Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: Retail value sales of the sugar and sweeteners market, 2009-19
- Sugar
- Sweeteners
- Market factors
- The 2014 media storm over the sugar content of food and drink
- Obesity continues to put pressure on government budgets
- Most consumers are keen to shift some weight
- New Change4Life campaign focuses on sugar
- Companies, brands and innovation
- Tate & Lyle jumps ahead of Silver Spoon
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- Figure 2: Brand shares in UK retail sales of sugar, by value, 2013/14*
- 2012 marked a five-year high for advertising activity
- Less than one in 20 food launches carry an L/N/R sugar claim
- The consumer
- Fat content is the top concern
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- Figure 3: Concern with selected ingredients/factors in food and non-alcoholic drink, September 2014
- Over two fifths have noticed an increase in media coverage on sugar
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- Figure 4: Opinion on how the amount of media coverage on how sugar affects your health has changed in the last year, September 2014
- 46% of adults are monitoring/reducing their sugar intake more
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- Figure 5: Changes in behaviour relating to sugar/sweeteners, September 2014
- High levels of awareness of hidden sugars
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- Figure 6: Attitudes towards sugar content in food/non-alcoholic drink products, September 2014
- Demand for greater clarity in terms of use of sweeteners
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- Figure 7: Attitudes towards sweeteners, September 2014
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Companies that set the bar in terms of reducing sugar content will be seen in a positive light
- The facts
- The implications
- Tapping into consumers’ positive perceptions of ‘naturalness’ can boost the health credentials of products
- The facts
- The implications
- Openly communicating about ingredients will win the trust of shoppers
- The facts
- The implications
Trend Application
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- Trend: Factory Fear
- Trend: Help Me Help Myself
- Mintel Futures: Brand Intervention
Market Drivers
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- Key points
- The public debate has put sugar on people’s radars
- The so-called “fat tax” debate continues to rumble on
- Media coverage has had a tangible impact on consumer behaviour
- Obesity continues to put pressure on government budgets
- An absence of a ‘state stick’, yet pressure is still on the food industry
- A stronger stance on sugar is in the pipeline
- New Change4Life campaign focuses on sugar
- Soft drinks brands are setting the bar
- The ageing population should lead to healthier mindsets
Who’s Innovating?
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- Key points
- Less than one in 20 food launches carry an L/N/R sugar claim
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- Figure 8: Share of product launches in the UK food and non-alcoholic drinks market carrying a low/no/reduced sugar claim, by major category, 2010-14
- Figure 9: Share of product launches in the global food and non-alcoholic drinks market carrying a low/no/reduced sugar claim, by major category and by region, 2010-14
- Cereals/snack/energy bars lead L/N/R sugar claims in 2014
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- Figure 10: Share of product launches carrying a low/no/reduced sugar claim within selected categories in the UK food market, by minor category, 2013 and 2014
- An uptick in L/N/R sugar launches in the food market in 2014
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- Figure 11: Share of product launches in the UK food market carrying a low/no/reduced sugar claim, by quarter, 2014
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- Figure 12: Launches in the UK food market carrying a low/no/reduced sugar claim, by launch type, by quarter, 2013 and 2014
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- Figure 13: Share of product launches in the UK non-alcoholic drinks market carrying a low/no/reduced sugar claim, by category, 2010-14
- Stevia remains niche in drinks and almost non-existent in food
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- Figure 14: Share of product launches in the UK food and non-alcoholic drinks market containing selected sweeteners, by major category, 2010-14
- Stevia remains decidedly rare in food launches
Market Size and Segmentation
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- Key points
- A dramatic decline in the sugar market in 2014
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- Figure 15: Retail value sales of the sugar market, 2009-19
- The sugar debate has failed to increase demand for artificial sweeteners
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- Figure 16: Retail value sales of the sweeteners market, 2009-19
- The future
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- Figure 17: Retail value sales of the sugar and sweeteners market, 2009-19
- Figure 18: Retail value sales of the sugar and sweeteners market, 2009-19
- Sugar
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- Figure 19: Retail value sales of the sugar market, 2009-19
- Sweeteners
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- Figure 20: Retail value sales of the sweeteners market, 2009-19
- Factors used in the forecast
Market Share
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- Key points
- Tate & Lyle jumps ahead of Silver Spoon
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- Figure 21: Brand shares in UK retail sales of sugar, by value, 2013/14*
- Figure 22: Brand shares in UK retail sales of sugar, by value and volume, 2011/12-2013/14
- A stellar year for Whitworths
- Own-label plays a minor role
- Canderel’s share edges up in the declining artificial sweetener segment
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- Figure 23: Brand shares in UK retail sales of artificial sweeteners, by value, 2011/12-2013/14
Companies and Products
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- Silver Spoon Company (Associated British Foods)
- Background
- Product range
- Recent activity
- Tate & Lyle
- Product range
- Recent activity
- Whitworths
- Background
- Product range
- Recent activity
- Merisant
- Background
- Product range
- Recent activity
- Hermes Sweeteners Ltd
- Background
- Product range
Brand Communication and Promotion
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- Key points
- 2012 marked a five-year high for advertising activity
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- Figure 24: Topline advertising expenditure in the UK sugar and sweeteners market, 2010-14
- Figure 25: Topline advertising expenditure in the UK sugar and sweeteners market, by advertiser, 2010-14
- Natural sweeteners took centre stage in 2012
- Billington’s leapt onto the advertising scene in 2013
- Tate & Lyle helped baking entrepreneurs in 2014
The Consumer – Concerns about Ingredients
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- Key points
- Fat content is the top concern
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- Figure 26: Concern with selected ingredients/factors in food and non-alcoholic drink, September 2014
- Sugar is a concern for more than half of adults
- Widespread scepticism over artificial sweeteners
- Only a minority have misgivings about sweeteners from natural sources
- Older generation are most health-oriented
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- Figure 27: Concern about selected ingredients/factors in food and non-alcoholic drink, by age, September 2014
- ABs are most diet-conscious
The Consumer – Behaviour Relating to Sugar and Sweeteners
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- Key points
- Over two fifths have noticed an increase in media coverage on sugar
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- Figure 28: Opinion on how the amount of media coverage on how sugar affects your health has changed in the last year, September 2014
- One in four are limiting their sugar intake more
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- Figure 29: Changes in behaviour relating to sugar/sweeteners, September 2014
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- Figure 30: Overall changes in behaviour relating to sugar only, September 2014
- Media awareness translates into more steps to avoid sugar
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- Figure 31: Taking more steps to avoid sugar/sweeteners, by consumer awareness of changes in media coverage on sugar, September 2014
- People are most likely to limit sugar because of weight concerns
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- Figure 32: Reasons consumers have for limiting the amount of sugar in their diets, September 2014
- Young people most likely to cut sugar for aesthetic reasons
The Consumer – Attitudes towards Sugar Content in Food/Non-alcoholic Drink Products
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- Key points
- High levels of awareness of hidden sugars
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- Figure 33: Attitudes towards sugar content in food/non-alcoholic drink products, September 2014
- Calls for greater transparency
- Most adults want the food industry to take more action…
- …however, a fine line for companies to tread
- Perceptions of healthiness vary by type of sugar
The Consumer – Attitudes towards Sweeteners
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- Key points
- Demand for greater clarity in terms of use of sweeteners
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- Figure 34: Attitudes towards sweeteners, September 2014
- Wariness of artificial sweeteners
- The rise of natural sweeteners looks set to continue
- Taste is a sticking point for sweeteners
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- Figure 35: Further attitudes towards sweeteners, September 2014
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Figure 36: Forecast of UK retail sales of sugar and sweeteners, best- and worst-case forecast, by value, 2014-19
- Figure 37: Forecast of UK retail sales of sugar, best- and worst-case forecast, by value, 2014-19
- Figure 38: Forecast of UK retail sales of sweeteners, best- and worst-case forecast, by value, 2014-19
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