Natural sweeteners satisfy a sweet tooth and your bottom line.
The sweeteners category is ever evolving as consumers’ desires transition from low-/no-calorie sweeteners to low-carb to all-natural and back again. But more and more, consumers are recognizing the risks associated with artificial sweeteners and diets high in refined sugar and are flocking to products in the natural sweeteners market like kids to a candy store.
Lately, stevia products have been at the forefront of this trend, although the sweetener has been in our industry for decades before, and might be acting as a category driver. “This category has often been driven by families with young children and by people with health conditions leading them to seek alternatives. With more mainstream companies jumping onto the stevia bandwagon, this category’s audience is growing,” says Neil E. Levin, CCN, DANLA, nutrition education manager for NOW Foods, Bloomingdale, IL. It’s not certain whether consumers’ demand for natural sweeteners was fueled by the emergence of stevia in the mainstream market or if rising national health concerns have caused the market to explode in general. Either way, the category is booming.
In addition, cost is no longer a barrier for consumers. According to Wes Crain, vice president of Navitas Naturals, Novato, CA, “The prices for alternative sweeteners appear to be dropping and becoming more competitive with conventional sweeteners, in part due to more brands entering the market and supply chains that are maturing and developing a more efficient ‘economy of sale’ for their operations.”
Although stevia has taken the spotlight as of late, there are many other delicious options to satisfy every type of sweet tooth...
