The sugar control trend is rising: How did low-sugar foods become a necessity?

With increasing health awareness, the low-sugar food market is undergoing unprecedented transformation. Data from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) shows that as many as 72% of consumers are actively limiting their sugar intake. This trend reflects profound changes in the global health landscape.

According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), approximately 537 million adults worldwide were living with diabetes in 2021, a number projected to rise to 783 million by 2045. Meanwhile, obesity rates are also rising sharply globally. A Lancet study shows that the number of overweight and obese people worldwide has increased from 929 million in 1990 to 2.6 billion in 2021. The obesity rate among adult men has increased from 5.8% to 14.8%, and among adult women from 10.2% to 20.8%. Obesity is not only a direct cause of health problems but is also closely linked to the incidence of numerous non-communicable diseases. Obesity causes approximately 1.6 million premature deaths each year, with 55% of premature deaths from type 2 diabetes being related to obesity.

Against this backdrop, consumer demand for health has become a primary driver of the low-sugar food market. Low-sugar foods are no longer just niche choices but are gradually becoming a mainstream consumer trend. In the beverage market, low-sugar and even sugar-free beverages have become a hotly contested market among major brands. Uni-President, for example, not only established an early presence in sugar-free tea but also accelerated its efforts to capture market share in low-sugar refreshing juices by 2025, aiming to create a secondary growth trajectory. According to the "2024-2025 China Sugar-Free Beverage Industry Research and Consumer Insights Report" released by iiMedia Research, the Chinese sugar-free beverage market has reached 40.16 billion yuan and is projected to grow to 81.56 billion yuan by 2028.

Consumption scenarios have also expanded beyond simple beverage consumption to include snacks, baked goods, and more. In the snack market, an increasing number of brands are launching products such as low-sugar potato chips and low-sugar nut bars to meet consumers' pursuit of health during their leisure time. The baking industry is particularly impacted by the low-sugar trend. Data shows that 73% of consumers worldwide cite "healthy ingredients" as their primary criterion when purchasing baked goods. Demand for low-sugar and low-fat products in the Chinese market has seen a compound annual growth rate of 15%. To adapt to this trend, many bakeries are optimizing traditional recipes, reducing added sugar, and developing new healthy ingredient combinations. For example, fiber-rich categories like whole-wheat bread and oatmeal pastries are rapidly gaining popularity. Some companies are also incorporating functional ingredients like prebiotics, chia seeds, and omega-3s into their products, such as DHA mini cakes and rye energy toast, specifically catering to the needs of children and those seeking fitness. Furthermore, the integration of traditional Chinese ingredients into baking has become a key innovation. Products like ginseng and wolfberry European bread and dendrobium mooncakes are tapping into the senior market through their health-conscious approach. Surveys show that 50% of older consumers in my country prefer low-sugar, easy-to-chew baked goods.

While the low-sugar food market holds great promise, challenges remain. Sugar reduction often impacts product taste, a key factor consumers find difficult to compromise. An IFF study found that in France, the UK, Germany, and Spain, 29-42% of consumers believe that reduced-sugar or sugar-free products taste "bland." Therefore, how to reduce sugar while maintaining or even improving product taste remains a challenging challenge for food companies.

As consumers' health awareness continues to rise, the low-sugar food market is poised for further growth. In the future, low-sugar foods are expected to transition from an "option" to a "must-have" in consumers' daily diets, becoming a key pillar of the food industry. Companies that achieve breakthroughs in product development, taste optimization, and marketing will seize the initiative in this wave of healthy consumption.