In an ever-evolving world of health-conscious consumers chasing zero-sugar and clean-label products, one particular shift in behavior has become clear. Globally, consumers have decided to stop drinking their sugar.
Innova reports 1 in 5 new products launching with sugar reduction claims come from the soft drink category. Since 2018, 14% of all beverage launches worldwide have had sugar reduction claims. At the same time, governments around the world are implementing sugar taxes in efforts to improve public health, with soft drinks as their main target.
Beverages: A Critical Market for Sugar Reduction
The global sugar market has seen significant price increases, with prices at a six-year high and a predicted 2% decline in global sugar production for the 2023-24 season. This means the industry is seeing a substantial gap between supply and demand, resulting in what some are calling “sugarflation.” For cost reasons alone, there is already significant pressure for beverage companies to seek out more cost-effective alternatives to sugar.
But the beverage industry is contending with more than just the surge in sugar prices. With studies showing that sweetened beverages are the leading source of excess sugar consumption, they have become a prime target for sugar reduction efforts. Some of these efforts are self-initiated by manufacturers, but increasingly more are being imposed by regulatory action.
Common Challenges to Sugar Reduction in Beverages
While the need for sugar reduction is clear, formulating beverages that meet these sugar-reduced expectations poses several challenges:
- Taste: Traditional sugar provides a clean, sweet taste that is hard to replicate. Many sugar substitutes, whether natural like stevia or artificial like aspartame, can have undesirable aftertastes or lingering sweetness, especially at higher concentrations.
- Mouthfeel: Sugar contributes significantly to the mouthfeel and body of beverages. Replacing sugar often results in a thinner, less satisfying texture.
- Sweetness-Acidity Balance: Sugar balances the sweetness and acidity in beverages. Substitutes can disrupt this balance, leading to products that are either too sweet, too sour, or lacking in depth of flavor.
- Consumer Acceptance: There are often skepticism or negative perceptions about certain sugar substitutes, whether due to taste, perceived health risks, or lack of natural credentials.
Although the public demand is undeniable, these challenges can be enough to deter some product manufacturers from fully embracing sugar reduction.
Stevia: The Natural Sweetener of Choice for Beverages
Stevia is growing in popularity for formulators and in acceptance for consumers. This is particularly the case in the beverage industry, where stevia can be found primarily in iced teas, carbonates, and fruit-flavored drinks.
The hurdle for food & beverage manufacturers is oftentimes finding the “right” stevia solution for their formulas. Traditional stevia sweeteners, particularly those using Reb A glycosides, may come with a bitter aftertaste and lingering sweetness at high levels. Additionally, achieving the optimal sweetness-acidity balance can be difficult.
“When Reb A was first introduced, the industry hurried to market with stevia-based products without fully optimizing their taste profiles. High levels of Reb A, especially in low purity grades, led to bitterness, aftertaste, and other off-notes that some may still be associated with stevia,” says Tom Fuzer, HOWTIAN’s VP of Market Strategy.
Since that time, the quality and effectiveness of stevia-based sugar reduction solutions for beverages have come a long way. Better tasting glycosides have become more widely available, but the formulation science has also become more advanced with blending different stevias to optimize the taste profiles for different product applications. “HOWTIAN has leaned into developing stevia blends such as SoPure™ Andromeda to optimize for a variety of product categories including dairy and soft drinks,” notes Fuzer.
Solving the Challenges of Sugar Reduction in Beverages
With SoPure™ Andromeda, the objective was to develop next-generation stevia solutions that can be utilized for a wide range of beverage applications. By creating blends with a faster onset of sweetness, enhanced fresh fruit flavors, and the neutralization of bitterness and metallic off-notes, beverage manufacturers can now create products that meet consumer demand for reduced sugar without compromising on taste.
Testing shows that Andromeda delivers superior taste performance vs. conventional stevia sweeteners. The proprietary blends are comprised of natural stevia, an important bonus for those looking to maintain a clean label for their products. But perhaps most appealing to manufacturers will be the substantial cost savings that Andromeda yields compared to sugar.
Sample Formula: Iced Tea with 75% Sugar Reduction Using SoPure™ Andromeda
When compared to a formulation using Reb A 97, SoPure™ Andromeda significantly enhances the fresh lemon flavor and provides a fuller mouthfeel. It balances the sweetness and acidity of the iced tea, making the overall flavor more harmonious.
SoPure™ Andromeda Taste Performance vs. Reb A 97
Iced Tea with 75% Sugar Reduction – Formula Comparison
| Ingredient | Full Sugar (Benchmark) | RA97 (Sugar Reduction 75%) | SoPure™ Andromeda (Sugar Reduction 75%) |
| Sugar | 9.700 | 2.425 | 2.425 |
| Instant Dark Tea | 0.150 | 0.150 | 0.150 |
| Citric Acid | 0.200 | 0.200 | 0.200 |
| RA97 | – | 0.024 | – |
| SoPure™ Andromeda | – | – | 0.024 |
| Dark tea flavor | 0.020 | 0.020 | 0.020 |
| Lemon flavor | 0.002 | 0.002 | 0.002 |
| Water | 89.928 | 97.179 | 97.179 |
| Total | 100.000 | 100.000 | 100.000 |
Sample Formula: Lemon-Lime Soda with 50% Sugar Reduction Using SoPure™ Andromeda
In this example of a carbonated beverage application, SoPure™ Andromeda achieved a fruitier, more balanced flavor than RA97 with a 50% reduced sugar lemon & lime soda.
SoPure™ Andromeda Taste Performance vs. Reb A 97
Lemon-Lime Carbonated Soda with 50% Sugar Reduction – Formula Comparison
| Ingredient | Full Sugar (Benchmark) | RA97 (Sugar Reduction 50%) | SoPure™ Andromeda (Sugar Reduction 50%) |
| Sugar | 10.000 | 5.000 | 5.000 |
| RA97 | – | 0.017 | – |
| SoPure™ Andromeda | – | – | 0.017 |
| Citric Acid | 0.350 | 0.350 | 0.350 |
| Sodium Citric | 0.040 | 0.0400 | 0.0400 |
| Lemon & Lime Flavor | 0.080 | 0.080 | 0.080 |
| Water | 89.530 | 94.513 | 94.513 |
| Total | 100.000 | 100.000 | 100.000 |
Join the Sugar Reduction Movement in Beverages
As the global beverage market continues to shift towards healthier, lower-sugar options, it is imperative for beverage manufacturers to stay ahead of the curve. The demand for sugar reduction is not just a trend; it is a significant movement driven by health-conscious consumers, regulatory pressures, and economic factors.
Now is the time to embrace the trend of sugar reduction and future-proof your beverage product lineup for years to come. If you have any questions or need assistance with formulations, please reach out to our experts today and discover how HOWTIAN’s SoPure™ Andromeda can help you succeed in this today’s beverage landscape.