Add one more American food institution that is taking a step toward a healthier product.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, a staple in many truck stops, plans to develop a low-sugar doughnut for the market, the company said recently.

The company has no information yet on how much sugar will be in the product – they haven’t even developed the new healtier product yet. Amy Hughes, a spokeswoman for Krispy Kreme, said the low sugar doughnut was mentioned as an afterthought during an interview with a financial magazine about the company’s earnings.

“That was a five-second mention … that launched a thousand media requests,” she told Land Line. The new doughnut will not be available “till the end of the year at the earliest. … We’re still early in the stages of development.”

"We are always watching trends and working to react to our customers' needs and their lifestyles,” Hughes said. “Research and development is an ongoing process for us, and we have looked at a low sugar option many times before. That having been said, we have a quality and taste standard that we have to meet and that our customers expect.  And we believe that technology has advanced enough that we may be able to create a product that we are proud of.”

“We hope to have something in the market by the end of the year."

According to the company’s Web site, the current classic glazed – the company’s most visible product – has 10 grams of sugar per doughnut. Nearly half of the tasty treat’s 200 calories come from its 12 grams of fat (3 grams saturated). Hughes could not say whether the company planned additional healthy alternatives, such as a low-fat doughnut or something to satisfy the current low-carb craze. 

--by Mark H. Reddig, associate editor

Mark Reddig can be reached at mark_reddig@landlinemag.com.