How did ‘The Sugar Free Shop’ Begin?
 Our personal search for good quality foods without sugar started just before Christmas 2002 when our youngest son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of three. At first we just wanted to find some sweet treats that he could eat without affecting his blood glucose levels so that he wouldn’t feel left out when people around him ate things that, for him, would be potentially fatal.
After a lot of research our first find was a sugar free choc ice on a stick that is completely without sugar but tastes as good as other luxury ice creams containing high levels of sugar. We quickly realised that, as well as our son thinking it was great, so did all his friends and their parents and none of them were diabetic! Before long we were being asked to supply sugar free ice cream for children’s parties and many other events.
The Sugar Free Shop was born!
What is Special about the Sugar Free Shop?
Our products are carefully selected to give great taste whilst having limited impact on blood glucose levels. Before we decide to sell an item we examine the list of ingredients, particularly the sweeteners used. We also have a ‘tasting panel’ that test each product for both taste and quality as well as any potential side effects. This gives us the confidence that all the products we sell are suitable, not just for diabetics, but for all those looking to control sugar in their diet (including those on low GI diets).
We are constantly searching for sugar free foods new to the market. We are in regular contact with several European manufacturers to make sure that our customers will be among the first to receive any new products they offer. Please keep looking at our website for new arrivals!
What can we offer you and why are we different?
We have recently expanded the products we sell to include a whole range of great tasting sugar free sweets, chocolates and spreads as well as the ever popular range of ice cream that was the starting point for the business.
We offer a home delivery service for all our products within our local area and now also supply a large number of local shops across 6 counties around the South Midlands and South East as a way of bringing the products closer to you. We are now looking to expand to new areas by offering unique low start partnership opportunities to people who want to join us in The Sugar Free story.
A Note about Sweeteners
There are a number of sweeteners available in foods and we try to avoid large amounts of Sorbitol (due to its tendency to have a strong laxative effect) and aspartame. Most of our products are sweetened with either Splenda (Sucralose) or Maltitol.
- Maltitol
Maltitol as a food ingredient has been the subject of numerous studies in both humans and animals. The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives (JEFCFA) has Established an acceptable daily intake (ADI) for maltitol of “not specified,” meaning no limits are placed on its use.
The energetic value of maltitol is 40% less than sugar. This is due to the fact that only a small part of maltitol is absorbed by the small intestine. The majority of it comes into the large intestine where only a microbiological fermentation takes place. This is why excessive consumption of maltitol may have a laxative effect. However, the sensitivity of each individual varies. Therefore, 100g of maltitol should be considered an average amount.
- Splenda (Sucralose)
Sucralose is made from sugar and has a sweetness profile close to sugar. It has the benefit of having none of the aftertaste sometimes associated with other types of sweetener and is also stable at high temperature which makes it particularly suitable for baking.
In terms of safety, The SCF, the independent scientific committee which advises the European Commission on questions concerning consumer health and food safety concluded: ‘that sucralose is acceptable as a sweetener for general food use and that a full Acceptable Daily Intake level (ADI) of 0-15mg/kg body weight can be established’. Sucralose is now licensed for use in over 35 countries around the world.
View our list of nutritional information for our range of sugar-free and healthy products. |
