Sugar Producer

WWW.SUGARPRODUCER.COM 21 1. Add the term "Sweetener" in parentheses after the name of all non-nutritive sweeteners in the ingredient list. 2. For children's food and beverages, indicate the type and quantity of non-nutritive sweeteners, in milligrams per serving, on the front of food packages. 3. For products making a sugar content claim (i.e., No/Low/Reduced Sugar), require the disclosure, "Sweetened with [name of Sweetener(s)]" beneath the claim. 4. Disclose the potential gastrointestinal side effects from the consumption of sugar alcohols and some sugar substitutes in foods at the lowest observed effect levels. 5. Ensure all sugar content claims related to sugar and sugar substitutes are truthful and non-misleading. In November 2020, FDA responded acknowledging receipt of the Citizen Petition and stated that the agency was not able to reach a decision given other agency priorities and resources. As the issue of sweetener transparency and the consumer confusion that comes with it has not gone away, the Sugar Association submitted a supplement to the original Citizen Petition in March of this year, presenting new supporting information and data. Reflecting on the Why Changes to the Nutrition Facts label were introduced in 2016 to create greater transparency and provide consumers with information to make informed decisions. The new Nutrition Facts label helps consumers identify the presence and amount of added sugars in the foods and beverages they purchase and consume. However, this level of transparency is not provided for the growing range of high-intensity sweeteners, sugar alcohols and novel sweeteners that are increasingly being used in America's food supply. As companies move to reformulate products to improve their added sugars line, alternative sweeteners can now be found in products like bread, cereal, yogurt, peanut butter, canned fruit and others. These are all products that more than 70% of consumers say are a priority to avoid artificial sweeteners in, but it is virtually impossible for shoppers to identify which products contain alternative sweeteners because the FDA only requires food companies to list the chemical names of sugar substitutes on food ingredient labels. Consumers deserve clear labeling of sweeteners so they can make informed food purchasing decisions. The Problem Persists Over the last five years, the number of products that contain at least one alternative sweetener has increased 300%. Looking at 25-year trends, there were four new products containing alternative sweeteners introduced in 1997. In 2021, this number was 1,446. And when it comes to front-of-package claims, every year since 2000, over 2,000 new food and beverage products entered the marketplace with a "sugar-free", "no added sugar", or "low or reduced sugar" claim. These labels are often misleading. For example, Pop Secret Kettle Corn claims "no artificial…" but is made with sucralose, as seen in the graphic below. To see more product examples and other information on the Campaign for Sweetener Transparency, visit www.sugar. org/about/positions-principles/campaign- for-sweetener-transparency. We will continue to gather evidence to share with the FDA to help them see the urgency for clearing up consumer confusion and closing this transparency gap in food labeling. Visit www.sugar.org/take-action for more information and to submit a comment to FDA. n

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