A rare natural sugar called allulose just got a favorable nod from U.S. regulators that could give a boost to companies like Ingredion and breakfast-cereal subscription startup Magic Spoon.
The Food and Drug Administration issued draft guidance on the sweetener on Wednesday, saying it’s the first time the agency intends to “allow a sugar to not be included as part of the total or added sugars” categories on food labels.
“The latest data suggests that allulose is different from other sugars in that it is not metabolized by the human body in the same way as table sugar,” FDA food-safety official Susan Mayne said in a statement. “It has fewer calories, produces only negligible increases in blood glucose or insulin levels, and does not promote dental decay.”
Ingredion in December reported a pact with Japan’s Matsutani Chemical Industry Co. to make Astraea Allulose in Mexico and market it in the Americas.
Allulose is used to help sweeten Magic Spoon, which is being pitched as a “healthy cereal” that’s “perfect for anyone on a ketogenic or low carb diet.” The sweetener is found in things like figs and maple syrup, according to the Magic Spoon website.