Sweet success: An organic certification from the US
Department of Agriculture – National Organic Program or a Certificate of
Conformity from EU (European Union) Organic Products ensures that no synthetic
inputs or chemical fertilizers and other harmful ingredients were used to
manufacture the product.Suchero has both certifications.
MANILA, Philippines - An organic certification provides
assurance that no chemical food additives or processes that may prove harmful
over the long run were used to produce a sweetener.
Unwanted pounds, obesity, and diabetes are some good reasons
to avoid sugar and to find an alternative sweetener. But not all alternative sweeteners are the same.
A number of artificial sweteners that have recently appeared
on the market, for example, claim zero calories. The nutritional information to
any product with zero calories, nevertheless, will reveal that these products
likewise have zero or close to zero carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals — in
short, no nutrients. As such, how can you consider these sweeteners to be
healthy when in many cases you can’t even consider them to have any nutritional
value, a number of health experts are now asking.
While other alternative sweeteners are plant- or fruit-based,
they may cause side effects like bloating, nausea or dizziness. They are
likewise highly processed and may have a bitter aftertaste, making them a poor
alternative for the family. How can children appreciate, for example, a
supposedly sweet-tasting dish with an unpleasant aftertaste?
The best sugar alternative fit for the whole family must not
only be healthy and all-natural but must also be certified organic, according
to Joey Villa, president of the Philippine-based Churner Group which produces Suchero. This alternative sweetener has an organic certification from the US
Department of Agriculture – National Organic Program and a Certificate of
Conformity from EU (European Union) Organic Products. Both certifications
ensure that no synthetic inputs or chemical fertilizers and other harmful
ingredients were used to produce Suchero.
After all, some sweeteners may claim to be natural because
they are plant- or fruit-based. “But there is no assurance that they were not
subjected to chemical and other harmful processes or do not include chemical
food additives that may prove to be unsafe over the long run. An organic
certification dismisses all those fears,” according to Villa.
The best proof of Suchero's effectiveness and safety as a sweetener is in the tasting. Made from the sap of coconut trees, it has a rich
caramel flavor and no aftertaste. It is also rich in amino acids and vitamins
as well as minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc,
iron, and manganese.
Explains Villa: “The human body does not produce minerals and
these must be provided by food sources. Vitamins have little function without
minerals. Minerals enable the vitamins to effectively accomplish their
purposes.”
According to Villa, health buffs, especially those who join
marathons, take Suchero straight from the packet to replace their energy after
a strenuous activity. “Suchero provides them the extra energy they need but
does not dramatically raise their glycemic index the way real sugar does.”
After a GI spike, the body ironically feels lethargic and weak.
Better yet, Suchero behaves like sugar. “Thus, when a recipe
calls for one cup of sugar, one may use one cup of Suchero without worrying
about any deviations on taste. Preparing and cooking food is thus easy and
hassle-free,” according to Villa.
Certified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and
recognized as organic globally by the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) and the European Commission (EC), “you could say Suchero not only makes
you look good because it is 100-percent natural with less calories but is also
packed with nutrients to make you feel good,” says Villa.
Suchero is available in major supermarket and drugstores nationwide. It is also being distributed in South Korea by a leading coffee shop chain and is available in supermarket in the US, Canada, and Netherlands.
It will soon be available in more countries around the globe — a recognition of
its superiority as a healthy organic and great-tasting sweetener.
