Sugar Reduction as a Top Priority for Health-Conscious Consumers

In recent years, consumers have been paying more and more attention to the ingredients declared on food product labels, and tend to avoid any ingredients considered unhealthy, such as sugar, salt, and fats. According to the survey conducted by Innova Market, consumers worldwide have declared that they prefer to reduce their sugar intake rather than using sugar alternatives. At the same time there is an increasing number of laws that limit the amount of sugar in food products; some countries, including Belgium, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, the Principality of Monaco, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, have introduced a ‘sugar tax’’ with the aim of discouraging consumers from the purchase of products with a high sugar content. This same law is expected to enter into force in Italy in summer 2025, as a volume-based tax that will be applied to products with added sugars of more than 25 grams per litre. Nevertheless, there is still no EU-wide legislation on this matter but only specific directives, such as the ‘Breakfast Directive’ EU 2024/1438, which harmonises rules across Member States to reduce the sugar content in fruit juices, jams, and other typical breakfast foods.

More and more products now indicate a reduced sugar content on the label. The claim ‘without added sugars’ is on the rise, similarly to the claim ‘low fat’. According to Innova Market, the category most affected by the trend for sugar reduction is that of non-alcoholic beverages, followed by nutritional products for athletes and for young children. Other sub-categories include protein supplements for athletes, fruit juices, and carbonated drinks.

Navigating Sugar Reduction Claims and Trends

As indicated in the trends for 2025 by Mintel, while consumers are keen to adopt a healthier lifestyle, they do not want to deprive themselves of the occasional indulgence in more tempting food and beverages. As for sugar reduction, consumers would like these products to be made healthier, limiting or reducing ingredients that are considered unhealthy, such as sugar and fats, while maintaining the taste and appeal of these products.

Consumers around the globe tend to prefer natural sweeteners over artificial ones. According to the report drawn up by Mintel ‘A Year of Innovation in Baking Ingredients and Sugar, 2025’, a total of 22% of consumers in Thailand agree that artificial sweeteners are harmful to human health. Although these sweeteners offer a potential solution for reducing sugar content without compromising on taste, some consumers are still sceptical with regard to artificial sweeteners due to health concerns. Natural sweeteners such as stevia and fructose syrup, on the other hand, are seen as a healthier option compared to artificial sweeteners and refined sugars. The use of natural sweeteners is gradually increasing, with a notable rise of seven percentage points between 2023/24 and 2024/25 at global level.

According to proprietary research conducted by ADM OutsideVoice℠, an average of 8 adults in 10 in Europe either avoid sugar or are reducing their sugar intake. Based on regional data, 77% of adults in the United Kingdom are either limiting or reducing their sugar intake, alongside 80% in other western regions (Germany, France, and the Netherlands), 86% in eastern regions (Poland and Romania), and 89% in Southern Europe (Spain and Italy). The survey shows that the reasons for this reduction in sugar consumption are certainly linked to it being perceived by consumers as ‘harmful’ for their health and their body (53%), followed by more attention to calorie consumption (30%), and an unpleasant feeling from consuming too much sugar (20%).

Reformulation & Innovation

Producers are exploring various strategies to reduce sugar without compromising on taste. One strategy consists in reducing or eliminating sugar from a product to create a product free from sweeteners or certain types of sweeteners. Another strategy involves the use of sugar substitutes that are naturally sweet ingredients or natural sweeteners. According to the survey conducted by Innova Market, worldwide, stevia is by far the most widely used natural sweetener with no nutritional value, followed by monk fruit and allulose. As an emerging sweetener, allulose – also known as D-allulose or D-psicose, and found naturally in small amounts in foods such as wheat, raisins and figs – is seeing the fastest growth among natural sweeteners. It is followed by coconut palm sugar – extracted from the nectar of coconut palm blossoms – and by monk fruit sugar – extracted from the fruit of the same name, native to South-East Asia, which seems to have a sweetening power up to 250 times greater than that of white sugar. However, the limited availability and higher production costs to obtain sweetener from monk fruit may have an effect on its popularity compared to other natural sweeteners.

It should also be considered that allulose and the concentrated extracts of monk fruit are classified among Novel Foods in Europe and have yet to be approved by the EFSA. As of October 2024, crude aqueous extracts of monk fruit have been approved in the EU, while concentrated extracts (which contain high concentrations of mogroside V, the main active sweetening compound), are still classified as novel foods. Allulose, on the other hand, is used in several countries outside the EU, such as the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and others.

At the same time, natural fibres such as chicory inulin, resistant dextrin, and agave inulin are emerging as other sugar-reducing options. Further research is being carried out with a focus on the use of enzymes to convert the sugar contained in natural fibres. Finally, another strategy for reducing sugar is offered by sweet proteins, which are obtained through the precision fermentation of substances such as brazzein, extracted from the fruit of the Oubli (Pentadiplandra brazzeana), a climbing plant native to East Africa, known for its zero-calorie content and sweetening power superior to that of sugar, and thaumatin, which is found in the fruit of the Thaumatococcus daniellii plant.