Three-quarters of industrial foods, even salty ones, contain added sugar

Are processed foods high in sugar? The share of sweet ingredients – classic sugar, sweeteners, etc. – fell during the 2010s in products sold in France, noted the National Food Safety Agency (ANSES) in a study published this Tuesday, March 19. But she cautions that this doesn’t necessarily equate to a low-sugar diet overall.

From 2008 to 2020, the agency studied the composition of more than 50,000 processed foods, both sweet and savory, to assess the frequency of sweetening ingredients. It includes not only classic white sugar (sucrose), but also sweeteners such as aspartame, as well as syrups and fruit juices.

Less artificial sweeteners

have been “Decline in use of sweetening ingredients, especially sugar syrups and sweeteners, over the past 10 years”. This is due to the fact that manufacturers are less inclined to use a large number of sweetening ingredients. “This trend is partly linked to product improvements by manufacturers”Details ANSES. “Formulations have been revised to favor common ingredients such as white sugar (…) or what is considered more. “natural”such as fruit juices.” In contrast, “Significantly reduced use of sugar syrup or artificial sweeteners”Anses adds.

But ANSES warns that this should not be concluded as a general decrease in the sugar content of foods: in 2020, the majority (77%) of foods, even salty foods, will contain at least one sugary ingredient, despite the decrease in their consumption. . As the study only examined the nature and frequency of the ingredients involved but not the amount used, “Rarely indicated on the packaging”

Therefore it is not possible to draw public health conclusions.

On the other hand, ANSES simultaneously published another study that focused on (non-alcoholic) beverages. This time, she concludes that there was a real decrease in their sugar content in the 2010s. “This trend, which started between 2010 and 2013, has increased significantly since 2013”The agency notes. “This result can be explained by the implementation of measures aimed at reducing sugar levels in beverages”Including the establishment of a tax in 2012 on drinks containing added sugar or sweeteners.