November 4, 2025 – Consumers in the US have a complex relationship with sugar and alternative sweeteners. Added sugar has become the top ingredient US consumers want to avoid in their diets. It is often blamed for causing harmful blood sugar spikes and inflammation, in addition to providing empty calories that contribute to weight gain. At the same time, cane sugar is seen as the most natural and healthiest sweetener, preferred over other natural and artificial substitutes. This contradiction in consumer attitudes presents challenges for both sugar and alternative sweeteners. Innova Market Insights examines these trends and the latest innovations in sugar and sweeteners in the US.
How are Sugar and Sweeteners Used?
Sugar and alternative sweeteners have two main uses at home: baking from scratch and as toppings (like on cereal, fruit, and drinks). Sugar remains the preferred choice, and the newest packaging and refining innovations are key to providing a quality sugar experience. Even though many US consumers say they want to cut back on sugar, most still see real sugar as a safe option. Sugar enthusiasts can point to studies that link negative health effects to sugar substitutes.
How is Sugar Faring?
For brands, there’s both good news and bad: most US consumers are not currently restricting sugars and sweeteners in their diets. However, awareness of sugar’s negative aspects is strong, leading brands to wonder when, or if, they should rethink their products and messaging. Gen Z and Millennials tend to avoid certain ingredients, but many are not yet avoiding sugar.
What are the Opportunities for Sweeteners?
Sweeteners have a major opportunity in tabletop use. As US consumers seek to avoid added sugars in foods like cereal and drinks, sugar substitutes can market themselves as toppings that provide sweetness without blood sugar spikes or empty calories. US consumers show a clear preference for natural over artificial sweeteners, so marketers should emphasize the natural plant origins and safety of their products.
Brands Should Target Home Baking
Home baking has kept some of its pandemic-era popularity, partly due to social media influence and rising food costs. Sugar brands need to maintain their baking-focused marketing efforts. Substitutes can also play an important role here by highlighting their naturalness and health benefits for those concerned about reducing sugar.
Align with Diets to Target Consumers?
For brands, connecting with specific diets may seem more limiting than freeing. A broader strategy is more effective. Sweetener alternatives should show that their products fit into many diets. While sugar-free options are popular, few consumers strictly stick to specific diets. This shows that they prefer variety and flexibility over restrictions. High-protein claims attract only about 30% of consumers, even though they are common. For sweeteners suitable for the keto diet, using the right keto claim will help those on a keto diet find the right sweetener for them.
Educate Consumers About Naturalness
US consumers prefer natural sweeteners but often don’t know which ones are truly natural. Visual displays of plant-based origins can aid in this recognition, but recent studies have highlighted negative health impacts from artificial sweeteners. As clean eating trends grow, it is vital to show that products are natural and safe. Consumers identify sucralose and aspartame as artificial, but often miss that monk fruit, stevia, allulose, and erythritol are natural. Increased awareness leads to more acceptance: stevia and monk fruit are viewed more positively than allulose, likely because their plant origins are clearer.
Boomers Top Target for Sugar Reduction
Older consumers worry more about added sugar. This is likely because of concerns about conditions like diabetes and heart problems. Limiting artificial sweeteners is a major concern for all age groups, particularly Boomers. This opens a chance to promote natural sweeteners to everyone, especially Boomers, using health-focused messages about low or no calories, zero sugar, and no blood sugar spikes. Younger generations tend to be more skeptical. Therefore, brands should be clear about the ingredients and their purposes when marketing natural sweeteners to Gen Z and Millennials.
Incorporate Health Goals into Messaging
Americans have become increasingly aware of how much sugar they consume to maintain overall health, manage blood sugar, and keep a healthy weight. Substitutes need to communicate effectively with these sugar-conscious consumers, explaining how alternatives can help them achieve their health goals without sacrificing the sweetness they enjoy. Meanwhile, sugar can remain relevant by emphasizing its natural qualities, especially in light of the latest concerns surrounding artificial sweeteners.
Sugar and Sweetener Product Launches
Sugar product launches are stable, while sweetener launches are declining. New sugar products include organic options and flavored varieties. Sugar product launches usually make fewer claims than other categories. As consumers focus more on clean eating, many sugar products have no additives or preservatives claims. Similarly, sweetener launches can use clearer labels to attract consumers seeking natural options. Brands are introducing products with natural sweeteners like erythritol, often mixed with stevia and monk fruit.
New Product Features in Sugar
New sugar products launching in the US offer flavor, functionality, and ethical choices. For example, McCormick’s Salted Caramel Finishing Sugar adds a new flavor to its range. On the functionality side, Domino launched Premium Pure Cane Bakers Sugar. This ultrafine granulated cane sugar dissolves quickly and blends smoothly, resulting in fluffier cakes and silkier frostings. On the ethical side, Whole Foods released Organic Fair Trade Cane Sugar. It is Regenerative Organic Certified and grown using methods that support soil health and promote biodiversity.
What’s Next in Sugar and Sweeteners Innovation in the US?
The sugar and sweeteners market in the US is changing quickly. Brands are responding to specific nutritional needs for all ages. Fermentation techniques for creating stevia are becoming more affordable than traditional plant-based methods. This shift allows products to be labeled as stevia-based while lowering costs. Visual education about natural sweeteners will help reassure consumers about their safety and taste. At the same time, major companies are competing in the stevia and monk fruit markets, pushing brands to remain relevant and accessible. The growing user base for GLP-1 medications brings both challenges and opportunities for sweetener marketers. However, aspartame still has a negative reputation because of media coverage and health concerns. This highlights the need for brands to keep an eye on media coverage of their ingredients. They should be prepared to address negative narratives while promoting positive information.
This article is based on Innova’s Sugar & Sweeteners in the US report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more.