August 27, 2025 – Global consumer approaches to sugar reduction include both consuming less sugar and making choices in sweeteners. Different factors influence consumers. These can include health, as well as other reasons to limit sugar. Three approaches to reducing sugar intake are in categories considered natural, categories that can incorporate artificial sweeteners, and indulgent categories that typically have sweeteners. All of this incorporate sugar reduction as a whole, various health concerns related to sugar consumption, specific sugar reduction strategies, the choice between artificial and natural sweeteners, and packaging claims. Consumers have different levels of acceptance of sugar reduction and sweeteners depending on the category. Opportunities for innovation around sugar reduction can be found by looking at consumer trends insights.
Sugar Reduction for Holistic Health
The consumer quest for holistic health includes a desire to reduce sugar. Consumer trends research show that consumers globally are reducing sugar for several reasons, including weight management, better emotional health, better sleep, less stress, and more energy. Brands can jump onto these trends by demonstrating how eating less sugar can boost wellness, as well as provide other benefits such as healthy aging and vitality long-term.
Using Different Sugar Reduction Strategies
Consumers globally respond to different strategies for lowering sugar. Some sugar reduction strategies are quite sophisticated, for example, controlling portions, eating more fiber, or including more whole foods. This shows how consumers are expanding past just cutting sugar. According to global consumer trends research, consumers also reduce sugar differently depending on the food or beverage category.
Alter Sugar Reduction to Align with Various Categories
Manufacturers can use different strategies in their product marketing. Sugar reduction is not the same for each type of food or beverage. That is why taking a tailored approach is so important. For example, sugar reduction plus indulgence in confectionery launches, use of artificial sweeteners in certain types of beverages, and seeking natural approaches to sugar reduction for natural food and beverage categories. It is important for brands to tailor their approach to sugar reduction to match the preferences of their consumers and to meet consumer expectations depending on the food and beverage category.
What’s Next? Position Sugar Reduction for Health
Consumer trends research shows that consumers globally view sugar reduction as a way to be proactive about their health. It’s a path to holistic physical health as well as emotional wellness. Brands can capture the attention of consumers by positioning sugar reduction as a way to help consumers attain their personal health goals. These personal health goals could include improved sleep, sharper thinking, and healthier aging, especially for consumers in the older generations or who want better long-term health.
What’s Next? Maintain Taste and Flavor
Although consumers are looking for food and beverage products that offer healthier indulgence, they are unwilling to sacrifice taste. This raises expectations regarding manufacturers of food and beverage products. One approach is to layer flavors to capture consumer attention. A related strategy is to deliver exciting and unique flavors in a sugar-reduced product. Another approach is to weave stories around an indulgent product that happens to have less sugar. Messaging for all products highlights both taste and better-for-you benefits.
What’s Next? Smart Positioning of Sweeteners
According to consumer trends research, consumers globally do not trust artificial sweeteners and newer sweeteners are a source of confusion. Consumers may not understand where sweeteners come from, how they affect health, and whether they are safe. It is important for brands to deliver ingredient information in a transparent way that explains the origins of sweeteners along with their health benefits. Brands can build trust by being transparent.
What’s Next? Natural Sugar Reduction in Certain Categories
Globally, consumers expect sugar reduction in juices, hot tea, and cereal to be natural; this aligns with expectations that products be free of artificial flavors and colors. The opportunity for brands is to emphasize naturalness as a way to build trust. One approach is to highlight ingredients that are intrinsically sweet and natural, for example, the natural sugars in certain products and ingredients, use of sweet fibers that enhance flavor and provide fiber, and application of processes such as fermentation that boost sweetness and taste without the addition of sugar.
What’s Next? Artificial Sweeteners Sometimes are OK
Consumers globally appear to be more willing to accept artificial sweeteners in certain beverage, namely, sodas and carbonated soft drinks, sparkling juice drinks, and energy drinks. This allows manufacturers to use well-established artificial sweeteners in a way that reduces calories while maintaining or boosting flavor. It is important for brands to be transparent regarding their use of artificial sweeteners and to communicate regarding their safety.
What’s Next? Indulgence is Indulgence
Consumers globally have expectations around an indulgent eating experience around certain categories such as confectionery, ice cream, desserts, sweets, pastries, and cakes. When reducing sugar in these categories, it’s essential to highlight indulgence and indulgent product features. These can include taste and texture. It’s important to meet consumer expectations of indulgent categories, even if they are made with less sugar.
This article is based on Innova’s Consumer Approaches to Sugar Reduction – Global report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more