According to Mintel Research Consultancy, American consumers avoid added sugars more than any other ingredient; however, their focus is not on any one type of sweetener, but rather the amount of sweetener in a product. For the past several years, some food and beverage companies have been focusing on and changing the type of sweetener they use. But Nielsen sales data over the same period clearly shows that changing the type of sweetener had no significant positive effect on sales. For manufacturers to meet both the needs of their consumers and their business, smart nutritive sweetener decisions are essential. This deck outlines expert third-party research and highlights sweetener switching cases that demonstrate that consumers are more concerned about total added sugars than any one type of sweetener—helping food and beverage manufacturers make more informed decisions. Learn more on third-part sweetener research here: http://bit.ly/1QYeGXO. Visit CornNaturally.com for more information: http://bit.ly/1QYe5FD.

1. THERE’SA NEW CONVERSATION
ABOUT SWEETENERS.CHANGING CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS AND THEIR IMPACT ON CONSUMER
PURCHASING DECISIONS.

2. CONSUMERSARETALKINGABOUT
SWEETENERS INA NEWWAY.
HAVEYOU HEARD?

3. ISTHE MEDIA COLORING
YOUR PERCEPTION OF
CONSUMERATTITUDES?
THE FACTS
TELLA
DIFFERENT
STORY.CNN:“FRUCTOSE CHANGES BRAIN TO
CAUSE OVEREATING, SCIENTISTS SAY.”
60 MINUTES:“IS SUGAR TOXIC?”
LA TIMES:“SOUNDING THE
ALARMS AGAINST SUGAR.”
WALL STREET JOURNAL:
“SUGAR BAN STIRS UP NEW YORK.”

4. Q:HOW CANWE CONTINUETO CREATE
FOODAND BEVERAGE PRODUCTSTHAT
CONSUMERSWILLWANTTO BUY?
A:BYTAPPING INTO CONSUMERATTITUDES
AND BEHAVIORSTHROUGHTHIRD-PARTY
RESEARCH.

5. AND HERE’SWHATWE FOUND …

6. IT’STHE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
WHAT PEOPLE SAYANDWHAT
PEOPLE DO.
AIDEDVS.UNAIDED QUESTIONS
Mintel research methodology uses unaided questions, which represent
unprompted, top-of-mind opinions or statements.
Because they don’t suggest “correct” answers to respondents, unaided
questions are widely recognized as most effective in revealing the top-
of-mind concerns, true attitudes and likely behaviors of respondents.

7. GETATASTE OFTHE FACTS …

8. OF CONSUMERS AVOID
HFCS SPECIFICALLY (UNAIDED)
OF CONSUMERS ARE CONCERNED
ABOUT TOTAL SUGARS (AIDED)
79.7%
2.9%
CONSUMERSAND SWEETENERS:
IT’SA NEWATTITUDE
Source: Mintel Research Consultancy,October 2012

9. FACT:
CONSUMERSAVOIDADDED
SUGAR MORETHANANY
OTHER INGREDIENT.Source: Mintel,October 2012

10. MINTEL:7XAS MANY CONSUMERS
AVOIDADDED SUGARSTHAN HFCS
22%
21%
17%
13%
8%
5%
4%
3%
3%
3%
Not avoiding or purposefully consuming less
Sugar, added sugar
Fats/oils, hydrogenated fats
Salt/sodium
Soda/carbonated beverages
Carbohydrates/white foods
Fast food
High fructose corn syrup*
Processed/packaged foods
Red meat
Source: Mintel 2012; N = 2,400
Q3.In the last six months,have there been any particular foods,beverages,or specific ingredients that you and your family are trying to consume less of or avoid? (multiple responses accepted)
* “HFCS” includes HFCS and corn syrup

11. FACT:
FEWERTHAN 3% OF CONSUMERS
AVOID HFCS IN 12 HIGH-VOLUME
PRODUCT CATEGORIES.Source: Mintel,October 2012

12. Yogurt&
YogurtD
rinksSpaghettiSauceSalad
D
ressings
Sports
D
rinks
Jam
s
&
Jellies
Flavored
M
ilk
C
old
C
ereal
FruitJuice
C
akes/C
ookies/Pastries
K
etchup
C
arbonated
B
everages
Package
B
read
CATEGORICAL PROOF:HFCS IS NOTTHE ISSUE
36%
60%
21%
43%
56% 54%
29%
45% 42%
52%
24%
35%
2.7% 2.2% 2.1% 2.0% 1.9% 1.9% 1.7% 1.5% 1.5% 1.3% 1.3% 0.7%
Category shoppers
specifying HFCS
as a concern when
buying products
Category shoppers
who consider sugar/
sweeteners when
buying productsQ11. You said that you consider sugar or other sweeteners when buying … Please
tell us why.(Open-ended response = “Avoid/dislike HFCS”)
Source: Mintel 2012; N = 2,008

13. Source:The Nielsen Company,March 2013
FACT:PRODUCTSTHAT
SWITCHTO HFCS-FREE
FORMULATIONS HAVE
FLAT OR FALLING SALES.

14. HFCS-FREE? CONSUMERS
AREN’T BUYING IT.
BEVERAGES BAKED GOODS PREPARED FOODS
SOFT DRINKS FRESH BREAD CANNED SOUP
READY TO DRINK TEAS ENGLISH MUFFINS CONDIMENTS
JUICE DRINKS BAGELS SYRUP
SPORTS DRINKS ROLLS GRANOLA
REFRIGERATED YOGURT DRINKS BUNS
SNACK CRACKERS
Source:The Nielsen Company,September 2012
In a scan of 3,200
SKUs, covering 25
leading brands,
products that switch
to HFCS-free
formulations have
flat or falling sales.

15. SWEETENER STRATEGIES:WHAT’S
WORKING,WHAT’S NOTANDWHY.
MIRACLEWHIP®
and logo are registered trademarks of Kraft Foods,Inc.HEINZ®
brands are registered trademarks of H.J.Heinz Co.HUNT’S®
brands are registered trademarks of ConAgra Brands Inc.
CAPRI SUN®
and logo are registered trademarks of RudolfWild GmbH & Co.POWERADE®
and logo are registered trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company.
BRAND APPROACH ACTION
MIRACLE WHIP REPLACED WITHOUT PROMOTION SWITCHED BACK TO HFCS
HEINZ HFCS-FREE LINE EXTENSION MAINTAINS HFCS-FREE LINE
HUNT’S REPLACED WITH PROMOTION SWITCHED BACK TO HFCS
CAPRI SUN LOWER-SUGARS LINE EXTENSION WITH HFCS DRAMATIC SALES GROWTH
POWERADE MAINTAINED HFCS FORMULATION
SLIGHT GAIN IN MARKET SHARE OVER
HFCS-FREE GATORADE

16. SOWHAT REALLY SPEAKSTO CONSUMER NEEDS?
TOTAL LOWER SUGARS.

17. KEY TAKEAWAY: THE WORD IS OUT.
IT’S NOTABOUTWHICH
TYPE OF SWEETENER–
BUT HOW MUCH.

18. FOOD FORTHOUGHT
KEY QUESTIONS FOR FOOD AND BEVERAGE MARKETERS:
1. Are you incurring unnecessary costs to develop or promote HFCS-free
products that few of your consumers care about?
2. Instead, should you consider lowering added sugars overall in your
products, in response to changing consumer needs?
3. What opportunities does this present for you to increase market share
by responding to that change in consumer interests?

19. ISYOUR BRAND OR COMPETITOR
NOTED HERE?
IF SO …

20. LET’S KEEP THE
CONVERSATION GOING.TALK TO EXPERTS,ASK QUESTIONS AND GET ANSWERS.
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