Cakes, ready meals, chutneys… four things to know from the ANSES survey on the presence of sugar in processed foods

A report by the National Food Safety Agency confirms that sugar is present in most processed products, including salty products. But ANSES has also seen a decline in the use of sweeteners over the past decade.

In processed products, it is everywhere or almost. In two studies, one on food, the other on non-alcoholic beverages, published on Tuesday March 19, the National Food Safety Agency (ANSES) showed that sugar was present in most of the 54,000 processed foods, present in the French market between 2008 and 2020, which was studied. And whether it is ice cream, sorbet, jam, cereal bars, juices and nectars, dairy products, biscuits and cakes or ready meals, chutneys, cold meats and pizzas.

The agency therefore looked at both sweet and savory foods to determine the amount of sweet ingredients they contained, ie. “Added sugar, but also ingredients that maintain a sweet taste without providing energy, such as sweeteners”Defines the agency in its report. “This study is an unprecedented and very comprehensive snapshot of the presence of these ingredients in food in France”she writes. Franceinfo summarizes what this investigation entails.

1 Three-quarters of products contain at least one sugar vector

“The study involved measuring the frequency of use of sweetening ingredients based on their labelling, dividing them into 11 pre-defined categories of ingredients”, the agency reports. Here are the 11 categories defined by ANSES: lactose; The other Sugars, including glucose, fructose and dextrose; syrup; fruit juices and concentrates; caramel honey; bulking sweeteners; intense sweeteners; An aroma whose taste evokes a sweet component or
sweet taste vector; And finally “Other ingredients that specify a ‘sweet’ or ‘caramelized’ state.”

The agency concludes that in 2020, most foods (77%) still contain at least one sugary ingredient. Thus, sucrose, equivalent to “table sugar”, is found in more than half of food products (58%). According to the study, “59% of products use one class or two classes of sweetener ingredients or sweet taste vectors”.

2 Savory products are mostly affected by sugar

“Most product categories present the majority of their offerings with at least one sweetener ingredient or sweet flavor vector, and 10 of them mean salty”, summarizes the investigation. Processed salty products related to this conclusion are: condiments, frozen snacks, cold meats, hot sauces, fresh catering products, freshly cooked meals, soups and broths, frozen ready meals, ready meals around and snackable aperitifs.

“In prepared ratatouilles, sugar is used to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, and in sausages, to promote better preservation”Details with Parisian Julie Gouvreau-Béziat, head of the Food Observatory (Ocali) at Ances.

3 Use of sweeteners including aspartame is reduced

At the same time, the agency reports “Decline in use of sweetening ingredients, especially sugar syrups and sweeteners, over last 10 years”. This is because manufacturers are less inclined to use them. “The biggest declines are mostly in salty products. In addition, the use of intense sweeteners is declining rapidly, especially aspartame, which has fallen from 1.8% to 0.4% in some products, in about ten years.”, the agency reports. There are related products “Breakfast cereals, iced tea (-15% between 2013 and 2019), fruit drinks and energy drinks”also clarifies Parisian Jean-Luc Volatier, Director of Studies at Ances.

But the agency cautions that this should not be concluded as a general reduction in the sugar content of foods. “This trend is partly linked to product improvements by manufacturersDetails ANSES. Compositions have been revised in favor of very common ingredients such as white sugar (…) or those seen as more ‘natural’, such as fruit juice.” however, “Use of sugar syrup or artificial sweeteners is reduced”The agency adds.

As the study only examined the nature and frequency of the ingredients involved, but not the amount used, “Rarely indicated on the packaging”, it is not possible to draw public health conclusions. ANSES, however, recommends in a report “No more than 100 grams of total sugar per day (excluding lactose and galactose) and no more than one sugary drink (in favor of fruit juice) for adults”. “It also considers that this consumption should not exceed 100 grams/day for adolescents aged 13 to 17 years, 75 grams/day for children aged 8 to 12 years and 60 grams/day for children aged 4 to 7 years”she adds.

4 The sugar content of non-alcoholic beverages is reduced

ANSES simultaneously published another study that focused exclusively on non-alcoholic beverages between 2010 and 2019 and changes in their offering and their nutritional quality. More than 4,500 product references (soda, flavored water, soft drinks, fruit, energy drinks) were analyzed. their sugar content.

Between 2013 and 2019, there was a decline in sweetened beverages (with or without sweeteners). “This result can be explained by the implementation of measures aimed at reducing sugar levels in beverages”The agency explains. Thus, the collective agreement “It was established between the main producers of the sector and the public authorities to reduce the average sugar level by 5%”.. And since 2012, a tax has been applied to beverages containing added sugar or sweeteners. She “Became proportional to added sugar content in 2018”The report clarifies.