Food and drinks are getting sweeter（1）

Whether you’re a sweet or a savory person, chances are, in the past 10 years, your sugar consumption has increased, as a new study by Cambridge University has found that food and drinks have been getting sweeter over the last decade.

According to the researchers, their study shows “the amount of added sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners in packaged foods and drinks has grown a lot,” in this time frame.

They add that these findings are especially true in middle-income countries, such as China and India, as well as in the Asia Pacific, including Australia.

It’s not just added sugars that are a concern, but non-nutritive or ‘artificial’ sweeteners too, which are typically found in ultra-processed foods, like cookies, ice cream, and soft drinks.

Using global market sales data, the researchers documented the quantity of added sugar and non-nutritive sweeteners in packaged foods and drinks from 2007 to 2019.

They found per person volumes of non-nutritive sweeteners in drinks are 36% higher globally, while sugars in packaged food are 9% higher.