More and more added sugar in the cheapest products – the FoodWatch association is raising the alarm about this problem. The study was conducted in France and concerns over 400 foods in which one would not expect to find sugar. Probably no one would think that in a can of peas, a packet of crackers, mayonnaise or guacamole you can find added sugar, and in serious quantities, but it is a fact.
The team of the French association, which also works in other European countries, studied 12 food categories. The study was conducted in five large supermarket chains in the country, which, however, also have stores outside France. In short, the analysis shows that the cheaper a product is – the more added sugar it contains. And if you want to eat healthier, you should choose the more expensive products. We'll tell you about the role of sugar in them now.
They call it "white poison". And if in the past sugar was only available to the elite, years later it became a quick source of energy for workers in the new industrialized world. Sugar is naturally found in certain foods and its moderate use can be beneficial, but white sugar added to almost everything we eat makes our mind and body suffer.
"The food offered in stores today is too sweet. You can find sugar in almost all products - not only in sweets, but also in salty ones. It is found in canned vegetables, in pizzas, in frozen products, in sauces and spices. This is a phenomenon that health experts condemn," says company manager Audrey Morris.
Morris is part of the team of the consumer organization FoodWatch. Their study has stirred up a stir in France and raised many questions. "We analyzed more than 460 products in 12 food categories in which we should not find added sugar. We are not talking about candies, ice creams or pastries, but about canned vegetables, pesto, mayonnaise - in salty foods. The problem is that in these twelve categories, the cheapest products systematically contain more sugar than the most expensive, which means that with a limited food budget, you cannot make a healthy choice in the supermarket", he adds.
According to him, the explanation has several hypotheses. "First of all, sugar is a cheap raw material that will make savings in production processes. It is a flavor enhancer, a thickener, a preservative. And also - because we are used to sweetness. Sugar has been added to products for years. "Consumers are used to this taste and are looking for it," he says.
And demand determines supply - the five cheapest cans of peas contain an average of 43% more sugar than the five most expensive. There is 417% more sugar in low-priced mayonnaise packages, and the cheapest crackers are 24% sweeter than the more expensive ones.
When asked whether the study only applies to France or whether there are brands of products that are distributed on the European market, Audrey replies: "Our study was conducted in major French supermarkets. We cannot conclude that this practice also exists in other European countries, nor that the products sold in France are offered with the same recipes in other countries. But the supermarkets in our study sell the same products in other places in Europe," says Morris.
Does more expensive guarantee better quality and how should the consumer react? To this question, Audre answers: "When you shop on a budget, you can be careful about the amount of sugar indicated on the label, but if you can't afford to buy the most expensive product in the same category, unfortunately you have no choice."
Food Watch initiated a citizen petition that has gathered thousands of followers in France. The French Ministry of Health also responded. "That is why we are calling for a civic and media mobilization that will force political and economic leaders to act," he adds.