Changes in the presence of non-nutritive sweeteners, sugar alcohols and free sugars in Australian foods

Abstract Background In parallel with growing consumer interest in reducing sugar intake, manufacturers have increased availability of food and beverage products containing non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS). However, emerging evidence indicates that specific NNS types have differential effects on cardiometabolic health. Objective This study examined overall changes in the presence of NNS, sugar alcohols and free sugars (FS) in the Australian food supply and the use of specific NNS types. Participants/Setting Data for 21,051 products in 2015 and 21,366 products in 2019 were extracted from The George Institute's FoodSwitch database. Main outcome measures The proportion of products containing NNS, sugar alcohols, FS and a combination of these, as well as proportion of products containing specific NNS types. Statistical analyses performed Changes between 2015 and 2019 were examined using Pearson χ2 tests. Results Between 2015 and 2019 there was a significant increase in the proportion of food and beverage products containing NNS (3.8% to 4.3%; p Conclusions These findings on the use of different NNS, sugar alcohol and free sugar ingredients and combinations provide important research insights and will be useful in informing government policies that address sugars and other sweeteners in Australian foods.