Hi all,
Here's the reply from the Atkins organisation on the Advantage Choc Chip & Granola bar that I queried.
Thank you for your inquiry.
You only need to count the net carbs. If you were to calculate by the subtraction method, you would subtract fiber, sugar alcohols and glycerine. However, Glycerine is not listed in Nutrition facts panel, so after you subtract fiber and sugar alcohols, the remainder is coming from glycerine. Glycerine is a product derived from vegetable oil with a rich oily texture and a slightly sweet taste. It is commonly used to retain moisture and sweetness in low carb products. Although glycerine is a carbohydrate, it has a different metabolic effect on the body producing minimal impact on blood sugar levels. For this reason, carbs from glycerine are usually not included in the “net carb count” of products.
However, as long ago as 1999 the FDA raised concerns about Atkins and others misleading the public with their "net carb" claims for their products. Most sugar alcohols have around 60 to 75% of the carbs value of table sugar. Glycerine also raises blood sugar, but it has a very low GI so does this very slowly. It is quite common for people having an Atkins breakfast bar to have a sugar spike some 3 hours after eating the bar! So their claim that glycerine and sugar alcohols have a minimal impact on blood sugar is somewhat economical with the truth!
In fact in the 80s and 90s the Atkins corporation refused to use either polyols or glycerine because of their impact on blood sugar. It was only in 2002 when Atkins relaunched their much extended foods range that they realised they needed a bigger range of sweeteners in their armoury, so they conveniently reversed their previous stance! Just goes to show that where there's a buck to be made things like honesty, principles and truth become the first casualties.
