Marketing has learned that several manufacturers were approached by Tesco to create the products, based on recipes from the low-carb Atkins Nutritional range, and intended to build on the popularity of the US diet.
However, the Carb Control range will contain polyols, or sugar alcohols - ingredients that have put Atkins products under threat in the US over misleading carbohydrate counts.
US government body the Food and Drug Administration stated recently that these substances must be counted as net carbs, and several Atkins-branded products were subsequently withdrawn. Labelling on other products has been altered so that the words 'net carbs' have been replaced by 'net Atkins count'.
A similar ruling in the UK would have implications for the Carb Control range and for Halo, the manufacturer hired by Tesco to create the products.
UK body the Food Standards Agency has yet to issue labelling guidelines for carbohydrates. A Tesco spokeswoman insisted it would use the term 'net carbs' in relation to Carb Control.
High salt, low sales, page 14.
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