Less sugar than ever, even though there is still (almost) everywhere. The share of sweetening ingredients such as white sugar or sweeteners in products sold in France has fallen over the past decade, notes a study released on Tuesday March 19 by the National Agency for Food and Environmental Safety and Labor (ANCES). However, this does not mean that sugar content in foods has generally decreased or that sugar does not continue to appear in sometimes unexpected processed products.
From 2008 to 2020, ANSES studied the composition of more than 50,000 processed foods, both sweet and savory, to assess the amount of sweeteners they contain (sucrose, sweeteners such as aspartame, syrups, fruit juices, honey). ).
The agency concludes that in 2020 most foods (77%) still contain at least one sweetener ingredient, even if their use has decreased in previous years. So, if “Use of sugar syrup or artificial sweeteners is reduced”, “Compositions have been revised in favor of very common ingredients like white sugar (…) or those seen as more “natural”, such as fruit juices. »
Do less sweetened products mean less sugar in general for consumers? The study only examined the nature and frequency of the ingredients involved and not the amount consumed – “Rarely indicated on the packaging” –It is not possible to draw public health conclusions.
Only non-alcoholic beverages have actually seen their sugar content drop, another Anses study clarifies. “This result can be explained by the implementation of measures aimed at reducing sugar levels in beverages”Including the introduction of a tax on drinks containing added sugar or sweeteners in 2012.
Where is the most added sugar found in processed products? Which salty products are most affected? To see more clearly, answer the eight questions in our quiz.
