The increasing coverage of the danger of too much sugar in the diet seems to be having an effect. More than three in five Italian ( 64%), Spanish ( 63%) and Polish ( 61%) consumers said they are actively reducing or avoiding sugary foods. Additionally, over half of French ( 59%) and German ( 51%) consumers said the same.

In the UK, 65% of consumers agree that a healthy diet should be low in sugar.

This is not, however, necessarily translating into companies producing low sugar foods. The proportion of product launches carrying this claim has hovered at around 5% of all food and drink products launched in Europe over the past five years according to Mintel’s GNPD (Global New Products Database) service.

Chris Brockman, food and drink research manager EMEA at Mintel, said: “Excessive sugar consumption continues to be criticised by the media and health professionals alike, resulting in today’s sugar backlash. This has led to sugar replacing fat and salt as the new dietary pariah across Europe. There is therefore a key opportunity for brands to address consumer fears and adapt their products to carry a low, no or reduced sugar claim.”