Spotlight on Sugar: Unwanted Attention for the Food and Drink Industry

Per capita sugar consumption has been dropping in the majority of markets

Sugar consumption has been decreasing steadily in the majority of markets,although in Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and Australasia, per capita consumption has risen since 2011. This could be due to less pressure on unhealthy eating in these regions.

Substantial progress is being made in sugar reduction

Sugar reduction has extended from soft drinks to a wide range of food categories, especially those most relevant to children, such as children's breakfast cereals and confectionery.

Consumers are choosing healthier products

Beyond reformulations, consumers are also demanding healthier options in terms of sugar content. Drink categories, such as reduced sugar sports drinks and naturally low sugar plant-based drinks, are performing very well in the majority of regions.

Sugar content per serving(rather than per 100g) will increase in significance

New nutrition labelling coming to the US in 2020, the Evolved Nutrition Label Initiative in Europe, as well as, Public Health England initiatives are putting an increasing amount of pressure on calories, sugar and other nutrients in the context of serving sizes. This will force companies either to reduce sugar content, or to place suggested serving sizes more clearly on labels.

Naturally contained sugar will be increasingly scrutinised, but is still difficult to advise on

So far, intrinsic (naturally contained) sugars have been exempt from all legislation and most nutrition recommendations. However, categories such as milk-based drinks and 100% fruit juice are getting more attention regarding their sugar content.