THE BALE OF “SUGAR-FREE” JAM

The promise is tempting and from the shelves of the stores it tempts both those who want to pay attention to their figure and those who, for health reasons, must keep their blood sugar levels at bay.

Sugar-free jams now represent a large part of the offer and not only the market leading brands, but also the "branded" products of large-scale retail trade offer "sugar free" jams.

It's a shame that having the two things together is practically impossible and the message conveyed by these products is actually misleading

But can there be a jam without sugar?

“Consumers, fearing for their figure, are very happy to buy so-called “light” foods. It's a shame that often what the advertisements and writings on the products say doesn't correspond to the truth, as in the case of Zuegg and Hero, companies sanctioned by the Antitrust” – (Il Fatto Daily 06/11/2012)

Last March 20, the Competition and Market Authority (Antitrust) sanctioned with a fine of 40 thousand euros the Rigoni company of Asiago, a leader in the marketing of jams and marmalades, for having presented to consumers the Fiordifrutta jam and the Frutòsa fresh fruit dessert, with the words "no added sugars".

the Claim Regulation 1924/2006 EC according to which the phrase "without added sugars" is permitted only if the product does not contain added mono or disaccharides or any other food product used for its sweetening properties. If the food naturally contains sugars, the indication “Contains naturally occurring sugars” must appear on the label »

Many jams on the market contain fruit, apple juice and citrus pectin. According to the Antitrust, the presence of ingredients such as apple juice and apple puree, which have the clear function of sweetening the product, is incompatible with the words "without added sugar", "with reduced sugar content" and low glycemic index” used in labels or promotions by manufacturing companies.

Concentrated apple juice is a preparation composed of 69% sugars

Sugar-free jam doesn't exist

The truth is that sugar-free jam does not exist and that, at least in this case, reconciling the desire for sweetness with being slim is pure utopia.

There are many simple reasons for deception.

Starting with this: sugar is a necessary ingredient in jams. If it weren't there, the jam or jam would simply remain fruit juice.

“Without a minimum quantity of sugars, normally around 40%, pectin, which is the gelling agent used in jams, hardly works. And without gelling, that sort of mesh that makes the preparation dense, not only would the jam no longer be jam but also the shelf life would be shorter and such extended deadlines would not be possible"

Sugar? Just read the labels to find it

So there is sugar, and you just need to read the labels to find it, even in considerable quantities.
Generally the sugar is equal to 38-40% of the total (precisely that quantity that is necessary to make the jam), with peaks of 50%, as happens in the case of orange marmalade "with only fruit and agave sugar" of some companies. Values ​​which, in any case, are not very far from those of "normal" jams which oscillate between 46% and 63%.

So what does the promise "no added sugar" mean?

Simply that no sucrose was introduced. It's a shame that the latter does not exhaust the range of existing sugars at all.

Since they cannot completely do without sugar, these jams replace sucrose with grape juice and concentrated apple juice, which is effectively fructose. It is therefore a sugar in all respects which has exactly the same function as sucrose."

This explains the mystery and the deception for those consumers who believe they are buying a sugar free jam.

At Madreterra you will find compotes that have only three ingredients and the main one is FRUIT.

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