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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- The five-year outlook for sugar and sweeteners
- Market context
- Government strategies continue to make healthy eating more accessible and sugar reduction a priority
- Continued government research and measures in place for sugar reduction
- Mintel predicts
- Opportunities
- New technologies
- Reformulate high-sugar products with natural sugar alternatives and/or enzymes
- Innovate with savoury and less-sweet flavours
- Graph 1: select steps taken to reduce sugar intake in diet, 2024
- Appeal to older Germans with treat-sized products
- Scope for more sugar reduction in children's food and drink
- Graph 2: baby and children's food launches, avg sugars per 100g/ml, 2016 and 2023-24
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MARKET DRIVERS
- The German economy
- 2024 remains challenging
- Graph 3: key economic data, in real terms, 2019-25
- The inflation rate is bouncing back to more-conventional levels
- Inflation is still the key factor affecting consumers' finances…
- …confidence and expenditure
- Graph 4: financial confidence index, 2022-24
- Pressure following the pandemic, conflict and inflation impact the sugar category
- Graph 5: sugar monthly price, US Dollars per Kilogram, 2019-24
- Overweight and obesity continue to be concerns, but financial fears often outweigh prevention measures
- Healthy eating remains high on both government and consumer agendas
- Overindulgence is a worry for many
- "Good food for Germany"
- Age-related perceptions of sugar and advocacy of lesser-known and natural alternatives
- Sugar and sweetener types
- Sweetener and sweetener types (continued)
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Trends see minimal shift in sugar consumption reduction
- Room to encourage consumers to reduce their sugar intake
- Over-55s are the most sugar-aware
- Graph 6: sugar consumption through all food and drink intake, by age, 2024
- Steps taken to reduce sugar in the diet
- Sugar consumption reduction
- Consumers are actively limiting sugar intake
- Food/drink products with reduced/no sugar claims appeal to Germans
- Graph 7: steps taken to reduce sugar intake in diet, 2024
- Consumers increasingly opt for savoury options
- Graph 8: measures taken to limit/reduce sugar consumption, 2020 and 2024
- Several measures are taken to limit/reduce sugar consumption
- Graph 9: number of measures taken to limit/reduce sugar consumption, 2024
- Minimal movement for sugar-related claims
- Graph 10: food and drink launches with sugar-related claims, 2016-24
- NPD harnesses sugar alternatives
- Appeal of approaches to support healthier choices
- Three sugar reduction strategies consumers find most acceptable
- Sugar reduction without the need for replacers appeals to Germans
- Graph 11: appeal of approaches to support healthier choices, 2024
- Gradual sugar reduction and natural low-sugar replacers appeal to Germans
- Added sugars witness a downward trend in NPD
- Graph 12: food and drink launches, by use of sugars and sweeteners, 2016-24
- Average sugar content in drinks is declining
- Graph 13: average sugar content in food and drink launches, 2016-24
- Non-nutritive sweeteners rise in drinks launches
- Graph 14: drink launches with sugars/carb and non-nutritive sweeteners, 2016-24
- Align the goals of reducing sugar intake and promoting plant-led eating
- Graph 15: dairy alternative launches with sugar reduction claims, 2021-24
- Behaviours towards sugar and sweeteners
- Sugar consumption control is a challenge for consumers
- Graph 16: behaviours towards sugar and sweeteners, 2024
- Younger Germans are more experimental with L/N/R sugar products
- Younger generations are open to sugar reduction technologies, whilst treat-size would appeal to over-45s
- Younger, working parents seek tips on how to consume less sugary foods
- Attitudes towards sugar and sweeteners
- Food/drink targeted at children is seen as an important way to improve the nation's health
- Graph 17: attitudes towards sugar and sweeteners, 2024
- Sugar reduction in children's food and drink resonates more with parents of adult children
- Scope for more sugar reduction in children's food and drink
- Average sugars in children's food/drink launches sees a downward trend
- Graph 18: baby and children's food launches, avg sugars per 100g/ml, 2016-24
- Baby-centric foods showcase naturally occurring and no added sugars
- Brands are helping consumers understand how bodies respond to food, helping manage blood sugar spikes
- Attributes associated with sugar and sweeteners
- Attribute associations: sugar is addictive, but most alternatives are unnatural
- Low calorie but unnatural; it's hard to win with sugar alternatives from sugar alcohols
- NPD using honey and agave as natural sweeteners
- NPD using sugar alcohols as sweeteners
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APPENDIX
- Appendix – abbreviations, consumer research methodology and language usage
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
- CHAID analysis
- CHAID methodology
- Correspondence analysis
- Sugar and sweeteners are seen negatively, whilst honey tastes good, is easy to use and seen as the most natural sweetener
- Graph 19: attributes associated with sugar and sweeteners, 2024
- Gradual sugar reduction and replacers appeal to 64% of Germans (NET any appeal)
- Graph 20: appeal of approaches to support healthier choices, 2024
- Correspondence analysis methodology
- A note on language
Over half (55%) of Germans limit/reduce the amount of sugar in their diet, but there has been minimal movement in terms of reduction in the past four years – highlighting the continued appreciation of sweet treats.
37% of Germans believe they consume ‘about the recommended maximum’ amount of sugar, posing an ongoing opportunity for NPD to promote low-sugar innovations and to push consumers towards consuming less than the RM.
Sugar consumption does not discriminate between healthy or struggling finances, exposing how sugar is ingrained into all diets. 31% admit to consuming more than the RM amount of sugar, but as financial situations worsen, monetary concerns become more important than weight management (eg for 72% of those who are struggling financially vs 54% of all), preventing them from living healthier lives.
The BMEL nutrition strategy may contribute towards the democratisation of healthy eating as the government hopes to make it easier to make healthy choices. In the meantime, opportunities exist for food/drink companies and legislation to further reduce the amount of sugar in products, preferably by a substantial 30% cut in the amount of sugar from the recipe* or applying a (mandatory) ‘health by stealth’ gradual reduction approach.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Market drivers for sugar and sweeteners, including the impact of inflation and the shift towards healthy nutrition
- How much sugar is consumed on average, relative to the recommended maximum, with over-65s being the most ‘sugar-aware’
- Steps taken to reduce sugar consumption and most popular methods
- Different approaches brands can take to reduce sugar content and support healthier choices and how appealing these are to consumers
- Attitudes and behaviours towards sugar and sweeteners
- Attributes associated with sugar and sweeteners, such as addictiveness, healthiness, ease of use and taste
- Recent product launch activity and innovation
Despite a majority looking to reduce their sugar consumption, only a minimal shift has occurred over the past couple of years, showing how sugary offerings are a mainstay.
Adam Millward, Research – Mintel Reports
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