Added sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners in the food supply: Are they a threat for consumers?

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Excess sugar intake can cause chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Thus, limiting the intake of sugar in the diet is an important preventive measure. Food manufacturers have considered non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) as an alternative to sugars. To date, there has been no systematic monitoring of the types of added sugars and NNS in Turkey's food supply. The aim of this study identified the added sugars and NNS in packaged foods and beverages that were available in supermarkets across Turkey.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to December 2020. Three supermarkets in Turkey were chosen for this study.

RESULTS

Of the 2514 packaged foods and beverages analyzed, 1647 (65.5%) contained added sugars or NNS. Out of 1647 products, 9.7% contained both added sugars and NNS; 86.5% only added sugars whereas 3.8% had only NNS. The most used added sugar was white sugar in all food groups (50.6%-100%) while the most used NNS was sorbitol (28.4%).

CONCLUSION

The use of added sugars and NNS in Turkey's food supply was found to be high, and white sugar being the most used sweetener in products available in the food supply. Therefore, it may be important to start monitoring the prevalence of products containing added sugars and NNS due to their negative health effects.