Food & Beverage Makers Give High Fructose Corn Syrup The Cold Shoulder
London – In an effort to market foods and beverages that are perceived to be ‘better for you,' more packaged food & drink producers are dumping high fructose corn syrup, a popular sweetener in soft drinks and food products. Datamonitor's Productscan Online database reports that the number of new food & beverage products launched worldwide claiming that they contain no high fructose corn syrup has nearly tripled thus far in 2007, compared to all of 2006.
High Fructose Corn Syrup – The Newest Health Villain?
According to Datamonitor's Productscan Online, 146 new food & beverage products have been launched worldwide proclaiming that they do not contain any high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). This compares with just 54 products that announced they were HFCS-free in 2006 and 53 products that made the same claim in 2005.
The growth in new foods & beverages claming to be free of high fructose corn syrup has been recent and dramatic. In 2003, just 6 new beverages made label claims that they were free of high fructose corn syrup.
"Until recently, a handful of small companies said their products were free of high fructose corn syrup," notes Tom Vierhile, Director of Datamonitor's Productscan Online database of new products. "What's new today is that some of the larger packaged food & beverage companies are removing high fructose corn syrup from their products including Kraft Foods, Dannon and Del Monte Foods."
For now, the trend is heavily concentrated in the USA. Kraft Foods' contribution to the trend includes Back to Nature Chewy Trail Mix Bars, Fruit & Grain Bars and Bakery Squares Bars. All three lines were launched in the United States earlier this year.
Group Danone's Dannon Company touts its new Dannon Danimals Xtreme Drinkables Bursting with Fruit Flavor as having "only the good stuff" which means no high fructose corn syrup. Del Monte Bloom Energy Drink, also HFCS-free, is described as "a new energy drink specially formulated for women that you can feel good about". Both products are new in the USA.
Perception or Reality?
New product launch activity aside, the medical case against high fructose corn syrup isn't exactly crystal clear. Even so, the ingredient has become controversial with the rise in obesity rates. The state of Florida attempted to ban high fructose corn syrup from schools in 2006, though the legislation was never signed into law.
All of this activity seems to be having an impact on consumers. A 2007 International Food Information Council Foundation study found that 60% of American consumers said they were trying to consume less high fructose corn syrup.
The most recent medical evidence, however, has failed to uncover a smoking gun linking high fructose corn syrup with medical problems. In July, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition stated that there was no unique link between high fructose corn syrup and obesity.
Even so, consumers want fewer processed foods in their lives. According to a 2006 Datamonitor consumer survey, 63% of American consumers reported that it was "important" or "very important" to reduce processed food consumption. 64% of consumers in the UK concurred, as did 73% of consumers in Italy.
Natural Sweeteners Could Prosper
With high fructose corn syrup's less than stellar health reputation, the door may be opening for alternative sweeteners like agave and stevia. The latter is the subject of intensive research by Cargill and Coca-Cola Company, which have teamed up in the hope of marketing a new calorie-free sweetener to consumers in Europe and the USA based on stevia called Rebiana. Stevia is not yet approved for use in food and beverage products worldwide, which means opportunities for other natural sweeteners like cane sugar and agave. The latter has recently shown up in new packaged foods ranging from ketchup to salad dressing, beer and cookies.
SOURCE: Datamonitor's Productscan Online