Kind reveals added sugar content

Kind has published the added sugar content in its product portfolio, claiming to be the first US snack brand to do so.

The move comes two years in advance of the deadline set by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for food companies to break out the added sugar content in their products.

Kind shared the added sugar content of its 60 plus snacks on its new web page, Kind Promises, which also outlines the company’s health and nutrition principles.

“Our approach at Kind is to provide consumers with straightforward information about what they’re putting into their bodies, so for us, publishing the added sugar content in our snacks is a natural next step in our ongoing commitment to transparency,” said Daniel Lubetzky, founder and CEO of Kind.

Stephanie Perruzza, MS, RD, CDN and health and wellness specialist at Kind, added, “Always using a nutrient-dense food like nuts, whole grains or fruit as our first ingredient and striving to make products that are low glycemic are among the standards that guide our product innovation.

“As we look to the future, we’ll continue to stand by these principles when creating new snacks made with wholesome, recognisable ingredients.”

The company says it has taken steps to use as little sugar as possible in its snacks without compromising taste or adding artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols.

These include reducing the added sugar in seven of its Fruit & Nut bars by 14-56%, compared to previous recipes. The rollout of the new bars, which began earlier this year, will be completed next year.

Once the reformulated bars become available, all Kind snacks will have around 0.5-2.5 teaspoons of added sugar per serving. Put into context, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends individuals limit their daily intake of added sugars to no more than 12 teaspoons per day.

Made with only fruit & chia or fruit & vegetables, Kind’s newly launched Pressed by Kind bars contain no added sugar and provide two full servings of fruit, equivalent to one cup per the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines, which suggests an intake of one to two cups of fruit per day.

With 5g of sugar or less, Kind’s Nuts & Spices bars contain 50-60% less total sugar, compared to the average nutrition bar.