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Rare Sugar in ‘Magic Spoon’ Cereal Gets a Hall Pass From FDA

Rare Sugar in ‘Magic Spoon’ Cereal Gets a Hall Pass From FDA

(Bloomberg) -- A rare natural sugar called allulose just got a favorable nod from U.S. regulators that could give a boost to companies including Tate & Lyle Plc, Ingredion Inc. 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The Food and Drug Administration issued draft guidance on the sweetener on Wednesday, saying it’s the first time the agency intends to “allow a sugar to not be included as part of the total or added sugars”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. London-based ingredient maker Tate & Lyle said the guidance came in response to a petition it made to the FDA.

“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.”

Tate & Lyle, which has produced allulose under the Dolcia Prima brand since 2015, said the ingredient will continue to be included in the carbohydrate line of food labels.

"Research shows that listing an ingredient as a ‘Sugar’ and an ‘Added Sugar,’ but having it contribute virtually no calories, is confusing for consumers," the company said in a release greeting the FDA decision.

Ingredion, based in suburban Chicago, reported a pact in December 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.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jeremy R. Cooke in Mount Pleasant, S.C. at jcooke8@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Catherine Larkin at clarkin4@bloomberg.net, Scott Schnipper

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