FAQ: Nutritional Information

What has changed related to the nutritional properties of fiber?

The answer to this one is quite involved - settle in and make yourself comfortable!

There is a new way of looking at the nutritional properties of a specific type of soluble fibre from tapioca, (which is known as isomalto-oligosaccharides or IMOs) which is one of the ingredients in our candies. Isomalto-oligosaccharides are naturally found in honey, miso, sake, and soy sauce.

The new Canadian perspective (the CFIA) is that the fiber like qualities of IMOs mean that it should be labeled as part fiber and part non-digestible carbs. 

A non-digestible carb simply means that digestive enzymes in our tummies do not react to the carb and turn into simple sugars, rather it passes through the body unprocessed - much like fiber does. 

Are you still with us? There’s a few more twists….

U.S regulators (the FDA) take a different view: this specific type of soluble tapioca fiber (which is known as isomalto-oligosaccharides or IMOs) have some properties of fiber, but they do not have certain specific attributes required to be called a fiber.  That is why the U.S. regulator is now saying that IMOs need to be classified as a non digestible carb on labels. 

We didn’t let these changes and these different views stop us -  it just gave us yet another reason to keep on innovating, especially as the feedback from our community was that there was too much fiber in our candies.

So what did we do?

We took these new perspectives on IMOs and soluble tapioca fiber into account as we tested 100’s of new recipes in our Candyland kitchen.  We opted to use a different type of soluble tapioca fiber that is fully classified as a fiber, along with IMOs  as kick ass ways to replace ingredients like corn syrup and offer a radically better alternative to traditional candy. 

Gold star if you are still with us after that explanation!! It’s certainly complicated but we want to share the facts with you so that you understand the evolving view on fiber and know that we are on the ball! As views have changed, so have our recipes and our labels. While we leave the classification to ingredients is the job of the food regulators, researching and understanding evolving ingredients and ways to replace sugar is our jam!

 

-----

Is the Soluble Tapioca Fiber I see on the label today from IMO or a different type of soluble fiber that has all the properties of fiber?

For a short period, SmartSweets with both types of soluble tapioca fiber (IMO and non-IMO) will be available as we transition exclusively to our new recipe. If you see IMO spelt out on the label in full as isomalto-oligosaccharides, that’s a clue you have one of our evolved recipes in your hands. You can also look for 'Kick Sugar Keep Candy' on the top left of the pouch! 

-----

What is a non-digestible carb and how does it differ from fiber?

A non-digestible carb is a carbohydrate that doesn’t react with the digestive enzymes in our tummies and passes through the body without being converted to simple sugar. In this respect it is very similar to fiber but lacks some of the other characteristics of fiber.

-----

Why have you changed the type of tapioca fiber you are using?

Views on the amount of fiber in soluble tapioca fiber from IMOs have changed and this is one of the reasons we have evolved our formulation. By using a different type of soluble tapioca fiber and IMO we are able to include a moderate amount of fiber in our products and offer a kick ass replacement to high quantities of sugar typically found  in gummy candies.

-----

Why do you have different recipes for your candy in Canada and the U.S?

We are committed to using cutting edge ingredients in our recipes. In the U.S we are innovating using a sweetener called allulose that isn’t available for use in recipes in Canada - yet. This isn’t unusual - Canada typically takes longer than the U.S. to approve new ingredient innovations, but we expect it will catch up!

We didn’t want our Canadian community to have to wait for an evolved recipe, so we’ve tweaked our Canadian recipe to give you what you've been asking for (while keeping in line with the updated regulations) - lower fiber content and no carrageenan. The Canadian recipe contains both Isomalto-oligosaccharides and soluble fiber from tapioca. These ingredients are now broken out on the label in a different way.

-----

When will allulose be available in Canada? Will you change your Canadian formulation then?

We don’t know the answer to that but do hope that Canada will catch up (it always does!). In the meantime, we are happy to offer a #KickSugar candy that responds to our community feedback and provides a radically better alternative to traditional candy.

-----

Are SmartSweets Keto Friendly?

While we don't innovate for any specific diet, we know & love that the keto community is part of the mission to #KickSugar and have been extremely mindful of feedback. We worked our hardest to get the net carbs as low as humanly possible while using quality ingredients, 79-92% less sugar than traditional candy, no sugar alcohols, not sneakily messing with package size and ensuring our candy is tummy friendly. We can't wait to hear how SmartSweets works for you!

-----

Will SmartSweets spike my blood sugar?

Your blood sugar should increase to the expected amount for the net carbs on our nutrition label.

-----

How do you analyze the nutritional impact of SmartSweets?

We are obsessed with kicking sugar and want to go the extra mile to ensure that every last molecule is accounted for in our nutritional labeling. 

We discovered that the approved testing method in the US and Canada (AOAC method) actually misses a sugar molecule- Isomaltose. So, we created our own customized test to be sure we catch it all - the sugars measured by the government approved method AND Isomaltose - going above and beyond what is required by the FDA and CFIA.

-----

What type of corn are you using?

Great question! We were uber careful in selecting our supplier and the type of corn fiber we are using in our recipes as we know that there is a huge range of quality out there. Rest assured that the non-gmo corn fiber we are using in our evolved Canadian recipes is NOT a by-product or filler, but rather a very high-quality source of fiber and very concentrated source of dietary fiber. Ultimately, our bodies all respond differently so pay attention to what works for YOU. And as a reminder, Fruity Gummy Bears and Gummy Worms do not use non-GMO corn fiber, but rather non-GMO isomalto-oligosaccharides. Reach out here us if you would like more info from our ingredient suppliers.

-----

What type of fiber are you using?

As a result of a flurry of innovation we currently have a few different formulations on shelf. The type of fiber varies depending on the recipe and is shown in our ingredient list. We have evolved the type of fiber we use to align with the latest thinking on what constitutes a fiber. We have transitioned over to using a new type of soluble tapioca fiber and high quality corn fiber in Canada.

-----

Do SmartSweets contain IMO? Why?

Yes we use some IMO, also known as isomalto-oligosaccharides or soluble tapioca fiber from IMO. IMO is a kick ass replacement for the corn syrup that is found in traditional candy and plays an important role in our candy to allow us to kick as many grams as sugar as possible while not causing stomach upset. IMO used to be thought of as a fiber but is now viewed as a non digestible carb. A non-digestible carb simply means that digestive enzymes in our tummies do not react to the carb and turn into simple sugars, rather it passes through the body unprocessed - much like fiber does.

What has changed related to the nutritional properties of fiber?

The answer to this one is quite involved - settle in and make yourself comfortable!

There is a new way of looking at the nutritional properties of a specific type of soluble fibre from tapioca, (which is known as isomalto-oligosaccharides or IMOs) which is one of the ingredients in our candies. Isomalto-oligosaccharides are naturally found in honey, miso, sake, and soy sauce.

The new Canadian perspective (the CFIA) is that the fiber like qualities of IMOs mean that it should be labeled as part fiber and part non-digestible carbs. 

A non-digestible carb simply means that digestive enzymes in our tummies do not react to the carb and turn into simple sugars, rather it passes through the body unprocessed - much like fiber does. 

Are you still with us? There’s a few more twists….

U.S regulators (the FDA) take a different view: this specific type of soluble tapioca fiber (which is known as isomalto-oligosaccharides or IMOs) have some properties of fiber, but they do not have certain specific attributes required to be called a fiber.  That is why the U.S. regulator is now saying that IMOs need to be classified as a non digestible carb on labels. 

We didn’t let these changes and these different views stop us -  it just gave us yet another reason to keep on innovating, especially as the feedback from our community was that there was too much fiber in our candies.

So what did we do?

We took these new perspectives on IMOs and soluble tapioca fiber into account as we tested 100’s of new recipes in our Candyland kitchen.  We opted to use a different type of soluble tapioca fiber that is fully classified as a fiber, along with IMOs  as kick ass ways to replace ingredients like corn syrup and offer a radically better alternative to traditional candy. 

Gold star if you are still with us after that explanation!! It’s certainly complicated but we want to share the facts with you so that you understand the evolving view on fiber and know that we are on the ball! As views have changed, so have our recipes and our labels. While we leave the classification to ingredients is the job of the food regulators, researching and understanding evolving ingredients and ways to replace sugar is our jam!

 

-----

Is the Soluble Tapioca Fiber I see on the label today from IMO or a different type of soluble fiber that has all the properties of fiber?

For a short period, SmartSweets with both types of soluble tapioca fiber (IMO and non-IMO) will be available as we transition exclusively to our new recipe. If you see IMO spelt out on the label in full as isomalto-oligosaccharides, that’s a clue you have one of our evolved recipes in your hands. You can also look for 'Kick Sugar Keep Candy' on the top left of the pouch! 

-----

What is a non-digestible carb and how does it differ from fiber?

A non-digestible carb is a carbohydrate that doesn’t react with the digestive enzymes in our tummies and passes through the body without being converted to simple sugar. In this respect it is very similar to fiber but lacks some of the other characteristics of fiber.

-----

Why have you changed the type of tapioca fiber you are using?

Views on the amount of fiber in soluble tapioca fiber from IMOs have changed and this is one of the reasons we have evolved our formulation. By using a different type of soluble tapioca fiber and IMO we are able to include a moderate amount of fiber in our products and offer a kick ass replacement to high quantities of sugar typically found  in gummy candies.

-----

Why do you have different recipes for your candy in Canada and the U.S?

We are committed to using cutting edge ingredients in our recipes. In the U.S we are innovating using a sweetener called allulose that isn’t available for use in recipes in Canada - yet. This isn’t unusual - Canada typically takes longer than the U.S. to approve new ingredient innovations, but we expect it will catch up!

We didn’t want our Canadian community to have to wait for an evolved recipe, so we’ve tweaked our Canadian recipe to give you what you've been asking for (while keeping in line with the updated regulations) - lower fiber content and no carrageenan. The Canadian recipe contains both Isomalto-oligosaccharides and soluble fiber from tapioca. These ingredients are now broken out on the label in a different way.

-----

When will allulose be available in Canada? Will you change your Canadian formulation then?

We don’t know the answer to that but do hope that Canada will catch up (it always does!). In the meantime, we are happy to offer a #KickSugar candy that responds to our community feedback and provides a radically better alternative to traditional candy.

-----

Are SmartSweets Keto Friendly?

While we don't innovate for any specific diet, we know & love that the keto community is part of the mission to #KickSugar and have been extremely mindful of feedback. We worked our hardest to get the net carbs as low as humanly possible while using quality ingredients, 79-92% less sugar than traditional candy, no sugar alcohols, not sneakily messing with package size and ensuring our candy is tummy friendly. We can't wait to hear how SmartSweets works for you!

-----

Will SmartSweets spike my blood sugar?

Your blood sugar should increase to the expected amount for the net carbs on our nutrition label.

-----

How do you analyze the nutritional impact of SmartSweets?

We are obsessed with kicking sugar and want to go the extra mile to ensure that every last molecule is accounted for in our nutritional labeling. 

We discovered that the approved testing method in the US and Canada (AOAC method) actually misses a sugar molecule- Isomaltose. So, we created our own customized test to be sure we catch it all - the sugars measured by the government approved method AND Isomaltose - going above and beyond what is required by the FDA and CFIA.

-----

What type of corn are you using?

Great question! We were uber careful in selecting our supplier and the type of corn fiber we are using in our recipes as we know that there is a huge range of quality out there. Rest assured that the non-gmo corn fiber we are using in our evolved Canadian recipes is NOT a by-product or filler, but rather a very high-quality source of fiber and very concentrated source of dietary fiber. Ultimately, our bodies all respond differently so pay attention to what works for YOU. And as a reminder, Fruity Gummy Bears and Gummy Worms do not use non-GMO corn fiber, but rather non-GMO isomalto-oligosaccharides. Reach out here us if you would like more info from our ingredient suppliers.

-----

What type of fiber are you using?

As a result of a flurry of innovation we currently have a few different formulations on shelf. The type of fiber varies depending on the recipe and is shown in our ingredient list. We have evolved the type of fiber we use to align with the latest thinking on what constitutes a fiber. We have transitioned over to using a new type of soluble tapioca fiber and high quality corn fiber in Canada.

-----

Do SmartSweets contain IMO? Why?

Yes we use some IMO, also known as isomalto-oligosaccharides or soluble tapioca fiber from IMO. IMO is a kick ass replacement for the corn syrup that is found in traditional candy and plays an important role in our candy to allow us to kick as many grams as sugar as possible while not causing stomach upset. IMO used to be thought of as a fiber but is now viewed as a non digestible carb. A non-digestible carb simply means that digestive enzymes in our tummies do not react to the carb and turn into simple sugars, rather it passes through the body unprocessed - much like fiber does.