“SmartyPants’ new sugar-free line was created in response to one of the most popular requests from our consumers, as many of them are interested in limiting or avoiding sugar intake, especially for their children,” Brenda Demers, CEO at SmartyPants Vitamins told NutraIngredients-USA. “We’re excited to launch another truly comprehensive formula that speaks to an emerging consumer need within the vitamin category.”
Founded in 2011 by a group of parents and health and wellness experts focused on clean formulation, SmartyPants entered the market with a multifunctional supplement for kids and adults and has since expanded its portfolio with supplements for a range of life stages and dietary requirements. Consumer goods company Unilever acquired the brand in 2020.
Replacing sugar alcohols
The new line of gummies in Kids, Women’s and Prenatal Multi & Omegas formats provides an alternative to the company’s sugar cane-sweetened supplements but steers away from sugar alcohols.
“They’re formulated without sugar alcohols, the sweeteners used in most other sugar free gummy vitamins that are currently available, which can cause digestive discomfort for some consumers,” Demers explained. “We specifically chose to avoid sugar alcohols, including erythritol, for this reason.”
The launch comes weeks after a publication in the journal Nature Medicine brought sweetener erythritol (produced through corn fermentation) under fire, linking it to higher risks of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes. The alternative sweetener industry pushed back pointing to decades of safety studies and questioning the reliability of the study’s methodology, but the study was enough to raise questions about further research needed.
The sugar-free line
In addition to the sweetener switch, the new formulas pick up on plant-based trends by substituting Omega-3 ALA essential fatty acids sourced from flaxseed oil for Omega 3 fish oil used in its other formulations. The three new sugar-free formats mix in targeted combinations of nutrients for children, women and prenatal with flavors that Demers said appeal to picky eaters:
- SmartyPants Sugar Free Kids Multi & Omegas formulated with 16 nutrients including Vitamins C and D3 for immune support, Vitamin K for bone health and Vitamin A for eye health in banana-flavored gummies.
- SmartyPants Sugar Free Women’s Multi & Omegas formulated with 19 nutrients including Vitamin D3 and zinc for immune support, B12 for energy and metabolism and Vitamin D for bone health in orange-flavored gummies.
- SmartyPants Sugar Free Prenatal Multi & Omegas formulated with 19 nutrients including folate for fetal development, iodine for cognitive development and vitamins C and D3 for immune support in lemon-flavored gummies.
Demers said that there are no plans to reformulate other SmartyPants products for now, but the company has updated its SmartyPants Kids Sleep formula (.5 melatonin, chamomile and lemon balm) with the monk fruit and allulose sweetener.
The Sugar-Free Multi & Omegas are currently available on Amazon and will be available on Target.com and in select Target stores nationwide later this month.
“Knowing that sugar free is a growing consumer need space, we are working closely with our retail partners to bring our sugar alcohol-free SmartyPants Sugar Free Multi + Omegas to as many consumers as possible,” Demers added. “There aren’t many sugar-free gummy vitamins available in retail – and even fewer that are not made with erythritol or sugar alcohols.”
