Page 23 - AMEFT Journal 2021-2

the road for a full year (carbon emis- sions), and reducing water usage by 11 million peoples’ annual showers.
“All over the world, sugar reduc- tion is a key focus of government policymakers and food/beverage producers, not to mention consu- mers seeking to improve their ge- neral health and better prepare themselves to take on COVID-19. What this life cycle assessment and analysis show is that, aside from the significant health challenges posed by excessive sugar consumption, the production of sugar exacts a large environmental toll in terms of water usage and carbon emissions. There- fore, reducing the consumption of sugar has impressive health and environmental benefits,” said Otis Curtis, Global Portfolio Director, Tastesense, Kerry.
“The prime challenge in lowering sugar content in foods and beve- rages is finding a means by which to maintain the significant taste, texture and mouthfeel properties uniquely provided by sugar. Our Kerry Tastesense Sweet enables sugar reduction of up to 30% and the maintenance of a natural fla- voring declaration while delivering excellent sweetness properties, appealing mouthfeel, and a clean lingering effect with no off-notes. It can help make a range of tasty foods and beverages healthier for people and better for the planet”, says Curtis.
Most people know that excess sugar negatively impacts personal and public health. However, many are unaware that sugar proces- sing also comes with a negative environmental impact. Sugarcane accounts for nearly 80% of global sugar production, with over 100 countries currently producing the product from either cane or beets. More than 170 million tonnes are manufactured and consumed an- nually, with significant effects on the planet from the processes in- volved in growing, harvesting, re- fining and distribution. The Taste- sense LCA found that it takes 1,110
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litres of water to produce one kilogram of cane sugar (and 640 litres in the case of beet sugar). From a climate change perspective, a kilogram of refined cane sugar leads to emissions of 0.42 kg of CO2e, while sugar from beets emits twice as much (0.85 kg of CO2e).
Clearly, sugar presents a compelling sustainability challenge to the world, and sustainability is an important and growing issue to consumers the world over. There has been a marked jump in the public’s expectations around su- stainable product manufacture: Inno-
va Market Insights found in 2019 that
BEVERAGES
than one-third (from 65%) since 2018. Over 70% of global consumers told Nielsen in 2019 they would ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ change their consumpti- on patterns/habits to reduce their im- pact on the environment.
The good news is that products branded as ‘sustainable’ over the last five years have had 5.6 times faster an- nual growth than traditional products. Sugar reduction not only makes good sense for health, it is also healthier for the environment and for brand diffe- rentiation. Aggressive sugar reduction,
in short, is a valuable product develop-
Asia Middle East Food Trade, 130 x 180mm, CC-en46-AZ434 03/21
89% of consumers now expect compa- nies to invest in sustainability, up more
ment strategy for food and beverage companies worldwide.