Sugar alcohols, found in many processed foods, have long been an enigma for many consumers. Commonly listed under the “total carbohydrate” header on a nutrition facts label, sugar alcohols are actually neither sugar nor alcohol—despite what the name suggests. So, what are they? “Sugar alcohols are sugar substitutes used as sweeteners in a variety of ‘sugar free’ or ‘no sugar added’ products, such as candy and gum,” Natalie Allen, clinical assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics at...

For most American coffee drinkers—cue the old Folgers jingle—the best part of waking up really is the coffee in their cup. According to new research conducted by OnePoll on behalf of BUNN, four in five coffee drinkers (81%) say that coffee is what motivates them to get out of bed in the morning. In fact, the survey of 2,000 U.S. adults found that Americans crave their caffeine fix so much, the average coffee drinker consumes 460 cups per year. “I don’t think I’d be going out on a limb to say...

Consumers across the country are going out to dinner more often—and much earlier—than they were before the pandemic. Turns out, being an early bird isn’t all that special anymore. “Our data indicates that fine-dining customers are eating earlier than they did prior to the pandemic,” R.J. Hottovy, Head of Analytical Research at Placer.ai told The Food Institute. “We’ve reviewed visitation trends by hour for some of the larger fine-dining restaurant chains in the U.S., and generally speaking,...

In mid-July, the World Health Organization (WHO) flagged aspartame, an artificial sweetener frequently used in diet sodas, as a possible carcinogen. Consumers responded to the news with a resounding shrug. In fact, there has been no noticeable shift in consumers’ feelings about the healthiness or ingredients of diet soda since the announcement, according to an analysis of more than 150,000 pieces of consumer feedback by data and analytics firm HundredX. Instead, consumers have actually been...

The race to integrate AI chatbots into third-party food delivery apps is on, but major players like DoorDash and Uber Eats are holding their cards close to their chest, for now. Neither company has publicly shared the full capabilities of their new AI chatbot feature, but software developers have uncovered some details via code hidden within the Uber Eats and DoorDash apps. Your Personal AI Assistant Uber’s AI bot will offer food-delivery recommendations and help customers place orders more...