Natural and caloric sweeteners soar as US consumers seek clear health guidance, flags survey

A US survey on low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) finds that one-third of consumers changed their consumption habits between April 2023 and April 2024. Among this group, 10% reported increasing their LNCS consumption, while 6% started consuming LNCS.

The findings also show that caloric and natural sweeteners, such as honey, are more sought after than other sweeteners.

The International Food Information Council (IFIC) conducted the survey to gauge perceptions and preferences of sweeteners in food and beverage applications. The data follows up on previous surveys from 2021 and 2023 amid differing guidance on LNCS from global authorities.

“Since we last surveyed US consumers on sweeteners in April 2023, there have been significant updates to low- and no-calorie sweetener dietary guidance outside the US, potentially impacting American consumer attitudes and preferences,” notes IFIC president and CEO Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak.

Among the respondents, 11% said they cut down on LNCS and 6% said they stopped consuming LNCS completely. A substantial group (30%) said they hadn’t consumed any LNCS in the 12 months preceding the survey.

Natural sweeteners lead

US consumer preferences show a strong demand for caloric sweeteners. Respondents were most likely to consume honey, followed by brown sugar.

In the LNCS category, stevia ranked the highest, followed by monk fruit. Consumers’ awareness of allulose remains low, with only 13% of the respondents saying they have heard of it.

“Not surprisingly, ‘natural’ sweeteners like honey and stevia remain popular with consumers,” remarks Kris Sollid, RD, senior director of Research and Consumer Insights at IFIC.

“Since we began capturing these sentiments, honey is the caloric sweetener consumers say they are most likely to consume, and stevia leads the way among LNCS options. Overall, we continue to see the trend of Americans preferring to consume F&B with caloric sweeteners more than those with LNCS, sugar alcohols, or allulose.”

What impacts consumer perception?

IFIC notes that in May and July 2023, three bodies within the WHO undertook scientific evaluations of LNCS.

Some 42% of the respondents credited their own research with forming opinions of LNCS safety.“These reports received global media attention for their conflicting results and mixed messages. Not only did we want to deepen our insights with this recent survey, but we wanted to see if these European evaluations moved the needle on US perceptions and behaviors, and if so, how,” says Reinhardt Kapsak.

The survey finds that of consumers who reduced or stopped LNCS use, 36% did so to accommodate dietary shifts, while 31% had safety concerns.

Some 29% of the respondents who increased LNCS intake or started using them did so to manage weight. Among this group, another 21% heard they are safe to consume.

“US consumers are seeking clarity in health guidance to make more thoughtful, informed choices about what they eat and drink, including sweeteners. Results from our study suggest that the guidance updates that came out of Europe in 2023 had little, if any, net effect on US LNCS consumption habits,” explains Sollid.

Some 42% credited their own research with forming opinions of LNCS safety. Around 31% said they rely on advice from health professionals. While the survey generally highlights low consumer faith in the safety of some types of LNCS, about 56% agreed that consuming such sweeteners can benefit people’s health.

Sollid finds this takeaway “fascinating” as more consumers report relying on their own research rather than talking to credentialed health professionals to perceive LNCS safety.

Sugar reduction is a rising trend in the F&B space and remains a “top public health priority.” However, IFIC experts note that the messaging about caloric and non-caloric sweeteners does not have to be “an either/or proposition.”