In retailers across the country, consumers can now find Splenda 100-ct cartons of yellow Splenda packets in limited-edition packaging featuring Sparks and his latest novel, Counting Miracles.

Sparks is a longtime Splenda user, which captured attention when Sparks revealed that his sworn-to chicken salad is made with 16 packets of Splenda. Sparks says, “You can use real sugar, but why throw sugar in if you can use Splenda?” Nicholas Sparks’s Splenda Chicken Salad recipe went viral on social media.

Splenda fans have turned to this recipe as a fun new way to use the product while jumping on a trend, and Sparks fans everywhere are trying it out to see what it’s like to eat like this beloved author.

This recipe can be found on the back of the limited-edition Sparks Splenda package and on the Splenda website.

On the limited-edition package, there is also a QR code that brings consumers to the new Sparks page on the Splenda website. From this page, users can find where to purchase Counting Miracles and where to buy Splenda products, and, of course, the recipe for Nicholas Sparks’ Splenda Chicken Salad.

To promote this partnership, Splenda will begin a social media campaign complete with information about the new packaging and plenty of Nicholas Sparks content. Splenda will also launch The Sweet Story Sweepstakes, which can be entered through the Sparks page on the Splenda website and will send 10 lucky winners a signed copy of Counting Miracles, a limited-edition Sparks Splenda carton, and more.

Through this partnership, Splenda is excited to continue helping people live healthier, happier, and longer lives. Whether it’s sweetening your chicken salad or choosing your next read, it’s a matter of taste–and Splenda and Sparks have their fans covered.

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In The Raw, with over 50 years of sweetening experience, is excited to launch its inaugural “National Coffee Day” campaign, a tribute to the coffee shops proudly offering those iconic brown packets of Sugar In The Raw and other In The Raw sweeteners.

The campaign kicks off on September 12th with vibrant posters placed across NYC showcasing the participating coffee shops. These posters mention an opportunity to “have your next coffee on In The Raw” via gift cards at each participating coffee shop.

Scan the QR on the poster or visit @InTheRaw on Instagram to learn more. In addition to the giveaway, In The Raw will be sending members of its team to all of the participating shops on National Coffee Day, September 29th, to pick up the tab for a few lucky coffee enthusiasts.

“We’re honored to be one small, sweet part of so many morning coffee routines, from those that start at home to those on-the-go. We’ve long viewed coffee shops and other foodservice operators as the backbone of our business.

In fact, Sugar In The Raw was born from a request for a premium, less refined sugar option from Samuel Brown, beloved owner and operator of Brownies, a vegetarian café in Union Square that was ahead of its time,” said Steven Eisenstadt, CEO of In The Raw.

With over 50 years of success in the sweetener space, In The Raw is eager to shine a light on those that have contributed to their success, the coffee shops and people who trust their products.

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EverSweet stevia sweetener brings to life the sweetest and cleanest tasting components of the stevia leaf – steviol glycosides Reb M and Reb D. It allows for significant reduction in sugars while maintaining a high-quality sweet taste for reduced and zero calorie food and beverages, enabling food manufacturers to meet the rising demand for healthful and sustainable products. EverSweet is created through advanced fermentation methods, resulting in reduced water usage, minimal land use impact, and a lower carbon footprint than producing it by growing acres of plants.

Avansya has quantified the sweetener’s environmental benefits through consecutive, third party-verified life cycle assessments. Results showed that the sweetener has impressive sustainability advantages over sugar, with 96% lower land-use-related impacts, 97% less water usage and 81% reduction in carbon footprint. Similar advantages were shown compared to bio-converted Reb M, with 88% reduction in land use related impacts, 92% lower water usage and a 76% lower carbon footprint [1].

Already available in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and other major markets, EFSA and FSA are the latest in a growing list of regulatory bodies to review the sweetener’s safety. Final authorization is expected in 2024, at which time EverSweet will become commercially available to European food and beverage manufacturers too.

First commercialized in the U.S. in 2019, EverSweet is already used to formulate a broad range of food and beverages in other markets worldwide. It is widely recognized for its clean, sugar-like taste, rounded flavor profile, and fast onset of sweetness, a combination of traits which enables formulators to achieve deeper reductions in sugars than traditional stevia sweeteners.

“We are thrilled that our European customers will soon gain access to this advanced, zero-calorie sweetener, and look forward to collaborating with them to bring consumers a new generation of products that reflect their priorities around health, nutrition, indulgence and sustainability,” said Andrew Ohmes, CEO Avansya. “Consumers don’t want to compromise on any of these points; with EverSweet, they don’t have to – it’s the sweetness solution that brings it all together.”

[1] Current production method of stevia leaf is grown on land. In contrast, EverSweet is produced through fermentation, enabling the exact same steviol glycosides (Reb M, D) but without the land use impact and water footprint, creating a sustainable, scalable, and economic supply of Reb M. The LCA report is available upon request.

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With more than one in two young adults aged 25-34 living with overweight and obesity [4] and one in three adults aged 25-34 years [5] suffering from untreated tooth decay in the UK, Action on Sugar is calling for greater transparency over a ‘scandalous’ lack of nutrition information available at point of purchase and new levies to be introduced to encourage healthier food and drink across the board.

Whilst certain companies are required, by law, to display the calorie content of food and drink at the point of purchase, details about the sugar content are often limited. Today’s research reveals that 782 sweet food and drink products surveyed in nine leading high street coffee shops were often “insufficiently labelled for consumers.

Over half would be marked ‘red’ (high in total sugars) if nutrition information was fully transparent. Astonishingly, just one food item (a Greggs All Butter Croissant) was low in sugar.

To put this into perspective, a visit to a coffee shop could see a person consume up to 39 teaspoons of sugar and a colossal 1,390 calories (equivalent to two and a half ready meal lasagnes [6]) with one of the following food and drink combinations:

Despite the astronomical amount of sugar found in the products surveyed, the difference in sugar content of similar products can vary widely (See Table 2), illustrating the food and drink industry’s ability to reduce sugar if incentivised.

The new industry levies being proposed by Action on Sugar to encourage reformulation, could include extending the current Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) across ALL juice and milk-based drinks and introducing levies targeting the high sugar content in sweet foods. Revenue generated from the levy can be invested back into children’s health.

Under the recent voluntary measures, the OOH sector has been unsuccessful in reducing sugar – with just a mere 0.2% reduction overall compared to a more impressive 44% decrease in average sugar added to soft drinks (as a result of the SDIL [7]).

Dr Kawther Hashem, Campaign Lead at Action on Sugar says: “The use of levies is an effective lever to encourage companies to reduce sugar and calories in their products. The Soft Drinks Industry Levy is a key example of this which successfully removed a massive 46,000 tonnes of sugar from these drinks as well as raising millions of pounds which has been invested in children’s health. We now need to see similar levies introduced across other categories to shift the market towards a healthier direction.”

Zoe Davies, Nutritionist at Action on Sugar says: “It’s incredible how easy it is to unknowingly consume 39 teaspoons of sugar and over 1,300 calories with a simple drink and cake purchase – all of which is highly unnecessary to taste great. What’s more, it’s unacceptable that consumers are often left in the dark as product information about sugar content is not displayed at the point of sale and online PDF documents are unavailable or difficult to find and understand. This is why clearer labelling should be a must, so people know exactly what they are buying.”

Graham MacGregor, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Queen Mary University of London and Chairman of Action on Sugar says: “Whilst it is scandalous that companies get away with providing so little nutrition information, it is even more outrageous that the government hasn’t taken decisive action to incentivise sugar reduction. The need for mandatory nutrition labelling in the Out of Home sector and the introduction of new levies to encourage reformulation has never been more evident. Without doubt, an unhealthy diet high in saturated fat, salt and sugar, and low in fruit and vegetables, is the biggest cause of death and disability globally and costs the UK alone more than £100 billion annually. It’s time to redefine profit as a healthy population.”

References

[1] Adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars a day, (roughly equivalent to 7 sugar cubes). https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/how-does-sugar-in-our-diet-affect-our-health/#:~:text=This%20means%3A,day%20(5%20sugar%20cubes)
[2] Action on Sugar surveyed 466 open cup drinks and 316 unpackaged sweet foods in coffee shops (782 total), examining their nutrition content. Nutrition information was originally sought in 12 major coffee shops (BB’s Coffee & Muffins, Café Nero, Caffe Ritazza, Coffee#1, Coffee Republic, Costa, Greggs, Muffin Break, Pret A Manger, Puccino’s, Soho Coffee Co. and Starbucks). Data for their Autumn menu range was collected directly from coffee shop websites and downloadable nutrition information documents between August and October. Three coffee shops did not have nutrition information online, and therefore were not included in the survey (BB’s Coffee & Muffins (provided only calorie information), Caffe Ritazza and Muffin Break). Since drinks are often provided with a variety of milk options, for the purposes of this survey, only medium sized drinks were chosen and semi-skimmed milk where available. All collated nutrition information was shared with companies beforehand. In addition, festive seasonal menu items were included on 8th November 2023. Due to time constrains the collated nutrition information for festive drinks was not verified with companies beforehand. Out of 782 products, 294 had a total sugars content of more than 30g per serve (38%).
[3] Some of the sugars in milk-based drinks will be from lactose in the milk, but current nutrition labelling does not differentiate between the amount of naturally occurring sugars (lactose) from milk and free sugars added in the form of table sugar, syrups and blended fruits.
[4] Health Survey for England, 2021.59% of adults aged 25-34 years old are living with overweight and obesity. Overall, adults aged 16-75+ living with overweight and obesity is 65%. https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/health-survey-for-england/2021/health-survey-for-england-2021-data-tables
[5] Untreated tooth decay was more prevalent in participants aged 25-34 (35.3%) Public Health England. National Dental Epidemiology Programme for England. Oral health survey of adults attending general dental practices 2018. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ee0abb0d3bf7f1eb9646438/AiP_survey_for_England_2018.pdf
[6] Based on a Tesco Beef Lasagne 400g, 558kcal per pack, https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/310130809
[7] Sugar reduction – industry progress 2015 to 2020. Office for Health Improvement & Disparities. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1121444/Sugar-reduction-and-reformulation-progress-report-2015-to-2020.pdf

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The acquisition expands Perfetti Van Melle’s portfolio, which includes iconic global brands such as Mentos, Chupa Chups and Airheads. Herewith the company has boosted its position as a global leader in the confectionery industry.

Egidio Perfetti, Chairman of C+F Confectionery and Foods S.A. and Perfetti Van Melle Group B.V. commented, “This acquisition aligns perfectly with our strategic goal of becoming a global leader in gum, our chosen focus. We expect to further bolster our product portfolio, manufacturing capacity, market distribution and financial results.

Doubling our size in North America and increasing our reach in Europe serving more consumers with our well-loved brands. With a passion for gum, our strong innovative background and family history, we are very pleased and proud to welcome the new people, brands and plants that have joined us today.”

The acquisition includes the gum brands Trident, Dentyne, Stimorol, Hollywood, V6, Chiclets, Bubbaloo and Bubblicious in the United States, Canada and Europe, as well as the European candy brands such as Cachou Lajaunie, and La Vosgienne. The manufacturing facilities in Rockford, IL USA and Skarbimierz, Poland are also part of the deal expanding its number of manufacturing operations to a total of 33 sites.

With the addition of R&D expertise for the gum category, a combined new R&D will be formed with the competencies, knowledge, and research that has been built up over decades. Resulting in a new leading global innovation hub for gum and packaging.

With direct commercial operations in France, Denmark and Switzerland, we are significantly expanding our presence throughout Europe. Perfetti Van Melle has welcomed close to 1,000 new employees, bringing the total global workforce to over 19,000.

As described above, the Portugal portion of the business is being retained by Mondelēz until regulatory approval for its transfer is granted by the Portuguese Competition Authority. Perfetti Van Melle expects to receive such approval soon, following which the Portugal portion of the business will also be sold and transferred to the Perfetti Van Melle Group.

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In order to contribute to realizing a sustainable society, the Suntory Group established the “Basic Policy on the Sustainable Supply Chain” in 2011, followed by the “Suntory Group Supplier Guidelines” in 2017. Having joined Sedex, the largest supplier ethical information sharing platform for corporate ESG data in the world in 2019, the group has been promoting a more sustainable procurement.

Initiatives include, collaborating with local universities and agriculture cooperatives to introduce more environmentally friendly processes in producing wine grapes and tea leaves in Japan, as well as supporting sustainable agriculture for blackcurrant (main ingredient for producing Ribena) farmers in the UK since 2004.

The company will accelerate its work to procure more sustainably by utilizing the VIVE platform by evaluating the sustainability of our procurement network and strengthening our efforts to procure sugar in a more sustainable manner.

“Suntory proudly announces its partnership with the VIVE sustainable supply program,” said Brian Golden, Senior General Manager of Global Supply Solutions Department, Suntory Holdings Limited. “Suntory is focused on improving agriculture practices in all key ingredients and is fully aligned with VIVE’s goal to scale sustainable and traceable practices across the supply chain. Together we will work for a more sustainable future from farm to customer.”

Learn more about Suntory Group’s sustainability vision here and about its work on sustainable procurement here.

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Using an enzymatic process, it reduces intrinsic sugar in ingredients such as malt, milk, and fruit juices by up to 30%, with a minimal impact on taste and texture. The sugar-reduced ingredients are then used in recipes for various products. There is no need to add sweeteners or bulking agents to replace the volume of the eliminated sugar.

When the patented sugar reduction method is applied to milk-based products, it also increases prebiotic fibers. First clinical studies have shown that these fibers can support the growth of multiple types of beneficial bacteria leading to a favorable microbiome composition in healthy adults.

Stefan Palzer, Nestlé Chief Technology Officer says, “Sugar reduction across our portfolio remains a top priority. This new technology is a true breakthrough, as we can reduce sugar without adding sweeteners while preserving a great taste, all at a minimal cost increase. In addition, our scientists discovered that the sugar reduction generates prebiotic fibers that support the microbiome, which is an additional benefit. We are now accelerating the global roll-out across formats and categories.”

The sugar reduction was first piloted in cocoa and malt-based ready-to-drink beverages in Southeast Asia and over the past year, Nestlé has already introduced it in factory lines for cocoa and malt-based powdered beverages such as Milo across several countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Since 2021, the sugar reduction technology has been applied to over 200 000 tons of cocoa and malt-based beverages. The roll-out continues, and other product categories such as dairy powders will follow.

The development of novel technologies is part of Nestlé’s continuous efforts to improve the nutritional value of its products, while supporting responsible consumption as part of a balanced diet.

The new sugar reduction technology complements a wide range of existing solutions which Nestlé has developed over the years in collaboration with external innovation partners and suppliers.

This includes natural sweeteners, sweetness-enhancing or bitterness masking flavors, as well as natural bulking agents such as fibers, cereals and tailor-made dairy and cocoa powders.

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What happens when you combine your favorite sandwich cookie with your favorite ice cream shop? You get the stuf dreams are made of – introducing the new OREO® MEGA STUF Cone and OREO® MEGA STUF Cappuccino Blast®. The OREO® MEGA STUF Cone is an OREO® waffle cone that’s been drizzled inside with OREO® creme, two scoops of Baskin-Robbins’ classic OREO® Cookies ‘n Cream Ice Cream, another layer of OREO® creme filling, topped with whipped cream and OREO® cookie pieces. But the good stuf doesn’t end there, the brand is also launching the new OREO® MEGA STUF Cappuccino Blast®, adding drizzles of OREO® creme to the fan favorite pick-me-up. Both are available in participating Baskin-Robbins this summer, while supplies last.

To bring the dreaminess of these two new treats to life, Baskin-Robbins will host its first-ever summer soiree at The Crown NYC on July 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. EST, with host Rachael Kirkconnell. This whimsical rooftop celebration will bring the delectable treats to life in an ethereal, dreamlike experience in which guests can sample both OREO® offerings, participate in an astrology reading, capture the city skyline at sunset and much more. For additional details and to secure a ticket, visit https://baskin-robbins-summerrooftopsoiree.eventbrite.com/.

As an ode to National Ice Cream Month, Baskin-Robbins is also launching a new Flavor of the Month, Sundae Funday. The flavor brings the fudge and the fun combining the iconic ingredients found in an ice cream sundae into one flavorful scoop. Sundae Funday is a new creamy combo of vanilla and chocolate ice creams mixed with rich fudge swirls, crunchy chocolate dipped waffle cone pieces and a bright shower of rainbow sprinkles – essentially, everything in a sundae but the cherry. Each fudgy, crunchy, sprinkly bite will have you saying, “Best. Dae. Ever.”

“When Baskin-Robbins celebrates National Ice Cream Month, we go big. And this year, we couldn’t be more excited to bring three new products to guests nationwide to help them seize their summer yays,” said Jeanne Bolger, Director of Product Research & Development for Baskin-Robbins. “This July, guests can experience the best part of an OREO® – the creme! – in two new Baskin-Robbins offerings soon to become fan favorites. And every day in July will feel like the best Sundae of the year with our new Flavor of the Month, Sundae Funday, which will have guests’ tastebuds feeling like they’re doing a cannonball into a pool of sundae toppings.”

Baskin-Robbins will also celebrate National Ice Cream Month with some extra sweet deals. Beginning on National Ice Cream Day, July 16, through July 22, guests can receive $5 off their purchase of $20** or more through DoorDash, Uber Eats and Postmates or with the promo code SEIZETHEYAY on all BaskinRobbins.com or Baskin-Robbins app orders. For in-shop orders, guests can redeem the in-app coupon at checkout. And on July 31, guests can enjoy 31% off all scoops*** at shops nationwide as part of Celebrate 31.

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For example, between December 2019 to November 2022, the number of individual flavours in sweet bakery launches in the UK was more than fivefold compared to India during the same period, according to Mintel Global New Products Database.

India’s launch activity in the category continues to focus on classic favourites like chocolate and vanilla. These two flavours also continue to dominate the category with chocolate accounting for 32% of the total launches and vanilla contributing 14% between January 2022 to December 2022.

On a broader scale across the Asia-Pacific region, pistachio has witnessed an exponential rise as a flavour in the sweet bakery category, with a staggering growth of 1200% over the last three years through December 2022.

Furthermore, 79% of Indians agree that introducing novel flavours motivates them to consume sweet bakery products. About one-third of consumers have expressed interest in more innovative sweet bakery products, particularly those featuring seasonal flavours (32%) and flavour combinations (30%).

Seasonal flavours: A growing interest

In particular, India is lagging in seasonal sweet bakery product innovation as only 4% of all new sweet bakery product launches in India, between September 2021-22, were seasonal. In comparison, 16% of all new sweet bakery product launches globally were seasonal in the same time period. Seasonal flavours have become a top interest in the sweet bakery category among Younger Millennials aged 26-32, with 38% (compared to 32% of consumers overall) looking forward to more flavourful seasonal innovations.

Anamika Banerji PhD, Food and Drink Analyst, Mintel Reports India, said, “Introducing product innovation that features seasonal flavours can be a good route to spark new interest and attract more consumers. The vast variety of seasonal fruits (eg jamun, mango) and sweet goods (eg carrot halwa) prepared during different seasons and festivals throughout the year can serve as flavour inspirations for packaged sweet bakery products.”

Ready-to-bake products attract young Indians

Ready-to-bake mixes offering consumer involvement and flexibility, while simplifying the baking process, have gained popularity among young Indians aged 18-34. This is particularly true for students and metropolitan dwellers, with 31% and 32% respectively, expressing a desire for this format.

For consumers interested in “ready-to-bake at home” sweet bakery products, freshness is a key value. Over three-fourths (79%) of these consumers agree that it is worth paying more for packaged sweet bakery products that ensure freshness. According to Banerji, the focus on freshness could be what’s motivating them towards the ready-to-bake format, which offers the experience of eating freshly baked treats.

Additionally, nearly four in five (78%) consumers who seek ready-to-bake products find it inconvenient to source all the ingredients needed for a recipe. Mintel research indicates that this cohort finds the premix/DIY kit format a suitable solution as it offers convenience and assures freshness.

Better-for-you sweet bakery: An emerging opportunity

Sweet bakery is seen as an indulgence-led category, with 77% of Indians agreeing that such products lift their mood. However, there is a rising demand for healthier alternatives; made with whole wheat flour (33%), all-natural ingredients (32%), and rich in nuts (31%) are the most important factors for consumers choosing a healthy, sweet bakery product. Consumers, especially those in metropolitan and Tier 1 cities, are increasingly looking for healthier sweet bakery products than what’s currently available in the market (24% and 27%, respectively).

“Better-for-you versions that reduce or take away the guilt while maintaining the taste and fun element will offer permissibility. This presents a promising opportunity for the sweet bakery sector in India to innovate and cater to evolving consumer needs,” Banerji concluded.

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Results of the review also suggest that there may be potential undesirable effects from long-term use of NSS, such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality in adults.

“Replacing free sugars with NSS does not help with weight control in the long term. People need to consider other ways to reduce free sugars intake, such as consuming food with naturally occurring sugars, like fruit, or unsweetened food and beverages,” says Francesco Branca, WHO Director for Nutrition and Food Safety.

“NSS are not essential dietary factors and have no nutritional value. People should reduce the sweetness of the diet altogether, starting early in life, to improve their health.”

The recommendation applies to all people except individuals with pre-existing diabetes and includes all synthetic and naturally occurring or modified non-nutritive sweeteners that are not classified as sugars found in manufactured foods and beverages, or sold on their own to be added to foods and beverages by consumers. Common NSS include acesulfame K, aspartame, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia and stevia derivatives.

The recommendation does not apply to personal care and hygiene products containing NSS, such as toothpaste, skin cream, and medications, or to low-calorie sugars and sugar alcohols (polyols), which are sugars or sugar derivatives containing calories and are therefore not considered NSS.

Because the link observed in the evidence between NSS and disease outcomes might be confounded by baseline characteristics of study participants and complicated patterns of NSS use, the recommendation has been assessed as conditional, following WHO processes for developing guidelines. This signals that policy decisions based on this recommendation may require substantive discussion in specific country contexts, linked for example to the extent of consumption in different age groups.

The WHO guideline on NSS is part of a suite of existing and forthcoming guidelines on healthy diets that aim to establish lifelong healthy eating habits, improve dietary quality and decrease the risk of NCDs worldwide.

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