Most cereal product manufacturers have acknowledged the call of consumers to cut the sugar (here referring to the generic use of the term for glucose, fructose, and sucrose), but progress still is slow in the area of sweetened cereals, especially those marketed to children. Slight advances have brought the numbers down—the past decade and a half or so has seen the number of RTE cereals containing more than 50% sugar fall from around half to just over a third. Considering some two-thirds of children who eat breakfast have cereal for that first meal, it is clear there is still a lot of work to be done.

According to Kantha Shelke, PhD, CFS principal of Corvus Blue, LLC, a Chicago-based food science and research firm, the challenge is that sugars add not only sweetness and flavor but also texture (especially by increasing crispiness and crunch), and stability to cereal products. They also suppress the bitterness and astringency of grains and enhance the overall sensory profile by developing color and aroma during the manufacturing process.

Shelke, a cereal scientist whose firm specializes in industry competitive intelligence, expert witness services, and new product and technology development, further points out that sugar—that is, mono- and disaccharides—also helps extend shelf life by reducing water activity and inhibiting microbial growth. “This is why simply reducing or removing sugar has not proven successful,” she states. But she also points to the success countries outside the US have had in lowering sugar in cereals.

In fact, most sweetened cereals, especially those marketed to children, still contain very high amounts of sugar per serving compared to cereals made in the UK and EU. And what compounds the situation is that due to shifts in what constitutes a portion size, some cereals are not as low in sugar as they claim to be, although as Shelke notes, overall cereals are healthier than they were in the 1960s-1980s as far as added fiber, vitamins, and minerals in many brands.

Interestingly, simply lowering sugar gradually has proven to be of great effect, something some larger cereal makers have done successfully, albeit over the course of a number of years. Such “stealth reduction” got a boost back in 2010 by a Yale study that showed children actually preferred their cereals less sweet than what was typically offered, adding less sugar to their unsweetened cereals when allowed to do so ad libitum.

But for those cereal makers in a hurry, there are some other effective ways to lower sugar content. One method is to opt for less refined grains and other forms of nutritive sweeteners that add body and depth to the flavor profile rather than simple sweetness.

Malted grain syrups (such as from barley or sorghum), maple, and even less-refined sugars, such as jaggery (also called “panela”), and sugar from dried fruits such as dates, carob, and coconut. They have the same caloric value and sweetness as refined fructose and sucrose, but their added flavor notes enhance the perception of sweetness, allowing for a reduction in total sugar content.

“Texture and color influence the perception of sweetness. So, it is not just about the texture and physical attributes of the sugars but also of preparing the base ingredients in ways that can enhance the sensory experience of the food product.,” adds Shelke. “Processing techniques, such as caramelization, roasting, drying/dehydrating, and fermentation can help enhance sweetness without the need for sugar, too,” she adds.

For more on sugar reduction in kids' cereals, read Dr. Shelke's feature article "Better by the Bowl." Want more on sweeteners? Read Dr. Shelke's feature article "Rethinking Sugar Reduction, Botanically."