A McDonald’s TV commercial that aired in the late-1970s featured a little boy adorably telling a little girl who was moving away how “neat, sweet and hard to beat” she was. When it comes to sweetening solutions like stevia, erythritol and monk fruit, ingredient suppliers highlight how they also are “moving on” in search of the latest iteration of sweetening solutions that will reduce sugar content while maintaining the lower calories and sugar-like taste and texture consumers’ crave.
The need for new and improved sweetening solutions has never been more important. Government agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) have long recognized sugar’s contribution to global issues of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic health problems. Since 2015, WHO has recommended that consumers reduce sugar intake to have 5 percent of total calories come from added sugars. For adults with a normal body mass index (BMI), this equates to about six teaspoons, or about 25 grams of sugar a day.