Are UK consumers eating healthier products and less sugar?
Despite a major focus on reducing sugar consumption from the UK government, Kantar sales data between 2015 and 2020 shows that only 3 categories saw falls in total sugar consumed over the period – yogurts and fromage frais, puddings and breakfast cereals.
A ‘sugar tax’ was introduced some years ago focused exclusively on soft drinks, and this has led to much product reformulation, cutting out a lot of sugar from the shelves. The category grew most strongly in products with less than 5g of sugar per 100ml (where no tax applies) and total sugar sales dropped by over one-third.
But over the Kantar review period sugar tonnage in chocolate confectionery increased by 26.9%, and in sweet spreads and sauces by 24.5%. Admittedly some categories (like chocolate) are difficult to change given the nature of the products, but results across the industry fall some way short of the 20% reduction target set by the government in an effort to tackle the obesity crisis with mounting costs for the National Health Service to address.
The latest initiatives against HFSS products (High in Fat, Sugar or Salt) have also reduced the opportunities for promotion and secondary placement in stores across a very broad range of products. Early signs are promising for healthier product lines to achieve more shelf space ,which may well support both new suppliers and reformulated products from industry giants.