August 10, 2017

Rabobank has released a report chronicling changing global attitudes towards sugar. The report, Sweetness and Lite: How Vulnerable is Global Sugar Consumption to Food & Beverage Trends? is available online.

The report finds attitudes towards sugar are changing globally. As the concerns of consumers and governments have gained momentum, food & beverage companies have felt the pressure and need for change. These initiatives could accelerate a longer-term slowdown of sugar consumption. In this shifting landscape, the outlook for industrial sugar use in emerging markets is key.

The report finds that a global reduction in sugar consumption is not a passing fad and is tied directly to efforts by consumers to follow recommended health-and-wellness trends with respect to weight management, calorie reduction has become synonymous with sugar
reduction.

Processed foods and beverages account for 63 percent of global sugar consumption, and most of this industrial use—47 percent of total global sugar consumption—is in emerging markets.