In Search of the Next Sugar

Pity the poor sugar producers, for whom the hits just keep on coming. A study that appeared on July 21 in The BMJ, formerly The British Medical Journal, confirmed the link between sugar and diabetes and got substantial press play; the next day, The Wall Street Journal reported that sugar prices had plummeted to their lowest levels in years, as sellers struggle to find buyers for a bumper crop of product.

Sugar, the refined white kind, has aced out fat as our dietary demon du jour, and restaurateurs are scrambling to find a replacement. High fructose corn syrup is on the no-no list, and it’s being joined there by artificial sweeteners. Once considered a healthful alternative, the stuff that comes in pastel packets has been steadily losing steam as consumers fret about its wholesomeness. The very term “artificial” is a liability in a marketplace where a premium is placed on foods considered real, natural and clean, and a Euromonitor study published in The Washington Post forecast that sales of diet sodas that use these ingredients will slip by 30% by 2019.

The result has been an unprecedented rush to find acceptable sources of sweetness. Perhaps the most unlikely candidate to emerge has been cane sugar, which is a primary source of refined sugar, but which some consumers have come to view as a kind of health food. Mexican Coke, which is differentiated from its domestic counterpart by its use of cane sugar, has been turning up in US markets, and PepsiCo recently announced the launch of a new craft-soft-drink line, Stubborn Soda, which is made with fair-trade-certified cane sugar.

In line with the larger back-to-basics trend that has seen the revival of butter and the repositioning of so-called bone broth as an all-purpose elixir, old-time sources of sweetness have also gotten their second wind. Sorghum, now frequently positioned as artisanal or small batch, is popping up in hipster joints like Nashville’s Silo, where it’s part of the sherry/sorghum vinaigrette atop the Roasted Cauliflower Salad. Another golden oldie, molasses, which is a sugar-cane byproduct, made an unexpected appearance in Umami Burger’s promotional Pumpkin Spice Latte Burger with coffee-molasses drizzle. Brown sugar, which gets its color from molasses, is on the comeback trail, too, in dishes both savory and sweet. Stars Rooftop & Grill Room in Charleston, SC, offers a Chocolate Pluff Mud Pudding with brown-sugar sauce, while Arby’s Brown Sugar Bacon BLT is currently on the menu.

Other operators are taking a more new age-y approach. California-based Robeks, which purveys fresh juices and smoothies, is the first chain to offer maple water, which appeared in three Fitness Smoothies this spring. Extracted from the sap of the maple tree, the water is low in sugar and calories and said to be high in micronutrients and antioxidants. Evolution Fresh, a Starbucks subsidiary, specializes in cold-pressed juice concoctions like Coconut Water and Greens, which includes kale and spinach. Coconut water, not to be confused with coconut milk or oil, is a clear liquid extracted from the center of the fruit. Low sugar and low cal, it is promoted as offering superior hydration while providing four times more potassium than a banana. And agave is turning up all over. Derived from the succulent agave plant, it has long been a staple at health-food stores, but now TGI Friday’s uses organic agave in its margaritas, and Silver Diner puts it in pancakes and French toast.

 Going forward, the hunt for a more acceptable sweetening agent will remain a food-industry flashpoint. Research on the relative healthfulness and benefits of various options like cane sugar vs. refined sugar vs. HFCS vs agave is often inconclusive and contradictory, depending on the source. But the American palate craves sweetness, and the American psyche is great at rationalizing that craving; so sugar, like other dietary bugaboos such as fat and salt, will remain subject to perception, misperception and emotion.

                 Photo of Maple Water Fitness Smoothies courtesy of Robeks