SPAR saves 4,500 tons of sugar - a sweet victory for healthy food!

SPAR saves 4,500 tons of sugar - a sweet victory for healthy food!

As part of its ongoing efforts to reduce sugar, the SPAR Austrian Warenhandels-AG saved over 4,500 tons of sugar in its own brands by the end of 2024. This corresponds to the amount that could be transported in around 82 fully loaded truck and corresponds to almost 1.2 billion pieces of cubes. The measures are part of the company's comprehensive sugar reduction strategy, which has been actively pursued since 2019. SPAR also informs consumers about the risks of high sugar consumption through the sugar-raus initiative, since the per capita sugar consumption in Austria is a good 80 grams per day-far above the maximum 25 to 50 grams recommended by the WHO.

The largest proportion of savings is no longer necessary for the range of drinks, which is 37%. Another 26% of the amount of sugar saved concern canned and ready meals. SPAR has revised existing recipes without replacing the sugar content with artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes. A concrete example of this revision is the strawberry yogurt, the sugar content of which was reduced from 13.9 grams to 9.8 grams per 100 grams. SPAR also dispenses with the use of the artificial sweetener aspartam in its own brands and is currently examining alternative sweeteners in close cooperation with a medical advisory board.

innovative products without added sugar

In addition to the recipe adjustments, Spar introduces new products that do not contain any added sugar or sweetener. The Spar Natur*PUR Bio-Skyr drinks are an example of this because they only gain their sweetness through natural fruits. These products contribute to reducing the sugar content in daily diet without suffering.

The reduction strategy of sugar, fats and salt in finished products is not only promoted by Spar. Experts, such as Dr. Iris Lehmann from the Max Rubner-Institut emphasized the need to develop new recipes and manufacturing processes in order to counteract the health risks of a high supply of sugar and other critical ingredients. This strategy affects the sensory quality, texture and food safety of products in particular, which is a challenge in reduction, since a complete avoidance of sugar is often not possible.

With these initiatives, Spar shows a strong commitment to a healthier nutrition and improving the quality of life of its customers by reacting to the increasing demand for healthy and delicious products.

For more information and press releases, the SPAR Website is available: press.spar.at .

More about the reduction strategy can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture In summary, it can be said that SPAR has made a significant progress in food safety and health for consumers with over 4,500 tons of sugar. The innovative approach could take a role model for other companies.