Australians' love affair with sweet food

Sugar consumption is an escalating concern among Australians, according to a new report from Datamonitor. The research reveals that nearly four-in-10 of the consumers are paying much attention to their sugar consumption. Elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region, the proportions were even higher. Nearly half (49%) of Chinese consumers and 45% of South Korean consumers paid a high amount of attention to this area of nutrition. "Given the growing focus around 'healthy' eating, and improved knowledge of food preparation and nutrition due to television programs such as Masterchef, it is not surprising that our figures show growing concern over sugar consumption," says consumer analyst Katrina Diamonon.

Australians' attentiveness to sugar consumption also reflects that they consume considerably more sugar compared to people from other countries. "As a source of energy our love affair with anything sweet continues as we rely heavily on sugar and sweeteners. In fact, 60% more of our energy comes from sugar and sweeteners than the global average. We are a nation dependent on sugar to keep us going rather than more nutritious foods such as cereals," adds Diamonon, who is based in Sydney, Australia.

However, intensifying health consciousness has driven demand for lower calorie alternatives to sugar. Furthermore, negative publicity surrounding artificial sweeteners such as aspartame has prompted consumers to seek out sweeteners with natural credentials. Datamonitor believes that out of the growing number of natural options, calorie-free stevia is leading the way and has become increasingly popular in Australia since its approval by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) in late 2008.

"With a high proportion of Australian diets made up of sweeteners and sugars, shoppers are leading the push for healthier alternatives to regular sugar. Natural sweeteners that are calorie free will continue to gain ground, but products such as stevia need to overcome hurdles surrounding taste and price before it achieves mainstream adoption," concludes Diamonon.