Manage Abstracts

F. Wang¹, A. Clarke², C. DiAngelo¹, S. Marsden¹
¹Nutrition Information Service, Canadian Sugar Institute, Toronto, ON
²Applied Human Nutrition, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, NS

Consumers generally perceive products with claims of lower sugars content as being healthier and lower in Calories. Food manufacturers also use these claims to highlight reformulation efforts in response to consumer demands and government policies (e.g. Canada’s upcoming mandatory front-of-package labelling regulations).

This study aimed to conduct a cross-sectional analysis of breakfast cereals in the Canadian marketplace regarding the use of sugars-related nutrient content claims and the effect on product reformulation including changes in sugars and energy content.

Breakfast cereals with sugars-related claims introduced into the Canadian market (2012-2022) were obtained from the MINTEL Global New Product Database. Product availability in the current marketplace was verified using manufacturers’ or major food retailers’ websites. Corresponding reference products were identified based on claim criteria specified by Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Claim and reference products were compared to determine reformulation approaches and changes in calories and sugars content (per 100 grams).

Among eligible breakfast cereal products (n=23), the majority had “no added sugars” claims (n=15), with the rest having “lower/reduced sugars” (n=5), and “sugar-free” (n=3) claims. Nine of the fifteen products with “no added sugar” claims had higher energy content compared to their corresponding reference products, despite having a lower sugars content. Further, there was no corresponding calorie reduction for products with “sugar-free” or “lower/reduced sugars” claims. Sugars-based ingredients were often replaced with wheat starch, grain flour, dried fruits, etc.

In conclusion, a majority of the breakfast cereals bearing sugars-related claims had an increase or no change in calorie content, making these claims misleading to consumers who expect such products to be healthier.

Dietitians are best positioned to assist their clients and the public in understanding and evaluating the overall nutrition quality of products with sugar claims.

Canadian Sugar Institute