Sugar, Sugar Substitute, and Sweetener Trends in the U.S., 3rd Edition

The U.S. sweetener market is the largest and most diverse in the world, and Americans are the heaviest consumer of sweeteners. Dozens of sweetener choices are available at the retail/consumer level and for food manufacturers, ranging from sugar and its many variations to controversy-attracting high fructose corn syrup, and from a menu of artificial sweeteners to new plant-based sweeteners that offer the advantage of being natural products. In Sugar, Sugar Substitute, and Sweetener Trends in the U.S., Packaged Facts quantifies and analyzes the size and growth of the retail market for kitchen/tabletop sugar and sweeteners, as well as tracking emerging product and marketing opportunities. The roll-out of new products containing stevia, as well as accelerated purchase of new and existing stevia products by consumers, will continue to spur market growth, while saccharin will continue to lose ground. The market will also see changes in the organic and less-refined sugar categories, including organic evaporated cane juice.

Table of contents

Chapter 1: Executive Summary

Scope and Methodology

Report Methodology

Overview

Sweetener Categories

The Arrival of Stevia

Sugar

Annual Per Capita Sugar Use in the United States Holding Steady Since 1985

Honey

Niche Nutritive Sweeteners

Corn Syrup and High-fructose Corn Syrup

The HFCS Controversy

AMA Concludes HFCS No Worse Than Sugar in Obesity Crisis

On the Other Hand…

Public Image of High-fructose Corn Syrup Causes Changes in Ingredients and Advertising

Non-Nutritive Sweeteners

High-Intensity (Artificial) Sweeteners

Stevia Market Surges Forward with FDA GRAS Status

Stevia Product Launches Increase 918% in the North American Market

European Approval of Stevia Expected by the End of 2011

Sugar Alcohols (Polyols)

The Global Sweetener Market

2010 U.S. Retail Sales Reach $3.5 Billion for Sugar and Sweeteners

Table 1-1: U.S. Retail Sales of Sugar and Sweeteners, 2007 and 2010 (in millions of dollars)

Combined Retail and Wholesale Sugar and Sweeteners Market Valued at $11.7 Billion in 2010

Table 1-2: U.S. Combined Retail and Wholesale Sugar and Sweeteners Market, 2007 and 2010 (in millions of dollars)

Retail Sales of Sugar and Sweeteners at $3.7 Billion in 2011

Table 1-3: U.S. Retail Sales of Sugar and Sweeteners, 2011 (in millions of dollars)

Combined Retail and Wholesale U.S. Sugar and Sweetener Market Projected at $13.0 Billion in 2011

Table 1-4: U.S. Combined Retail and Wholesale Sugar and Sweeteners Market, 2011 (in millions of dollars)

Sugar and Sweetener Retail Sales Projected at $4.6 Billion in 2015

Table 1-5: Projected U.S. Retail Sales of Sugar and Sweeteners, 2007-2015 (in millions of dollars)

Combined Retail and Wholesale Market Projected at $14.9 Billion in 2015

Table 1-6: Projected U.S. Wholesale and Retail Sales of Sugar and Sweeteners, 2011-2015 (in millions of dollars)

Stevia Blasts Into the Market

Splenda Loses Market Share to Stevia Products in Retail Sugar Substitute Market

Table 1-7: Retail Sales of Artificial Sweeteners/Sugar Substitutes and Select Brands in Food, Drug and Mass-Market Stores, 2006-2010 (in millions of dollars)

Per Capita Consumption of Sugar Up While Consumption of Other Sweeteners Declines

Retail Channel Accounts for Only 13% of Sugar Use by Volume

Table 1-8: U.S. Sugar Distribution by Volume: By Type of User, 2010 (percent)

Grocery Stores are the Most Popular Venue for Sweetener Product Sales

Table 1-9: 2010 Sugar and Sweetener Sales by Retail Channel (percent)

Almost All Raw Stevia is Produced in China or India

Regulatory Policy Overview

United States Sugar Policy

Free Sugar Legislation Introduced in Congress

The Ethanol Factor

Regulatory Framework for Non-Nutritive Sweeteners

New Products and Trends

The Stevia Revolution

Introductions of Food and Beverage Products Containing Stevia Increase from 20 in 2006 to 76 in 2010

New Products and Trends in Non-Nutritive Artificial Sweeteners

“No High-Fructose Corn Syrup” Claim Continues to Increase Along with Increasing Use of HCFS in Products

The Consumer

Market Driver: Obesity and Overweight

In 2010, 27.6% of American Adults Self-Report as Obese

Market Driver: Diabetes

Market Driver: Ingredient Awareness

Food & Health Survey Finds Concerns About Carbohydrate and Sugar Intake

Packaged Facts Survey of Sugar Substitute Usage by American Households Shows Sucralose Is the Most Popular Product

Table 1-10: Artificial Sweetener Use in American Households in 2011

Data From Simmons Market Research Shows Sun Crystals and Truvia Take Market Share from Other Sugar Substitutes/Artificial Sweeteners

Table 1-11: Sugar Substitute/Artificial Sweetener Brands Most Often Purchased by Households During Six Months Previous to March 2011

Chapter 2: The Products

Key Points

Overview

Sweetener Categories

Nutritive Sweeteners

Non-Nutritive or Artificial Sweeteners

Sugar Alcohols (Polyols)

Table 2-1: Comparison of Sweetness of Selected Sugar Alcohols to Sucrose

Inulin and Isomalt

High-Fructose Corn Syrup

Controversy Surrounding High-Fructose Corn Syrup

Possible Relationship Between the Consumption of High-Fructose Corn Syrup and Metabolic Syndrome

The Arrival of Stevia

The Health Benefits of Stevia

Is Cargill’s Stevia the Same as the Natural Herb?

Food and Beverage Manufacturers Benefit from Sweetener Choices

Sugar

United States the World’s Leading Sugar Importer in 2010/11

Figure 2-1: United States: World’s Leading Sugar Importer, 2010/11, (in Thousand Metric Tons/Year, Raw Value)

Annual Per Capita Sugar Use in the United States Holding Steady Since 1985

Figure 2-2: Per Capita Consumption of Caloric Sweeteners, 1970 - 2009

Industrial Sugar Use Surpasses Non-Industrial Applications

Table 2-2: U.S. Sugar Deliveries by Type of User, 1949-2010 (1,000 short tons, refined value)

Table 2-3: U.S. Sugar Deliveries by Type of User, 1949-2010 (1,000 short tons, refined value)

Sugar Available in Many Formulations

White Sugar Products Vary in Crystal Size

Brown Sugar Varies from Raw to Refined

Other Formulations of Sugar

Sucanat - Sugarcane Natural

Organic Sugar Options

Organic Sugar Beets and Genetic Modification

Fair-trade Sugar

Honey

Table 2-4: U.S. Honey Production, Imports, Exports, Stocks and Average Price, 1986-2010

Cause and Consequence of Colony Collapse Disorder

Colony Collapse Disorder Update in 2011

Honey Market Facts

Niche Markets: Organic and Local Honey

Niche Nutritive Sweeteners

Maple Syrup and Maple Sugar Serve the Specialty Foods Market

Table 2-5: U.S. Maple Syrup Production, by State, 1995-2010 (1,000 gallons)

Molasses Offers Flavor and Nutrition

Rice Syrup Versatile for Manufacturing

Date Sugar May Offer Benefits for Diabetics

Agave Syrup

Monk Fruit

Corn Syrup and High-fructose Corn Syrup

The HFCS Controversy

AMA Concludes HFCS No Worse Than Sugar in Obesity Crisis

On the Other Hand…

Public Image of High-fructose Corn Syrup Causes Changes in Ingredients and Advertising

Most HFCS Produced Domestically is Used in the U.S.

Table 2-6: U.S. High-Fructose Corn Syrup Supply and Use, 1992-2010 (1,000 short tons, dry weight)

Non-Nutritive Sweeteners

High-Intensity (Artificial) Sweeteners

Five Non-Nutritive Sweeteners Approved by FDA

Table 2-7: Non-Nutritive High-Intensity Sweeteners Approved for Use in the United States

Saccharin: Despite Nearly 100 Years of Use, Safety Concerns Remain

Aspartame Also the Focus of Safety Concerns

Sucralose Has Majority of High-Intensity Sweetener Market Share in U.S.

Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K) Has Red Flags For Health

Neotame

Stevia

Cargill, Coca-Cola Pave the Way for Acceptance and Acceleration of Stevia as a Safe Sweetener

Pepsi Introduces PureVia

Stevia Market Surges Forward with FDA GRAS Status

Sugar Manufacturers Enter the Stevia Market

Domino Foods Adds Stevia to its Ingredients Line

Stevia Product Launches Increase 918% in the North American Market

European Approval of Stevia Expected by the End of 2011

Codex Alimentarius Commission Adopts Proposed Draft Maximum Levels for Steviol Glycosides

Sugar Alcohols (Polyols)

Table 2-8: Calorie Content of Commonly Used Polyols (relative to sugar at 4 cal/gm)

Erythritol Offers Organic and Very Low Calorie Option

Maltitol for Sugar-Free Chocolate

Mannitol is Used in Chewing Gum and Chocolate Coatings

Xylitol for Healthier Teeth

Chapter 3: Size and Growth of Market

Key Points

Note on IRI Data

The Global Sweetener Market

U.S. Sugar and Sweetener Retail Sales Reach $3.5 Billion in 2010

Table 3-1: U.S. Retail Sales of Sugar and Sweeteners, 2007 and 2010 (in millions of dollars)

Combined Wholesale and Retail U.S. Sugar and Sweetener Market Valued at $11.7 Billion in 2010

Table 3-2: U.S. Estimated Dollar Sales in Total Sugar and Sweeteners Market*, 2007 and 2010 (in millions of dollars)

Packaged Facts Projects 2011 U.S. Retail Sales of Sugar and Sweeteners at $3.7 Billion

Table 3-3: Projected U.S. Retail Sales of Sugar and Sweeteners, 2011 (in millions of dollars)

Wholesale and Retail U.S. Sugar and Sweetener Market Projected at $13.0 Billion in 2011

Table 3-4: U.S. Estimated Dollar Sales in Total Sugar and Sweeteners Market, 2011 (in millions of dollars)

U.S. Sugar and Sweetener Retail Sales Projected at $4.6 Billion in 2015

Table 3-5: Projected U.S. Retail Sales of Sugar and Sweeteners, 2007-2015 (in millions of dollars)

Combined Retail and Wholesale Market Projected at $14.9 Billion in 2015

Table 3-6: Projected U.S. Wholesale and Retail Sales of Sugar and Sweeteners, 2011-2015 (in millions of dollars)

Stevia Blasts Into the Market

Splenda Loses Market Share to Stevia Products in Retail Sugar Substitute Market

Table 3-7: Retail Sales of Artificial Sweeteners/Sugar Substitutes and Select Brands in Food, Drug and Mass-Market Stores, 2006-2010 (in millions of dollars)

Table 3-8: Retail Sales Market Share of Artificial Sweetener/Sugar Substitute Brands in Food, Drug and Mass-Market Stores, 2010

Truvia Leads the Stevia Market in the U.S.

Sucralose Leads Sugar Substitutes Used in Food and Beverage Processing

Private-label Sugar Product Sales Continue to Gain Market Share

Table 3-9: Top Brands of Granulated White Sugar by Dollar Sales in Food, Drug and Mass-Market Stores, 2010 (in millions of dollars)

Table 3-10: Top Brands of Brown/Powdered/Flavored Sugar by Dollar Sales in Food, Drug and Mass-Market Stores, 2010 (in millions of dollars)

U.S. Retail Price of Refined Sugar Rising

Table 3-11: U.S. Retail Refined Sugar Price, Per Pound, by Fiscal Year, 2000-2010 (in cents)

Comparison of Wholesale and Retail Prices for Refined Beet Sugar

Table 3-12: U.S. Wholesale and Retail Refined Beet Sugar Price, Midwest markets, by Fiscal Year, 2000-2010

Corn Sweetener Price Indices Reach Peak in 2009, Decline in 2010

Producer Price Indices for Corn Sweeteners, Cane and Beet Sugar

Figure 3-1: Producer Price Index, U.S. Annual, Corn Sweeteners (including glucose, dextrose, and high-fructose corn syrup), 2000-2010 (June, 1985 = 100)

Figure 3-2: Producer Price Index, U.S. Annual, Refined Beet Sugar, 2000-2010 (June, 1982 = 100)

Figure 3-3: Producer Price Index, U.S. Annual, Refined Cane Sugar and Byproducts, 2000-2010 (June, 1982 = 100)

Private-label Honey Leads Over All Brands

Table 3-13: Top Brands of Honey by Dollar Sales in Food, Drug and Mass-Market Stores (Shelf-Stable Products), 2010 (in millions of dollars)

Honey Sales Jump from 2006 to 2010

Table 3-14: U.S. Retail Sales of Honey in Food, Drug and Mass-Market Stores, 2006-2010 (in millions of dollars)

Molasses Sees the Greatest Increase in Sales in the Syrup/ Molasses Category from 2006 to 2010

Table 3-15: Retail Sales of Syrup and Molasses in Food, Drug and Mass-Market Stores, 2006-2010 (in millions of dollars)

Karo Brand Remains Market Leader in Corn/Crystal White Syrup

Table 3-16: Leading Brands of Corn/Crystal/White Syrup by Dollar Sales in Food, Drug and Mass-Market Stores, 2006-2010 (in millions of dollars)

Maple and Pancake Syrups Comprise Most of Syrup/Molasses Category

Leading Pure Maple Syrup Brands Show Sales Decrease from 2006 to 2010

Table 3-17: Key Brands of Pure Maple Syrup by Dollar Sales in Food, Drug and Mass-Market Stores, 2006-2010 (in millions of dollars)

Table 3-18: Leading Brands of Maple-Flavored Syrup by Dollar Sales in Food, Drug and Mass-Market Stores, 2006-2010 (in millions of dollars)

U.S. Organic Food and Beverage Product Sales Increase More Than 53% from 2007 to 2010

Per Capita Consumption of Sugar Up While Consumption of Other Sweeteners Declines

Table 3-19: Estimated U.S. Annual Per Capita Consumption of Refined Cane and Beet Sugar, 2000-2010 (in lbs, adjusted for loss)

Table 3-20: Estimated U.S. Annual Per Capita Consumption of High-fructose Corn Syrup, 2000-2010 (in lbs, adjusted for loss)

Table 3-21: Estimated U.S. Annual Per Capita Consumption of Other

Nutritive Sweeteners, 2000-2010 (in lbs, adjusted for loss)

U.S. Sales of Regular and Low-Calorie Soft Drinks Decrease from 2009 to 2010

Retail Channel Accounts for Only 13% of Sugar Use by Volume

Table 3-22: U.S. Sugar Distribution by Volume: By Type of User, 2010 (percent)

Grocery Stores are the Most Popular Venue for Sweetener Product Sales

Table 3-23: 2010 Sugar and Sweetener Sales by Retail Channel (percent)

Chapter 4: The Marketers

Key Points

Introduction

U.S. Sugar Sale to State of Florida Loses Momentum

Almost All Raw Stevia is Produced in China or India

Competitive Profile: Cargill, Inc., Minneapolis, MN

Company Overview

Financial Information

Sweetener Products

Truvia

Researching Reduced-calorie Sweetener Options for Beverages

Competitive Profile: EucoNova Corporation, Miami, FL

Company Overview

Products

Corporate Strategy

Competitive Profile: Florida Crystals Corp., West Palm

Beach, FL

Company Overview

Organic and “CarbonFree” Sugar

Products

Competitive Profile: GLG Life Tech Corp., Vancouver, B.C.

Company Overview

Financial Information

Corporate Strategy

Competitive Profile: McNeil Nutritionals, LLC,

Fort Washington, PA

Company Overview

Products

McNeil Introduces Splenda Essentials

Competitive Profile: Merisant Worldwide, Inc., Chicago, IL

Company Overview

Financial Information

Corporate Strategy

Competitive Profile: PureCircle USA Inc., Oak Brook, IL (Sales and Marketing Head Office)

Company Overview

Financial Information

Corporate Strategy

Competitive Profile: Pyure Brands LLC, Naples, FL

Company Overview

Corporate Strategy

Competitive Profile: Steviva Brands, Inc., Portland, OR

Company Overview

Products

Corporate Strategy

Competitive Profile: United States Sugar Corp.,

Clewiston, FL

Company Overview

Corporate Strategy

Competitive Profile: Wholesome Sweeteners, Inc.,

Sugar Land, TX

Company Overview

Wholesome Sweeteners Leads Fair Trade Sweetener Market in the United States

Corporate Strategy

Competitive Profile: Wisdom Natural Brands, Gilbert, AZ

Company Overview

Products

Chapter 5: Regulatory Policy, Supply and Distribution

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Related research categories

By sector: Trends

By market: United States (in North America)