Sugar Association files citizen petition calling for clearer labelling of sweeteners

July 13, 2020

“The Sugar Association has filed a US citizen petition to require manufacturers to add front-of-pack disclosures regarding the use of non-nutritive sweeteners – but sweetener suppliers say ingredient lists already give consumers clear information.

Trade group the Sugar Association filed a citizen petition to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this month requesting several changes to the country’s labeling laws.

Although manufacturers must already label any sweeteners used in food or drink products on the ingredients list, the Sugar Association argues that many consumers are unfamiliar with names such as aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, steviol glycosides, or lou han guo, also known as monk fruit. It therefore wants manufacturers to add the word ‘sweetener’ in brackets after the ingredient name.

The petition also requested that any product making a low-, no- or reduced-sugar claim must state ‘sweetened with [name of sweetener]’ beneath the sugar content claim. According to the trade group, the need for this action has become “critical” since the FDA published the new Nutrition Facts label in 2016, which required manufacturers to label the amount of added sugar. This led a sharp rise in the number of high-calorie products making misleading reduced sugar claims sugar, it said.”

Read the full article at: https://www.ingredientsnetwork.com/sugar-association-files-citizen-petition-calling-news084073.html