Calorie Control Council fires back at “troubling” study that suggests juice consumers are misinformed

27 Apr 2021 --- The Calorie Control Council (CCC) is spotlighting a recent study on the influence of juice labeling on consumer perceptions, the conclusions of which it finds “troubling.” 

The research comes as industry and governments seek solutions to tackle obesity in children.

The study, published in Pediatric Obesity, recommends that labeling regulations be updated to more clearly disclose non-nutritive sweeteners, added sugar and juice content on the front-of-package. 

This follows the conclusion that US parents misperceive juice ingredients based on current labeling practices. 

The CCC, which represents manufacturers and suppliers of low and reduced-calorie foods and beverages, argues that the assumption that more information would motivate a change in purchasing is “baseless.”

As an example, the requirement for US fast food companies to display calorie counts has made consumers more aware of this nutritional value, but this ultimately has not deterred business from fast food establishments, notes the CCC. 

Click to EnlargeThe majority of US parents could not identify drinks with non-nutritive sweeteners (53 to 58 percent), according to a recent survey.Moreover, the CCC points out that a 2019 policy statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics concludes that non-nutritive sweeteners have been shown to be safe and may be used to help reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes and obesity. 

While the CCC supports that low and no-calorie sweeteners are not a “cure” for obesity, Type 2 diabetes or any condition, they are tools for reducing sugar intake. 

Parents somewhat informed
The study, led by researchers at the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity and the School of Global Public Health in the US, assessed parents’ ability to identify added sugar, non-nutritive sweeteners and juice in children’s drinks.

Researchers recruited 1,603 US parents of young children (1 to 5 years) through an online survey panel. 

In a randomized experiment, participants viewed either the front‐of‐package alone or the front‐of‐package plus nutrition and ingredient information. 

The task was to indicate whether eight popular children’s drink products contained added sugar or non-nutritive sweeteners and their percentage of juice. 

Participants also viewed common statements of identity, such as “juice drink” or “100 percent juice,” on children’s drinks to identify product ingredients.

Click to EnlargeNon-nutritive sweeteners may be an important tool in reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes and obesity.The results in numbers
When viewing front‐of‐packages alone, most participants accurately identified products with (83 to 90 percent) and without (51 to 65 percent) added sugar. Showing the nutrition and ingredient information was founded to increase this accuracy. 

However, the majority could not identify drinks with non-nutritive sweeteners (53 to 58 percent). Many incorrectly believed that unsweetened juices contained added sugar (38 to 43 percent), sweetened flavored waters had no added sugar (24 to 25 percent) and 100 percent juice contained less than 100 percent juice (37 percent). 

Furthermore, the majority could not identify product ingredients from their statement of identity terms, the primary product descriptor. 

Consumers looking at the label
Consumers are increasingly interested in finding out more about their food and beverages. 

An Innova Market Insights consumer survey from last year revealed that six in ten global consumers are interested in learning more about where foods come from. 

The US Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety and Nutrition Survey (FSANS) has revealed that 87 percent of US adults have looked at the Nutrition Facts label on food packages.

Meanwhile, in Europe, initiatives such as the Nutri-Score are providing a standardized approach to aiding consumers in purchasing decisions.  

Edited by Missy Green

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