16 March 2016  •  Author(s): Victoria White

Today, Chancellor George Osborne announced a sugar levy on the soft drinks industry in the UK. Now, a new survey, commissioned by SenSus, has revealed that reducing sugar intake is emerging as a key concern amongst many European consumers.

The survey found that more than 60% of those surveyed monitor their dietary sugar intake and 25% actively search for low sugar food products. The survey also explored consumer perceptions of artificial sweeteners and natural alternatives to sugar, such as chicory root fibre, in decreasing the sugar content of foods.

The MSI-ACI European Consumer Perceptions Survey 2015 is the latest research by Sensus to explore the attitudes of consumers towards healthy eating. The survey canvassed the opinions of more than 2,500 adults in France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the UK in June 2015 to gain insight into their perceptions on the need for healthier foods. More than 500 online interviews per country were carried out with men and women aged between 18-75 years old, and partly- or completely responsible for grocery shopping.

As well as clear concern about sugar intake, more than half of those surveyed claimed that the type of sweetener used in reduced sugar food products influences their buying choice and the survey showed that European citizens prefer natural alternatives to many artificial sweeteners.

Those who participated were given a short introduction to chicory root fibre – a natural, prebiotic, functional fibre, food ingredient, which is sourced from natural chicory roots and has significant, scientifically-proven, health benefits. More than 70% of those surveyed expressed an interest in the ingredient after reading a short introduction about it, despite a general scepticism about health claims on functional food products.