Abstract
Our understanding of the use of caloric and noncaloric sweeteners in the US food supply
is limited. This study uses full ingredient list and Nutrition Facts label data from
Gladson Nutrition Database and nationally representative purchases of consumer packaged
foods from Nielsen Homescan in 2005 through 2009 to understand the use of caloric
sweeteners (including fruit juice concentrate) and noncaloric sweeteners in consumer
packaged foods. Of the 85,451 uniquely formulated foods purchased during 2005 through
2009, 75% contain sweeteners (68% with caloric sweetener only, 1% with noncaloric
sweetener only, 6% with both caloric and noncaloric sweeteners). Caloric sweetener
are in >95% of cakes/cookies/pies, granola/protein/energy bars, ready-to-eat cereals,
sweet snacks, and sugar-sweetened beverages. Noncaloric sweetener are in >33% of yogurts
and sport/energy drinks, 42% of waters (plain or flavored), and most dietetic sweetened
beverages. Across unique products, corn syrup is the most commonly listed sweetener,
followed by sorghum, cane sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and fruit juice concentrate.
Also, 77% of all calories purchased in the United States in 2005-2009 contained caloric
sweeteners and 3% contained noncaloric sweeteners, and 73% of the volume of foods
purchased contained caloric sweetener and 15% contained noncaloric sweetener. Trends
during this period suggest a shift toward the purchase of noncaloric sweetener−containing
products. Our study poses a challenge toward monitoring sweetener consumption in the
United States by discussing the need and options available to improve measures of
caloric sweetener and noncaloric sweetener and additional requirements on Nutrition
Facts labels on consumer packaged foods.
Keywords
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Biography
S. W. Ng is a research assistant professor, Department of Nutrition, Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Biography
M. M. Slining is a research assistant professor, Department of Nutrition, Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Biography
B. M. Popkin is a professor, Department of Nutrition, Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 24, 2012
Accepted:
June 25,
2012
Footnotes
FUNDING/SUPPORT Supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Grant 67506) and the National Institutes of Health (R01 HL104580).
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Identification
Copyright
© 2012 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
