The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) is completing plans to gather data on the entry of alternative sweeteners into the country. The goal is to determine the volume of “other sugars,” including artificial sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium, which are increasingly being used in the food and beverage industry as substitutes for cane sugar.
SRA Administrator Pablo Azcona said the plan is not intended to regulate or restrict the entry of these products but rather to gather accurate data for crafting future policy. “It is hard to make a policy, hard to make a plan for the local industry without knowing our competitors,” Azcona told reporters in a briefing.
The agency has coordinated with Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and industry stakeholders to ensure transparency and clarity. While there has been no major opposition, some industry players have expressed concern over the regulation of sweetener imports. Azcona clarified that the goal is simply to require import clearances to better track the volumes of these products.
The move comes after local sugar stakeholders raised the alarm on the impact of unregulated artificial sweeteners on the domestic sugar market. These sweeteners are often cheaper than refined sugar and enjoy zero tariff under the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, further challenging the competitiveness of local sugar producers.
According to the Department of Agriculture’s recent market monitoring, the retail price of refined sugar ranges from ₱74 to ₱90 per kilogram, while washed and brown sugars are priced between ₱68 and ₱85 per kilogram.
