Sugar is omnipresent in our diet, well beyond desserts and sodas. An ANSES study reveals that three quarters of industrial products contain it, including salty foods such as sausage or chips. Although a decline has been observed over ten years, it remains insufficient to stem the risks linked to excess sugar. Deciphering an insidious food scourge.
Hidden sugars in industrial products
Of 54,000 products analyzed between 2008 and 2020, ANSES notes that 77% contain at least one sweetening ingredient or a substitute (aspartame, syrup, juice, etc.). Even more alarming: 58% of these products contain sucrose, table sugar.
Sugar isn’t limited to cookies, soda, and candy. It is also hidden in salty foods, such as:
- Sauces (ketchup, industrial vinaigrettes, etc.);
- Prepared meals;
- Cold meats, including sausage;
- Appetizer chips and biscuits.
The study also reveals that 59% of products use several types of sugars, thus amplifying their addictive effect.
Changes… but no real drop in sugar
ANSES observes a reduction in the use of sweeteners and sugar syrups in favor of sugars considered more “natural”, such as fruit juice. A deceptive development, because the overall sugar content does not necessarily decrease.
Julie Gauvreau-Béziat, head of the food observatory unit, warns: “A product containing fewer sweetening ingredients does not necessarily have a reduced sugar content. This can be compensated by rebalancing the other ingredients.”
Only positive point: the reduction in sugar in drinks
Between 2013 and 2019, sugary drinks saw their sugar levels decrease, a trend accelerated by the agreement between manufacturers and public authorities to reduce the sugar level by 5%, as well as the tax on sweetened drinks introduced in 2012 and reinforced in 2018.
Insufficient measures to address the dangers of sugar
Dr Arnaud Cocaul, nutritionist, believes that current measures are too slow. According to him, excess sugar in industrial foods promotes obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
His recommendation: consume less processed products and favor raw foods. He insists: “Sugar, salt and emulsifiers extend the shelf life of foods, but at the cost of our health.”
How to limit your consumption of hidden sugar?
- Read the labels: identify terms like glucose-fructose syrup, maltodextrin, modified starch;
- Favor homemade: fewer additives, more control;
- Avoid ultra-processed products: industrial sauces, cold meats, prepared meals.
Sugar is everywhere, and this ANSES study confirms it once again. Awareness is essential to making the right food choices and reducing our exposure to this ubiquitous ingredient.