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Market Insights
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archived Issues
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Market Insights

What beverage-makers need to know about Nutrition Facts label change

Taste and texture important attributes during calorie reduction

Milk Label
(Image courtesy of Tate & Lyle)
December 16, 2016

The industry has recognized that consumers’ food and beverage consumption habits have changed during the past two decades. Trends are showing that consumers want more information about products to help them make informed choices that also fit their health goals. Today, the industry actively is considering the implications of the announcement that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requiring updates to the Nutrition Facts label by July 26, 2018. Now, more than ever, it’s important that manufacturers and ingredient suppliers work together to create healthier and tastier options for consumers.

Beverage manufacturers, in particular, will be greatly impacted by the label updates. Here are the Top 5 considerations they should keep in mind as the labels change:

Solutions for reducing calories

One of the big changes to the label includes an emphasis on total calories.

We know that U.S. consumers are concerned with reducing overall calorie consumption. In fact, 65 percent say that calories are the No. 1 thing they look for on the front or back of packaging, according to research conducted by FoodMinds for Tate & Lyle in February 2015.

Many beverage manufacturers already have begun to reduce calories by replacing or reducing sugars. Since 2008, there have been 6,636 soft drinks and 758 hot drinks launched in North America with low-calorie, sugar-free, no-added-sugar and low-sugar claims, according to Innova, Food and Drink Categories, NOAM. Yet, reducing calories by removing sugars calls for some additional considerations.

Acknowledging ‘added sugars’

Consumers also are looking to reduce overall added sugars. In the United States, 54 percent of consumers report they are actively trying to consume less sugar, based on online research conducted by Tate & Lyle in July 2015 of 7,200 respondents from the United States, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, China and Japan. This finding is reflected in the updated “added sugars” line item on the new labels.

Despite the fact that Americans are trying to decrease their calorie and sugar intake, they’re not willing to sacrifice on taste. Recent data from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) found that 84 percent of Americans claim taste as their No. 1 purchase driver, according to a 2016 IFIC Food and Health Survey.

If beverage manufacturers want to replace or reduce the amount of sugar in their beverages, they have to remember that finding an ingredient solution is never a one-for-one exchange.

Taste still is king

When formulating beverages, manufacturers should keep in mind the synergy that could occur when combining sweetening ingredients to achieve sugar reduction. These sweetener synergies enable beverage producers to efficiently create low-/no-calorie and low-/no-sugar sweetener blends with the right sweetness intensity.

For example, the sweetness of high-potency sweeteners plateaus at higher sweetness levels. Allulose, a low-calorie sugar, can significantly reduce the amount of high-potency sweeteners needed to achieve a higher sweetness level. When formulating with allulose, the amount of a high-potency sweetener, such as stevia, can be reduced by more than 40 percent to achieve a 10 percent sugar-equivalence.

Delivering taste & texture

Taste is king, but texture also is a very important part of the equation when formulating beverages. When creating low-fat milks or milkshakes, manufacturers must remove sugars and fat, which can significantly impact the texture of the beverages.

At this year’s Institute of Food Technologists Expo, Tate & Lyle showcased a spicy, low-fat chocolate milk. A unique blend of allulose, crystalline fructose, monk fruit extract and stevia was used to achieve a 33 percent sugar-reduction and a 25 percent calorie-reduction compared with a national brand of low-fat chocolate milk; this is in comparison with a national brand of low-fat chocolate milk that contains 180 calories and 30 grams of sugar in a 1-cup serving.

Allulose provided a calorie reduction while also delivering the texture of sucrose, and crystalline fructose also was used to help maintain texture. With a mixture of monk fruit and stevia, we were able to replace sugar with “natural” options without a bitter aftertaste.

New labeling, new solutions

As beverage manufacturers work to continue to create and optimize their offerings to fit the needs of their target audiences, it is even more important, with the recent updates, to lean on ingredient providers with strong formulation expertise and an extensive portfolio of solutions to meet labeling needs.

This proficiency will empower beverage manufacturers with the right ingredients and solutions to accurately label their products to ensure consumers are better equipped to make informed food decisions. BI

KEYWORDS: beverage labels ingredient information low-calorie beverages Nutrition Facts label sweeteners

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • top 100 beverage companies

    Top 100 Beverage Companies of 2024

    For the global beverage market, mergers and acquisitions...
    Beverage News
  • Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla shakes

    Classic flavors provide reliable, consistent results for beverage-makers

    Classic flavors of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry...
    Ingredient Spotlight
    By: Chloe Alverson
  • Free Spirits Instant Bar Bundle

    Lifestyle trends drive growth for non-alcohol category

    As lifestyle trends continue to drive growth for the...
    Wine & Spirits
    By: Lauren Sabetta
Manage My Account
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Manage My Preferences

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Beverage Industry audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Beverage Industry or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Fourpeople toasting with cocktails made with low-sugar ingredients, celebrating healthier drink options.
    Sponsored byCargill

    What’s Hot in Sugar Reduction: Beverages

  • chocolate milk
    Sponsored byCargill

    Sweetening the Future for Dairy and Dairy-Alternative Beverages

  • woman pouring a drink
    Sponsored byFFP

    Building a Beverage System: Meeting Consumer Demand for Precision Wellness

Popular Stories

Sting Energy

PepsiCo, Sting Energy unveil global partnership with Formula 1

top 100 beverage companies

Top 100 Beverage Companies of 2024

people drinking Wynk

Mindful drinking prompts growth for THC beverages

Top 100 Beverage Companies of 2024

Events

April 16, 2025

2025 State of the Industry Series: Alcoholic Beverages

On Demand In Beverage Industry’s annual State of the Industry: The Alcohol Beverage Market, analysts at S&D Insights LLC delve into these trends and how they’re shaping the industry.

June 26, 2025

FAST. FOCUSED. FUELED: Delivering Energy Consumers Can Feel

Learn how to formulate products that deliver the energy experiences that people want, and keep them coming back for more.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Retail Coffee Segment

What retail coffee segments will fare well into the next year?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

See More Products

Related Articles

  • Business - Beverage Industry

    What beverage distributors, retailers need to know about insuring themselves

    See More
  • Cargill-Dairy-Drinks-with-Stevia.jpg

    Beverage-makers work to develop balanced sweetening systems

    See More
  • Ingredion's Sweet Cream Cold Brew Coffee

    Beverage-makers turn to natural sweeteners as consumers aim to lower sugar intake

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • The-Soft-Drinks-Companion.gif

    The Soft Drinks Companion: A Technical Handbook for the Beverage Industry

  • management.jpg

    Food and Beverage Management

  • small gin.jpg

    Lessons from Gin: Business the Four Pillars Way

See More Products
×

Elevate your expertise in the beverage marketplace with unparalleled insights and connections.

Join thousands of beverage professionals today. Shouldn’t you know what they know?

JOIN NOW!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing