MANAGING SUGAR LEVELS IN BEVERAGES

When manufacturing beverages in South Africa, managing total sugar content is not just a formulation decision - it is a legal and financial requirement. Under local regulations and the Health Promotion Levy (HPL), beverages are closely monitored for total sugars, adn non-compliance can result in substantial penalties.

Understanding Total Sugar Compliance

All sugars present in a beverage count towards the total sugar percentage (ºBrix). This includes:

* Added sucrose or glucose,

* Natural sugars from fruit juice or juice concentrates,

* Lactose contributed by milk powder or dairy-derived ingredients,

* Any intrinsic sugars already present in raw materials.

There is no distinction between "added" and "natural" sugars for compliance purposes - every gram matters.

Why the 6 % Target Matters

While regulations are enforced through sugar thresholds expressed as grams per 100 ml, many manufacturers work to keep sugars below ± 6 % Brix as a safe formulation benchmark. Staying below this level:

* Helps avoid excessive HPL exposure,

* Reduces regulatory risk,

* Keeps products competitive is a sugar-conscious market.

Products exceeding allowable sugar levels may attract hefty fines, additional levies, or forced reformulation.

How to Accurately Calculate Total Sugar

The simplest and most reliable method is to use nutritional tables supplied with each ingredient. By inserting every ingredient into a formulation table, manufacturers can calculate:

* Sugar contribution per ingredient,

* Total sugar per 100 ml,

* Final ºBrix of the product.

This approach allows compliance to be verified before production, saving time and cost.

A Practical, Compliant Formulation Strategy

In practice, many compliant beverages formulations use:

* 2.0 - 2.5 % added sugar,

* ± 0.8 % juice concentrate (typically contributing ± 0.65 % sugar).

This results in a total sugar content of approximately 4.0 - 1.5 % Brix, comfortably below the commonly targeted threshold.

To achieve the desired sweetness without increasing sugar levels, manufacturers then rely on:

* Non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS),

* Sweetness enhancers,

* Texture modifiers such as Visco (8 -12).

For this purpose, Dynamiko Food Ingredients supply NNSB001, enabling full sweetness impact without adding to total sugar.

Why This Approach Works

* Maintains regulatory compliance,

* Avoids unnecessary sugar tax exposure,

* Preserves taste, mouthfeel, and consumer appeal,

* Allows flexibility across multiple beverages formats.

Smart Sugar Management is not About Removing Sweetness - it's About Replacing Sugar Strategically.

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