Question 3
What is your opinion on fruit juice concentrates? Do you believe that they should be considered as added sugars when added to processed/packaged foods?
posted by Unknown @ 5:00 AM
15 comments
ISU Dietetic Internship Journal Club
Objective: To become familiar with current scientific literature on a variety of nutrition topics and to gain experience in gathering, organizing, critically evaluating, presenting and facilitating group discussion of the literature and the implications to practice.
15 Comments:
I’m personally not too concerned about labeling fruit juice concentrates as added sugars because the overall sugar content is still stated on the label. If we start labeling fruit concentrate as added sugars the media is going to label fruit as candy. I think recognizing added sugars are important, but it’s also important for an individual to realize the overall sugar content of a food item. I’m a believer of moderation and a balanced diet. You don’t want to consume to many carbohydrates/sugars overall, and want to aim for 45%-65% of total calories from carbs. Paying attention to added sugars is important, but the bigger picture of total sugar and carbohydrate consumption is even more important in my opinion. I do believe avoiding added sugars is a great starting point for consumers, but I feel like educating on overall carbohydrate/sugar consumption might be more beneficial.
I do not believe fruit juice concentrate should be labeled as an added sugar because while the concentrate meets the definition of being added during processing; it is simply a processing technique used to prolong the shelf-life and freshness of juice. The sugar in concentrate is still intrinsic; thus, it should not be considered an added sugar on the label.
I think it should be considered an added sugar. If it was not naturally found in the food product naturally, the sugar content should be included in the added sugar section. Although it is a natural sugar, it should still be included in that section of the label to help consumers understand how much is being added to the food they are purchasing. I don't believe adding it to products is bad by any means, but informing the consumer of what is natural/added can be helpful. Education may then need to go along with that in reading the ingredients list and seeing what kind of sweetener is added to help customers make more informed decisions for their choices.
I think this is a tricky question to answer because it really comes down to what is defined as added sugar. If added sugar is considered any sweetener added to a product, then fruit juice concentrates should be considered as an added sugar. If added sugar is considered to be non-naturally occurring sweetener, then fruit juice concentrates should not be considered as an added sugar. Regardless of placing fruit juice concentrates in the natural or added sugar category on food labels, it will still be included in the products’ carbohydrate category.
Fruit juice concentrates are commonly used in food science as a replacement of bulk and hydration content in low fat food items. In the case of these items the sugars are not naturally occurring, and would be an 'addition' to the product as determined necessary by the manufacturer and not resulting from naturally occurring food products. In this application, fruit concentrates are added sugars, in my opinion. However, one of the philosophies between natural and added sugars is the nutrient density provided in natural sugar occurring products, ie fruits. In the case of fruit concentrates the vitamins and minerals are mostly present after the concentration process and contribute to the total nutrient value of the finished manufactured food. Yet, the fiber and additional components of the original product are lost in processing limiting the complete value of the original balance. Even as fruit juice concentrates may be superior to alternative sweetener choices, they still fall into the category of 'added sugar' when used as a food additive.
I think that based off of the definition of "added" sugars, fruit juice concentrates would still be considered a type of added sugars. While the sugar in the fruit is naturally occurring, when it is concentrated and listed as an ingredient in another type of food, it is now classifies as an "added sugar." However, I would not classify the fruit juice concentrate as "empty" calories. There may still be some of the vitamin and mineral benefits that accompany fruit juices.
I agree with Rachel and Nikki in regards to the quality of fruit juice concentrates as an added sugar. I think that this type of added sugar may not be as bad as other sweeteners with no nutritive value.
In the cases of fruit juice concentrates being added to processed/packaged foods, they should be considered added sugars. Despite their origin, fruit juice concentrates are being used as an additive to enhance the flavor of another food item. When used in processed foods, they are an ingredient added by the processors and are not occurring in it naturally. By this logic, they should be labeled as added sugars. However, when considering fruit juice concentrates as a product sold on their own to be reconstituted into drinkable 100% fruit juice, I do not think it is appropriate to label them as added sugars. When sold as their own item in this manner, the sugar would be considered naturally occurring because it is coming directly from the fruit hence the 100% juice. I can extend my example into honey or maple syrup as well. When these items are added as an ingredient to another processed product like granola, they should be considered added sugars on the label. But when honey or maple syrup are labeled on their own, it would not make sense to list added sugars because all of the sugars are naturally occurring by the nature of the product. The sugar is not being added—the product is simply a form of sugar in it and of itself.
I like the point Kandice brought up regarding the definition of added sugars. What we decide to include/exclude in the category of added sugars will make a difference in how it is labeled and perceived. Fruit juice concentrates are typically used to enhance flavor so are not naturally present per say, but are also natural in their origin. Most added sugars similarly have a natural origin, which makes me inclined to say fruit juice concentrates should be labeled as added sugars. It might come down to the product and how their used in different items. I am curious to see what the FDA will make about this.
Based on what everyone is saying, it seems like it comes down the purpose of the sugar in a product and how it got into the particular product. A lot of sugars are from "natural" sources like syrup, honey, beet sugar, cane sugar, molasses, etc but are added to products for flavor and/or texture. But in things like plain milk, fresh whole fruit, some dried fruit, etc the sugar is part of the make-up of the product without being added as an ingredient in processing. I think that having the added sugar label will help consumers navigate which products to eat sparingly based on the added sugar content. The added sugar label will also make it easier for consumers to figure out how their intake relates to the recommended maximum of added sugar consumed daily, if they care to do so. Further, I think this label will help people stop criticizing fresh whole fruit and milk as having "too much sugar" and something to be limited. The label is a step in the right direction for consumer education and health.
Kirsten, I like how you pointed out that the added sugar may help individuals understand naturally occurring sugars in foods like fruit and milk. I think it's important to monitor sugar intake, but education needs to be provided to consumers so they can fully understand why the sugar is in that product. Like you stated, the added sugar label will help them with this and hopefully help them make better choices.
Holly, I agree with your point that foods containing 'added sugars' should not be classified as empty calories. The original food item must be evaluated in association with 'added sugar' ingredients to determine complete nutritional value.
Initially upon reading this questions, I simply thought of fruit juice concentrated being used in a juice product. However, now reading everyone's comments about fruit juice concentrate be added to food items I see where the debate arises and am siding more with the yes, it would be classified as an added sugar because you are adding the sugar from the fruit juice to a product that does not naturally have that sugar. Kandice brings up a nice point that the definition of added sugar may need to be more specific to accurately answer questions such as these. Holly also brings up a solid point that although fruit juice concentrate may be classified as an added sugar; it may have more nutritive value as opposed to granulated sugar and thus should be considered in a different light.
In sum, I think the concept of adding added sugar to the nutritional facts label should be a convenience for consumers, not an added hassle of figuring out if it is a "good" sugar, "bad" sugar because sugar is sugar no matter what.
Justine and Kirsten, I think you both make a good point about how many of our sweeteners come from natural sources. But, I wonder about how many natural vitamins and minerals are left in fruit juice concentrates after processing, would the concentrate actually contribute more than a trace amount of nutrients? Regardless, the new labeling requirements will help consumers understand where the sugar in their foods come from, innate and/or added.
This is a difficult topic to pick a side on. I think the definition for added sugars should be defined more. I can see the benefit of labeling the fruit concentrates as added sugars because they aren’t 100% natural. However, I could see a lot of confusion with consumers if the juice concentrates were labeled as added sugars. I think this is where the importance of nutrition labeling education comes in to play. I also think this highlights the importance of creating a concrete definition for added sugars.
Kirsten, you made really good point that I hadn't considered. I think this would clear confusion for consumers that I was worried about. However, I still think its important to educate consumers on this because we might understand and know this but many consumers do not understand the difference.
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