About this Research Topic
The health issues that are increasing in frequency and have been associated with excessive added sugar consumption include obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and dental cavities. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that in 2014, 600 million individuals (13%) and 1.9 billion adults (39%) were obese and could affect roughly 50% of the world's population by 2030, if this trend and growth rate is maintained. Given the facts, the WHO strongly advises consuming no more than 10% of one's total energy from added sugar and a further reduction to below 5% is a conditional recommendation for prevention of dental caries. Public Health England (PHE) has taken these recommendations into account and strongly advises a reduction in sugar intake of at least 20% in a variety of food categories, including biscuits, cakes, ice cream, puddings, sweet-confectionery, yoghurts, and soft drinks. Consequently, attention has been drawn to the necessity of reducing sugar in food to solve the issues with public health.
In foods, sugar serves a variety of purposes. It is used to sweeten foods and to balance other tastes like sour, salty, and spicy in less sweet items. In addition to sweetness, it also contributes significantly to the texture, color, flavor, and food preservation. Strategies to reduce the sugar content in food may therefore negatively impact these properties, potentially affecting customer acceptance, physicochemical qualities, and food safety. Therefore, the reduction of sugar in foods and beverages must take into account appropriate reduction techniques and suitable sugar alternatives. There are four main approaches of reducing sugar. These are (i) product reformulation by partial or total replacement with sugar substitutes, (ii) gradual sugar reduction, (iii) use of multisensory interactions, and (iv) heterogeneous distribution. This Research Topic focuses on the applications of appropriate techniques for developing low-sugar products whilst minimizing impact on sensory and physicochemical qualities and microbial safety.
We welcome Original Research and Review articles with research subtopics of interest including (but are not limited to):
• Isolation, purification, and application of various plant-based natural sweeteners for food applications
• Evaluation of sugar reduction strategies in processed foods and beverages
• Development and implementation of various sugar reduction strategies
• Effect of sugar reduction on sensory attributes and possible solutions in foods and beverages
• Sugar reduction and nutrition evaluation for various physicochemical properties
• Microbial safety evaluation of sugar-reduced foods and beverages
• Recent advancements in sugar reduction strategies in foods
• Long-term impact of artificial vs. natural sweeteners’ consumption on human health
• Consumer awareness of sugar content in foods and food preferences
• Health effects of sugar when serving as food colorant
• Fermented foods health effects containing added sugars
In foods, sugar serves a variety of purposes. It is used to sweeten foods and to balance other tastes like sour, salty, and spicy in less sweet items. In addition to sweetness, it also contributes significantly to the texture, color, flavor, and food preservation. Strategies to reduce the sugar content in food may therefore negatively impact these properties, potentially affecting customer acceptance, physicochemical qualities, and food safety. Therefore, the reduction of sugar in foods and beverages must take into account appropriate reduction techniques and suitable sugar alternatives. There are four main approaches of reducing sugar. These are (i) product reformulation by partial or total replacement with sugar substitutes, (ii) gradual sugar reduction, (iii) use of multisensory interactions, and (iv) heterogeneous distribution. This Research Topic focuses on the applications of appropriate techniques for developing low-sugar products whilst minimizing impact on sensory and physicochemical qualities and microbial safety.
We welcome Original Research and Review articles with research subtopics of interest including (but are not limited to):
• Isolation, purification, and application of various plant-based natural sweeteners for food applications
• Evaluation of sugar reduction strategies in processed foods and beverages
• Development and implementation of various sugar reduction strategies
• Effect of sugar reduction on sensory attributes and possible solutions in foods and beverages
• Sugar reduction and nutrition evaluation for various physicochemical properties
• Microbial safety evaluation of sugar-reduced foods and beverages
• Recent advancements in sugar reduction strategies in foods
• Long-term impact of artificial vs. natural sweeteners’ consumption on human health
• Consumer awareness of sugar content in foods and food preferences
• Health effects of sugar when serving as food colorant
• Fermented foods health effects containing added sugars
Keywords: Sugar Reduction, Sweeteners, Sensory, Nutrition, Health
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
