A whitepaper from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business highlights how low- and no-calorie sweeteners can help reduce sugar and calorie intake, supporting public health goals, with strong evidence for safety and weight management benefits and significant opportunity for broader use in the food supply.
Business for Impact at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business developed this whitepaper to evaluate the role low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) can play in achieving public health recommendations to reduce added sugars in the diet. This paper increases understanding about the use, purpose, safety and benefits of LNCS in the food supply, demonstrates LNCS are a beneficial tool to help individuals achieve public health recommendations, and will help guide more effective policy decisions, better dietary guidance, and enlightened industry actions to enhance consumer health.
LNCS are commonly used in the food supply to help reduce caloric and sugar intake. This whitepaper sponsored by the Calorie Control Council examines the current state of LNCS usage, the benefits and safety of LNCS consumption, consumer perspectives regarding the utilization and labeling of sugar and LNCS, and projections for how much sugar and calories can be removed from the food supply by increasing the incorporation of LNCS into foods and beverages.
Key Findings
- Three-quarters of consumers want to limit or avoid their sugar intake, and LNCS are a viable option to help them achieve this goal.
- The preponderance of evidence shows that LNCS can be consumed safely, and the most rigorous studies (randomized control trials) have repeatedly demonstrated their utility in weight management.
- The number of food products containing LNCS is currently low; LNCS alone or in combination with added sugars are contained in only 8% and 5%, respectively, of products in the marketplace.
According to the current analyses, increasing the incorporation of LNCS within permitted regulatory limits can contribute to the potential reduction of seventy billion grams of added sugar and two hundred twenty-five billion calories in the diet. Government and public health officials are urged to prioritize consumer and media education about the benefits of LNCS in mitigating the obesity crisis.
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