INDIA – Dabur India Ltd., the maker of Real fruit juices, has embarked on the fourth phase of its sugar reduction initiative.
The company aims to cut added sugars by an average of 3% across two-thirds of its beverage portfolio as part of its ongoing commitment to promoting healthier choices for consumers.
In 2019, Dabur adopted a phased reformulation approach to reduce sugar content in its beverages. According to its annual report, the company achieved significant milestones in the first three phases of this initiative. In the first phase, Dabur lowered sugar content by an average of 5.4 percent.
This was followed by a reduction of 7.5 percent in the second phase and another 6.7 percent in the third phase. Overall, these efforts have led to a 20.95 percent reduction in added sugar from the 2018 baseline, equating to approximately 1,300 metric tons of reduced sugar consumption annually.
“We are now embarking on phase 4 of our sugar reduction initiative, aiming to achieve an average 3 percent reduction in added sugar across two-thirds of our beverage portfolio,” the company stated.
As part of this initiative, Dabur has launched several variants of Real Activ juice with ‘no added sugar,’ including Real Activ Cranberry and Real Activ Pomegranate.
Additionally, the company has modified serving sizes to 180ml from 200ml and 140ml from 160ml and introduced a ‘Real’ mini assortment in 110ml aseptic packaging to ensure affordability and encourage optimal consumption.
This drive towards healthier products is not confined to Dabur alone. Other major consumer goods companies, such as Nestle India Ltd. and PepsiCo India bottler Varun Beverages Ltd., are also working to reduce sugar, salt, and fat content in their products in response to rising health consciousness among consumers.
Nestle India has made significant strides in reducing sugar content. Chairperson Suresh Narayanan reported that the company has reduced added sugar by 30 percent in the past two years and is now testing a zero-sugar variant for infant food.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has approved a proposal requiring manufacturers to display saturated fat, salt, and sugar contents in “bold letters” and “large fonts” on labels of packaged food items. The FSSAI is also considering a front-of-pack nutrition labeling system with a star rating to indicate an item’s nutritional value.
Additionally, the FSSAI has been issuing advisories to prevent false and misleading claims. These include directives to e-commerce websites to remove the term ‘Health Drink’ as it is not defined or standardized under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
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