It seems that the energy drink market in Europe is under transformation with high sugar content energy drinks being replaced by low/no/reduced sugar products. Many products are looking to using fruit as a sweetener, rather than artificial sweeteners.
The Europe-wide health effort is driving energy manufacturers introduce or reformulate healthier products. Hopefully the initiative will move into the confectionery market, where the use of artificial sweeteners is still high.
Sweeteners used for confectionery include sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame K, isomalt, mannitol and dextrin. Energy drinks are instead turning towards usinga range of fruit juices and concentrates which provide sweetness without the need for any ‘added’ sugars or sweeteners. Adding fruit flavours to beverages such as energy drinks is easier than with confectionery manufacture, due to its liquid form.
Earlier reports indicate that more than half of consumers are willing to switch to sugar-free versions of traditional confectionery lines, suggesting that sweeteners are no longer considered a ‘niche’ ingredient in sweets.
For more on this report using healthier ingredients in energy drinks.