Allulose: South Korea's Sweet Revolution

South Korea is emerging as a key player in the allulose market, a promising alternative to traditional sugar substitutes like stevia. Despite its higher cost, it is gaining popularity due to its similar taste to sugar and potential health benefits, although long-term effects remain under study.

South Korea is positioning itself as a pivotal market for allulose, a new sugar substitute lauded for its similarity to table sugar. This sweetener is finding favor among local influencers and multinational companies that are expanding production efforts.

Allulose, naturally present in fruits like figs and kiwis, is approved by regulators in the U.S. and South Korea. It is sold in candies and protein bars in the U.S. but is more widely available in South Korea, where it can be purchased at supermarkets for about 10,000 won ($7.26) per 700 ml bottle.

Although it's about four times the price of table sugar, allulose is considered 70% as sweet and nearly calorie-free. However, health experts caution that further research is needed on its long-term health implications, and its approval as a commercial sweetener is not yet global.

(With inputs from agencies.)