Success in Soft Drink

Reformulation

to Reduce Sugar

Fiona Angus

Coca-Cola Great Britain

Our key considerations when reducing sugar in drinks

• What sugar levels are we trying to achieve ?

• The commitments we have made

• What will be the taste impact ?

• What regulatory restrictions are there ?

• Which sweeteners to use ?

• What is the likely consumer acceptance ?

Sugar reduction is not just compensating sweetness

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Sweetness

which drives flavour and balances sourness

Texture

which enhances product palatability

Taste

vehicled by sugar

Turbidity

by maintaining small particles in suspension

Colour

As sugar provides a light amber colour

Sugar reduction affects

Sweeteners and

sweetness enhancers

Acids

Texturants

(Pectin, CMC…)

flavouring dosage

Maskers and enhancers

Process and formulation

Cloudiness, juice%

Colour Rework ?

to be compensated with:

Key challenge when using sweeteners is finding the right profile and intensity

Sweetener Sweetness vs sucrose

Acesulfame K 200

Advantame 20000-37000

Aspartame 160-200

Cyclamate 30-40

Sucralose 600

Saccharin salt of Na, K, Ca 500

Neohesperidine DC 400-600

Thaumatin 2000-3000

Neotame 7000-13000

Steviol glycosides 250-450

Sweetening power

Taste profile Time profile

Coca-Cola Life journey

• R&D with suppliers develop purified stevia extract

• High purity stevia leaf extract GRAS status by FDA

• Steviol glycosides (reb A) approved in Europe 2011

• Experience of reformulating Sprite (sugar with stevia leaf extract)

• Extensive sensory testing

Coca-Cola Life Journey

2014

6.4g sugars/100ml

33% less sugar than regular

colas

2016

5.7g sugar/100ml

45% less sugars than regular

colas

Marketing spend can shape choice

£15m promotional spend on Coca-Cola Zero

• 5% shift from classic to

zero sales in 4 months

since we launched

• Coke sales of regular to

zero sugar now 51%:49%

• Ambition is 40%:60% by

April 2018

• Continued innovation to reduce sugar

• Increasing marketing spend on zero

variants

• Great tasting lower sugar products with

sugar and sweetener blends

• Broad range of sweeteners used

• Stevia with erythritol and new generation

leaf based stevia extracts

• Flavourings –maskers and enhancers