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Sugar reduction has become a major trend, consumers choose taste or nutrition?

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tom lee
Sugar reduction has become a major trend, consumers choose taste or nutrition?

For the sake of health, more and more consumers are beginning to reduce their sugar intake, but according to a recent poll conducted by FMCG Gurus, a food, beverage and nutritional supplement market research company, consumers are more concerned about the most common natural sugar substitutes. Stevia remains suspicious.

The dietary advice states that in the daily energy intake from food and beverage, the proportion of added sugar should not exceed 5%. This is equivalent to about 30 grams of sugar per day for adults. But on average, we eat much more than this. According to data from the British National Health Service, British consumers consume about 100 grams of added sugar every day, and an average of 140 teaspoons of sugar per person per week.

Reduce sugar and weight

With the increasing prevalence of diet-related non-communicable diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, reducing sugar intake has become the focus of many people’s concerns, because in our collective consciousness, reducing sugar intake The amount is obviously related to weight and energy management.

"Consumers generally think sugar is the main dietary evil," confirmed Mike Hughes, head of research and insights at FMCG Gurus. The company surveyed 25,000 consumers in 25 countries in the first quarter of 2019 and found that 39% of consumers said that they were dieting to lose weight.

When asked what strategy they are adopting, the third most common answer is to reduce sugar intake, accounting for 48%, after hard exercise and eating more fresh food.

The research also reflects the negative implications of sugar consumption for health. The study found that 40% of consumers believe that sugar-free food can automatically make products healthy. In fact, 46% of people are consciously trying to avoid high-sugar foods and drinks.

Attitude cannot be transformed into action

Mintel analyst Alice Baker pointed out that consumers obviously prefer natural sugar reduction options. This preference is supported by consumers’ desire for “natural” ingredients and clean label foods, and has led to “widespread” distrust of artificial sweeteners.

Backer pointed out: “Although consumers’ general suspicion of artificial sweeteners is a major challenge, consumers are open to sugar substitutes and light sweet products, which provides companies with the scope to explore multiple options to achieve what they need. Sugar reduction goal."

The demand for natural sweeteners is also reflected in FMCG Gurus' research. The survey shows that 62% of consumers believe that "natural sweeteners are healthier than sugar." However, there is a disconnect between consumers' willingness to reduce sugar and their belief that natural sweeteners are more "healthy" and consumer behavior. Only 28% of consumers said that they are "actively trying" to find products containing natural sweeteners.

Hughes said: "This shows that even if consumers express negative feelings about sugar, they may not necessarily fundamentally change their lifestyle."

Why don't more consumers make changes?

Stevia is a major natural high-intensity sweetener. According to data from Mintel, in 2017, in new products containing high-intensity sweeteners, the use of stevia accounted for 28%, and the global release of stevia products increased by 10%. According to the forecast of the International Stevia Council (International Stevia Council), from the ingredient level, the stevia market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 20-40% in the next three years.

Despite the promising prospects for this natural sweetener, Hughes said that FMCG Gurus’ research highlights the limitations of stevia’s appeal to consumers. This ingredient has become mainstream in the past five years, however, studies have shown that less than two-tenths of consumers worldwide are trying to find products containing this ingredient.

The company's food and nutrition in Europe research shows that seven out of ten consumers (72%) have tried products containing stevia. 44% of consumers said that they think stevia is a healthy ingredient, but they are "not so impressed" by the taste of stevia.

"In several product categories analyzed, less than two-tenths of consumers said products containing stevia taste better than sugar. For example, only 22% of consumers said carbonated soft drinks containing this ingredient taste better , And only 24% of consumers say that chocolate with this ingredient tastes better."

"Taste is a major obstacle when looking for healthier foods, and the sour taste associated with stevia will cause many people to worry."

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