South Korean companies and foodies bet on sugar substitute allulose

DAESANG

05/11/2024 06:50

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      Production costs hinder commercial use despite potential
benefits
    

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      Two South Korean firms launch new push to mass-produce
allulose 
    

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      Health experts call for more research on long-term effects
    

  
    By Hyunsu Yim
       SEOUL, Nov 5 (Reuters) - South Korea has become a top
testing ground for the sweetener allulose, a potential rival to
sugar substitutes like stevia that is finding favour among both
local food influencers and big domestic food companies, which
are ramping up production.
        Found naturally in figs, kiwis and other fruits,
allulose has been approved by both U.S. and South Korean
regulators. It can be found in candies and protein bars in the
U.S. but commercialised sweetener products of allulose are
mostly sold online or at select grocery stores. 
    In South Korea, however, it has caught on more widely and is
now easily available in supermarkets for less than 10,000
won($7.26) per 700 ml bottle. 
    That is still pricey at about four times the cost of table
sugar, but manufacturers and researchers say it is 70% as sweet
as sugar and almost calorie-free.
    "It tastes the closest to table sugar," said Renaud Joly, a
French vegan influencer based in Seoul.
         But even as top South Korean food and beverage
companies Daesang Corp  001680.KS  and Samyang Corp  145990.KS 
invest in new production facilities, health experts warn that
more research is needed into the long-term health effects of
allulose. 
    It also has yet to gain widespread approval by regulatory
authorities worldwide, and high production costs limit its use
as a commercial sweetener.
        "Allulose isn't the first sugar substitute to make
headlines for being the 'best new food product'," said Elizabeth
Traxler, a registered dietician at University Hospitals, a
U.S.-based academic medical centre.
    It does, however, have slight benefits for weight loss and
can be helpful to individuals with diabetes, she added. When
consumed in combination with sugars like sucrose, allulose can
lower the blood glucose response, a benefit not many other
sweeteners can produce.
    Samyang said it now sells more than 1,000 metric tons of
allulose to retail customers annually, citing sales growth at a
double-digit pace since 2020 and business-to-business revenue of
more than 10 billion won in 2022.
    Earlier this year, it opened a 140 billion won factory that
can produce 13,000 tons of allulose annually, more than
quadruple its previous output. 
    The company, which supplies allulose to Coca-Cola Korea Co
for a zero-calorie soft drink, said it has been cleared to begin
selling its allulose products in Australia and New Zealand later
this year.
    Market research firm Grand View Research estimates the
global market for allulose will grow to more than $500 million
by 2030 from about $310 million this year. By comparison, the
global market for stevia was more than $514 million in 2023.
        But the European Union, Canada and other countries view
it as a "novel food" that has yet to be sufficiently assessed
for safety.
    The World Health Organization last year issued a guideline
advising against using non-sugar sweeteners for weight control
purposes, citing potential undesirable long-term effects.
    Two groups linked to the WHO last year declared the popular
sweetener aspartame a "possible carcinogen", but said it
remained safe to consume at already-agreed levels. 
    University Hospitals dietician Traxler said that, when
allulose is consumed in large quantities, possible side effects
include gastrointestinal distress such as diarrhoea and
bloating.
     Samyang's Head of Specialty Food Ingredients Park Sung-won
said the biggest challenge has been making the sweetener
affordable and raising consumer awareness, but added: "We
believe allulose is a material with potential for the future."  
($1 = 1,378.2600 won)

 (Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Ed Davies and Nicholas
Yong)
 ((Hyunsu.Yim@thomsonreuters.com;))