Spar Austria: 4,500 tons less sugar for healthier products!

Spar Austria: 4,500 tons less sugar for healthier products!

Spar Austria has embarked on an ambitious sugar reduction initiative that was launched six years ago. This initiative aims to remove a total of 82 truckloads, equivalent to almost 1.2 billion sugar cubes, from its own brand production by the end of 2024. Loud Cosmo Around 4,000 tons of sugar were removed from more than 600 items. Particularly great success has been achieved with yoghurts, breakfast cereals, lemonades and iced teas.

A striking example of this initiative is the Spar Enjoy Iced Tea Peach, whose sugar content has been reduced by 30 percent. The S-Budget fruit yoghurt has also been reformulated with a quarter less sugar content. These measures are part of Spar's commitment, which has been actively contributing to reducing sugar in its own brands since 2017. It is important that the implementation takes place in cooperation with the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Security (AGES) and the Ministry of Health.

Sugar reduction strategies

The gradual reduction in sugar content has been designed to minimize taste changes for consumers. In addition to sugar, a reduction in salt and fat will also be sought in the future. By the end of 2024, Spar plans to save a total of 4,500 tonnes of sugar, with a focus on drinks, canned goods and ready meals. Spar consciously focuses on the natural taste of its products and avoids artificial sweeteners, which is becoming increasingly popular in the industry.

In a global context, an analysis of Innova Market Insights, that consumers are increasingly concerned about the health effects of excessive sugar consumption. Sugar is considered the most commonly restricted ingredient in the diet, followed by fat and sodium. The study highlights that the majority of consumers prefer reducing sugar rather than using sugar alternatives.

Consumer demands for low-sugar products are increasing, with natural sweeteners such as fruit juice and stevia finding high levels of acceptance. At the same time, “no added sugar” is the most common claim, followed by “sugar-free” and “low sugar”. There is an increasing trend towards reduced sugar content, particularly in the soft drinks category.

Spar is a role model

With its initiative to reduce sugar, Spar is playing a pioneering role in Austrian retail. In fact, no other retail chain has implemented a comparable measure to reduce sugar. Loud SPAR Press The company is not only committed to reducing sugar, but also plans to implement similar strategies to reduce salt and fat in the near future.

These developments reflect a widespread trend where consumers are increasingly seeking healthier food options. Technological innovations will continue to play a crucial role in driving forward sugar reduction and the production of healthy products. Spark's approach could serve as a model for other companies that also want to respond to consumers' changing nutritional needs.