{"id":17260,"date":"2019-04-17T17:59:53","date_gmt":"2019-04-17T21:59:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/caloriecontrol.org\/?p=17260"},"modified":"2020-07-09T10:55:39","modified_gmt":"2020-07-09T14:55:39","slug":"fda-exempts-allulose-from-added-sugar-labeling-requirements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/caloriecontrol.org\/fda-exempts-allulose-from-added-sugar-labeling-requirements\/","title":{"rendered":"FDA Exempts Allulose from Added Sugar Labeling Requirements"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

April 17, 2019 — For the first time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration <\/a>(FDA) is allowing an ingredient\u00a0 chemically classified as a \u201csugar\u201d to not<\/em> be labeled as part of the Total or Added Sugars listings on Nutrition Facts labels. In draft guidance<\/a> published in April 2019, FDA announced that the low-calorie sweetener allulose does not need to be counted towards the amount of \u201cTotal Sugars\u201d or \u201cAdded Sugars\u201d on the new Nutrition Facts labels coming into effect January 2020 which require companies to separately list \u201cAdded Sugars\u201d under the \u201cTotal Sugars\u201d listed \u2013 among other changes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allulose is considered a \u201crare sugar\u201d due to its presence in nature \nin very small quantities and its chemical makeup as a monosaccharide. \nWhile allulose provides the same sweet taste, texture, and other \ntechnical attributes as table sugar, it is not metabolized as energy in \nthe body. Therefore, it provides a negligible amount of calories and \ndoes not impact blood glucose levels, thus qualifying allulose as a \nlow-calorie sweetener. Although allulose was discovered in small amounts\n in nature and fruits such as figs, raisins, maple syrup and jackfruit, \nit can also be made from fructose as well as corn to support production \nscale. This is especially critical given the broad scope of applications\n \u2013 from sweetening baked goods while enhancing browning and crumb \nstructure, to replacing sugar in ice cream but remaining stable in \nfreezing conditions \u2013 and subsequent predicted demand for allulose. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The demonstrated benefits of\nallulose in tandem with FDA\u2019s draft guidance on allulose labeling should help\nalleviate consumer confusion about the emerging sweetener and clear the runway\nfor industry innovation. \u201cAs manufacturers considered reformulating or\ninnovating new products in advance of the January 2020 compliance deadline for\nthe new Nutrition Facts labels, there was confusion among industry and consumers\nover how to interpret the labels of products containing allulose,\u201d remarked\nRobert Rankin, president of the Calorie Control Council. \u201cConsumers looking to\nmanage or reduce intake of Total and Added Sugars can now be assured that\nallulose does not count toward those listings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FDA has made several\nmajor updates to the nutrition label, including changes to the nutrients\nthat must be declared. Now, \u201cAdded Sugars\u201d must be included separately as a\nsubset of \u201cTotal Sugars\u201d. According to the FDA, \u201cAdded Sugars\u201d include \u201csugars\nthat are either added during the processing of foods, or are packaged as such\n(e.g., a bag of table sugar), and also includes sugars from syrups and honey,\nand sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices.\u201d However, since\nallulose does not significantly impact glycemic responses, contributes far less\nthan 4 kcal\/g, and does not promote dental caries like other sugars might, FDA\nintends to exercise enforcement discretion with respect to the exclusion of Total\nSugars and Added Sugars, including the % Daily Value (DV) declaration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn more about the FDA guidance, read:<\/p>\n\n\n\n