Beverage R&D

Last summer, Alice D’Amato made Olympics history as the first woman from Italy to win the gold medal for artistic gymnastics. D’Amato’s balancing skills extend beyond the beam as cite balance as how she’s navigated her newfound fame.

In an interview with Scott Bregman and Chiara Belcastro titled “‘I never expected it’: Alice D’Amato reflects on beam gold and her evolving dream,” D’Amato is quoted as saying: “When I came back from Paris, I didn’t understand anything. I was overwhelmed. But now, the waters have calmed a bit, and I’m trying to enjoy the things I do and to balance gymnastics, which is still my priority, with life outside the gym.”

Although maybe not as high stakes as Olympic gymnastics, U.S. consumers are finding their own balance when it comes to sweetener consumption.

“Consumers are looking for balance,” says Emily Berg, marketing manager for beverages at Cargill, Minneapolis. “While zero-sugar products are part of the conversation, the fastest growth is happening in the middle ground, where reduced- and low-sugar beverages are delivering great taste with fewer calories.

“In fact, while unit sales of full-calorie soft drinks are essentially flat, reduced-calorie products are up a staggering 58.4%, year-over-year,” she continues, citing NielsenIQ data for the 52 weeks ending June 21.

An eBook from Westchester, Ill.-based Ingredion titled “Sweetness has been redefined: Boost growth with new insights and solutions,” highlights that taste tests in five major markets (United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, India and Mexico) found that taste profiles are being driven sweetener combinations over single sweeteners.

“Fifty percent [of] reduced-sugar formulations containing PURECIRCLE Clean Taste Solutions performed better than 100% sugar formulations in most markets,” the eBook states.

Successful sugar-reduced beverages, however, must strike that balance of sugar reduction and taste, experts note.

Ravi Arora, marketing director at Global Organics, Cambridge, Mass., echoes these sentiments.

“Consumers are diverse and their views on sweeteners are equally diverse,” he says. “However, they all seem to agree on the fact that taste is critical, and therefore, it is the single most determining factor on their choice. While sugar reduction is a priority for most consumers, it is never at the expense of taste.

“Consumers are also a lot more aware about ingredients, which is driving the demand for beverages with clean labels and fewer ingredients,” Arora continues. “Finally, the realization that we and our children only have one earth continues to shift consumers’ views toward more organic certified sweeteners.”

Erica Campbell, technical solutions manager for sweetening and texturizing solutions at ADM, Chicago, explains that consumers today are prioritizing taste and sugar reduction, with 82% prioritizing both in new food and beverages, citing ADM Outside Voice, Sugar Reduction Insights Tool, Surveys Conducted in 2024.

“If consumers feel products fall short on either taste or health benefits, they will seek out alternatives,” she says. “This is especially true in the beverage category, where labels and sweetening ingredients are closely scrutinized.”

Catherine Barry, vice president of marketing at the National Honey Board, Erie, Colo., highlights the balance between clean label, sugar reduction and taste profiles.

“Consumers are looking for clean label ingredients, functional benefits and of course, great taste,” she says. “Sugar reduction is a top priority, but taste can’t be compromised. Therefore, consumers are seeking all-natural sugars that taste great and maintain some sort of functional benefits.

“‘Lightly sweetened’ as a label claim is on the rise, especially in teas, coffees and energy drinks,” Barry continues. “Honey supports all three of these demands as a consumer-friendly ingredient.”

ADM’s Campbell also highlights consumers’ interest in natural sweeteners.

“Consumers also consider sweeteners derived from natural sources to be ‘better’ overall ― for their well-being, for the environment and with better taste ― and free from artificial ingredients,” she says, citing ADM Outside Voice. “Recognizable sources with high consumer affinity, like stevia, agave, honey, and monk fruit will continue to capture consumers’ attention.”

Kash Rocheleau, CEO at ICON Foods, additionally notes that formulation trends have played a role in striking that sweetener balance.

“But even with cleaner ingredients, taste is still king,” she says. “Sugar reduction only works if the product still tastes like a win. That means clean sweetness with no bitterness, no weird aftertaste and no need for masking agents.

“At the same time, sweeteners now have to pull double duty — especially in functional products with challenging actives like adaptogens, botanicals or collagen,” Rocheleau continues. “The winners are ingredients that can round out flavor while aligning with broader health goals, like glycemic control and gut support.”

Winning combinations

With experts highlighting the balance that formulators need to support taste and sugar reduction, there are a host of combinations offering that solution.

“Brands are winning with sweetener blends, because they provide more labeling and formulation options,” Cargill’s Berg says.

“Across the beverage landscape, drinks made with multiple sweeteners are up 3.6% year-over-year, while sales of products with a single sweetener source have stagnated,” she adds citing NielsenIQ data for the 52 weeks ending June 14.

Smaro Kokkinidou, principal food scientist at Cargill, explains that there rarely is a one-size-fits-all solution for sugar reduction, but that blends can help formulator fine-tune sweetener performance.

“Sweetener blends are especially useful for higher levels of sugar reduction,” Kokkinidou says. “Pairing stevia with other complementary sweeteners like erythritol and allulose helps boost up-front sweetness, round out the sweetness profile, and build back mouthfeel. Supporting players like pectin and carrageenan have a place, too. They can help replace missing body in a soft drink or add creaminess to a reduced-sugar dairy beverage.”

Kokkinidou adds that hybrid sweetening systems can support functional beverages that feature ingredients like plant proteins, vitamins or minerals that could introduce flavor challenges.

“By combining different sweeteners, formulators can effectively balance those off-notes, achieving a more appealing sweetness profile with the right intensity,” she says.

ADM’s Campbell also notes how blending sweeteners can support mouthfeel in sugar reduction efforts.

“Sweetening combination in beverage formulations is a strategic approach where manufacturers may balance various zero-calorie sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit for sweetness with ingredients such as erythritol or allulose for improved mouthfeel,” she says. “This approach allows formulators to achieve multiple goals simultaneously, including enhancing the sensory experience, meeting low- or no-sugar and calorie targets, managing cost and satisfying clean label demands.”

Icon Foods’ Rocheleau notes that the market is seeing an influx of steviol glycoside blends in beverage innovations.

“Beverage manufacturers are leaning into combinations like Reb M and Reb D because each glycoside hits different taste receptors, with different onsets, peaks and sweetness curves,” Rocheleau says. “When dialed in, these blends deliver a clean, smooth sweetness that actually tastes like sugar and without the bitterness or lingering aftertaste that plagued earlier stevia formulations.

“At the same time, there’s a spike in the use of functional fibers, especially fiber stacking,” she continues. “Brands are using combinations of prebiotic fibers for the health halo, to reduce glycemic impact, improve texture and round out sweetness. You get added functionality — gut health, satiety, improved mouthfeel — without compromising on taste. It’s about delivering a complete sensory and nutritional experience that actually holds up in-market.”

Johnny Salazar, agave category manager at Global Organics, explains that blending natural sugar substitutes and sweet fibers can help balance sweetness and lessen the aftertaste of some sweeteners.

“Many non-alcoholic and RTD beverage producers are adding fruit juices or slices to sparkling water to deliver light, refreshing and low-calorie products,” he says. “Some beverage producers are using natural sweeteners as flavor bases. They are diluting them with water or combining them with calorie-free sweeteners. For example, agave nectar infused with vanilla, cinnamon or other spices, enhances flavor profiles and lowers the concentration of agave in the beverage, resulting in low-calorie beverages.”

The National Honey Board’s Barry calls attention to how honey in beverage formulations can not just support sweetness, but also functionality.

“Beverage manufacturers are using honey strategically to achieve balanced sweetness while enhancing flavor and functionality,” she says. “By adjusting the type and amount of honey used, formulators can create a layered, natural sweetness that complements a wide range of beverage profiles.

“Blending different floral sources or incorporating honey at various stages of production allows for greater control over taste, aroma and consistency,” Barry continues. “This technique helps manage sweetness intensity without resorting to refined sugars, maintaining a clean label appeal. Ultimately, honey-only sweetening strategies offer both versatility and a compelling story that resonates with today’s health-conscious consumers.”

The market also is seeing an increase of sweetness modulators like thaumatin, derived from the katemfe fruit, says Thom King, chief innovations officer at Icon Foods.

“Sweetness modulators are sugar reduction flavor technologies that enhance or modify the perception of sweetness without adding sugars while vanquishing off-notes,” King says. “Unlike sweeteners, they don’t do all the sweetness heavy lifting on their own, but rather boost or round out sweetness perception, burying off-notes from alternative sweeteners or base ingredients.

“Thaumatin pairs exceptionally well with a high-intensity sweetener like stevia or monk fruit and prebiotic fibers to create a more sugar-like sweetness experience,” he continues. “For example, Icon Foods’ ThauSweet DRM blends RebM stevia, thaumatin and soluble tapioca fiber, and our ThauSweet DRM blends Mogroside V (from monk fruit), thaumatin and soluble tapioca fiber.”

“Consumers are diverse and their views on sweeteners are equally diverse,” he says. “However, they all seem to agree on the fact that taste is critical, and therefore, it is the single most determining factor on their choice. While sugar reduction is a priority for most consumers, it is never at the expense of taste.”

– Ravi Arora, marketing director at Global Organics

Sweet future

As beverage-makers turn to sweeteners that support consumers’ balance between taste and functional attributes, suppliers highlight the efforts being taken to support that.

“Above all else, taste is king. Many consumers want beverages with less sugar, but not if it means sacrificing flavor,” Cargill’s Berg says. “For brands to win in today’s crowded marketplace, they’ll need to deliver on both trends and taste.

“Fermentation-derived sweeteners like EverSweet are helping make that possible,” she continues. “This technology enables access to the best-tasting parts of the stevia leaf in a more sustainable, scalable, and cost-effective way. It also provides a more secure supply chain that is less dependent on agricultural variables and a significantly smaller environmental footprint.”

Icon Food’s Rocheleau adds that intention with sweetener selection is becoming more apparent in beverage formulations.

“Brands are using sweeteners with targeted benefits,” Rocheleau says. “We’re seeing strategic pairing with functional ingredients that support blood sugar management, gut health and even cognitive and mood performance. Steviol glycoside blends like Reb M and Reb D are showing up more frequently because of their ability to hit different receptors and deliver layered sweetness curves without the bitterness or masking agents.

“We’re also seeing a major uptick in the use of fibers,” Rocheleau continues. “Not just for gut health, but for texture, sweetness, satiety and reducing glycemic impact. Fiber stacking is definitely gaining momentum. Let’s not forget sweetness modulators, which amplify the existing sweetness in beverages, allowing formulators to reduce actual sugar content while maintaining the expected flavor profile.”

The National Honey Board’s Barry also calls attention to how honey can be used to support functional beverage formulations.

“We expect to see honey plus added functionality,” she says. “Think protein, added hydration, cognitive support and focus, immune support and relaxation and/or stress relief. And, swicy and swalty are not going anywhere, even in the beverage category. Consumers will still want that ‘wow’ factor in flavor combinations, so look to manufacturers to draw inspiration from global ingredients.”

ADM’s Campbell explains that as consumers opt for more health-forward beverages, sweeteners will be crucial across a vast number of categories.

“In beverages featuring botanical ingredients like ashwagandha or green tea and coffee extracts, astringency can be an issue,” Campbell says. “Sweeteners with caramel flavor undertones, such as allulose, can effectively decrease this astringency, making the drinks more palatable.

“For protein-added liquids, selecting the right sweetener and balancing the entire flavor system is essential,” she continues. “Our advanced flavor technology, including bitter blockers and maskers, is custom designed for each product. This allows formulators to enhance the performance of functional ingredients and minimize any undesirable sensory effects, ultimately meeting the growing consumer demand for more nutritious options in various formats.”

Sustainability and impacts on the environment also are shining a spotlight on sweeteners that can support those efforts.

“There will always be conflicting trends for low-calorie and sugar-sweetened beverages, but increased awareness about our planet will continue to drive demand toward beverages with sweeteners that have a less detrimental effect on our climate and environment,” Global Organics’ Arora says.

Cargill’s Berg also notes the importance this has on sweetener’s future.

“That sustainability story matters, especially to younger consumers,” Berg says. “Fermentation aligns with their values, offering an efficient way to create high-performing ingredients with fewer resources and lower greenhouse gas emissions. More near term, as brands look to remove artificial colors and flavors, it’s also a smart time revisit their sweetener systems.

“Product renovations offer a prime opportunity to remove artificial sweeteners, address flavor challenges (including those introduced by natural colors or functional ingredients) and deliver a better overall beverage experience. Systems like Cargill’s EverSweet + ClearFlo can help brands do just that, with taste, label and sustainability all working in harmony,” she continues.

Going forward, the balance of sweeteners might evolve from taste and sugar reduction to add functional support to the mix.