There Is a 'Zero-Calorie' Ice Cream... The Temptation of Low-Sugar in Early Heat [Matjalal X-File]

Analysis of Low-Sugar Ice Cream Products from Three Major Brands

Reduced Sugar Content by Using Alternative Sweeteners Instead of Sugar

Caution: Excessive Consumption of Sugar Alcohols May Cause Diarrhea

This year, it is expected that an early heatwave will arrive before we can fully enjoy the spring weather. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, there is a 60% probability that the average temperature in April will be higher than the usual 11.6 to 12.6 degrees Celsius. In particular, there is also a 50% probability that abnormal temperature phenomena will occur more frequently than the usual 1.9 to 4.0 days. Soon, it is anticipated that there will be quite a few days across the country with temperatures exceeding 25 degrees Celsius.

When the heat sets in, ice cream is the quintessential snack that comes to mind. Its cool, sweet taste delights not only the palate but also lifts the mood and brings happiness. Ice cream contains more sugar than other snacks like cookies. Sugar helps prevent ice cream from freezing too solidly. At the same time, since our sense of taste becomes duller at lower temperatures, manufacturers use much more sugar so that consumers can fully enjoy the sweetness.

Recently, consumers who are conscious of their health have been seeking low-sugar and zero-sugar products, which naturally raises concerns when it comes to eating ice cream. On April 4, Matjalal X-File aims to help consumers make informed decisions by analyzing the ingredients of some of the most popular low-sugar ice cream products.

We will compare and analyze 12 representative low-sugar ice cream products from three companies: Lotte Wellfood and Binggrae, the two giants of the ice cream industry, and Lalasweet, which has quickly risen into the top 10 in ice cream sales thanks to its low-sugar products.

Let’s start by looking at the iconic cone ice cream products with a long history and tradition. Binggrae's "Bravo" and Lotte Wellfood's "World Cone" have offered vanilla-based original products beloved by consumers for 40 to 50 years. Binggrae sells "Bravo Vanilla Light," while Lotte Wellfood offers "World Cone Vanilla Low Sugar" alongside their original products. Lalasweet’s "Vanilla Low Sugar Cone" is also a vanilla-based low-sugar cone, similar to these two.

For easy comparison, we standardized the serving size of all ice creams to 100 ml. Among Bravo Vanilla Light, World Cone Vanilla Low Sugar, and Vanilla Low Sugar Cone, World Cone had the lowest calories. This would be advantageous for consumers looking to lose weight. The Vanilla Low Sugar Cone had the lowest sugar content at 1.9g, compared to World Cone (2.4g) and Bravo (8g). All these products use alternative sweeteners instead of sugar.

Another component to note here is sugar alcohols. Among alternative sweeteners, those with both sugar and alcohol structures are called sugar alcohols. World Cone Vanilla Low Sugar contained 11.9g of sugar alcohols, including maltitol, which was higher than Bravo (1.6g) and Vanilla Low Sugar Cone (5.6g).

Sugar alcohols are sweet like sugar but are less absorbed by the body. Since our bodies have difficulty digesting these substances, the calories are significantly reduced. However, when consumed, they do not get absorbed in the small intestine but travel down to the large intestine. If consumed in excess, this process can cause diarrhea. For this reason, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety requires products containing sugar alcohols to carry a warning: “Excessive consumption may cause diarrhea.”

However, there is no specified daily intake limit for sugar alcohols. According to the Korean Diabetes Association and others, consuming more than 40g of maltitol per day as an adult significantly increases the probability of abdominal discomfort. Individual responses to sugar alcohols vary greatly, so people with sensitive digestive systems should be cautious when consuming ice cream high in sugar alcohols.

There are also consumers who prefer bar-type ice cream. Lotte Wellfood offers "Pig Bar Low Sugar," while Binggrae’s representative low-sugar products are "Saenggyul Taenggyul Zero Tangerine" and "Heat Hunt Zero Decaf Coffee." Lalasweet’s "Low Sugar Vanilla Choco" and "Low Sugar Melon Bar" will also be included in this comparison. Since these ice creams vary in flavor and color, naturally, there may be differences in calories, sugar content, and other nutritional components.

Among the five products, Saenggyul Taenggyul Zero Tangerine had the lowest calories at “zero.” However, its sugar content was the highest, containing 12.8g of allulose, a type of sugar. Compared to the original Saenggyul Taenggyul Tangerine, which contains 17.1g of sugar from regular sugar, the sugar content has been reduced by replacing sugar with the alternative sweetener allulose.

Of the five low-sugar ice creams, Pig Bar Low Sugar had the highest calories. Compared to the original Pig Bar, its sugar content was reduced by 23.3g. However, its sugar alcohol content was 17.1g, the highest among the four low-sugar products each from Lotte Wellfood, Binggrae, and Lalasweet that were examined. People with sensitive digestive systems should be aware of this when choosing ice cream.

Heat Hunt Zero Decaf Coffee and Seolleim Milk Low Sugar both contained over 15g of sugar alcohols, while the Low Sugar Melon Bar was the only one among the 12 products reviewed that did not contain any sugar alcohols.

Among the newly released low-sugar products, "Tico Milk Choco Low Sugar" and "Deep & Low Crunch Choco," Tico had less sugar but Deep & Low had lower calories, with some of the sugar replaced by allulose. Tico’s sugar alcohol content was more than double that of Deep & Low.

The zero-sugar trend is unlikely to end soon. There is even talk of the government introducing a sugar tax. Interest in various alternative sweeteners such as allulose and erythritol is growing. On these hot days, why not try a healthy, low-sugar ice cream?

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.