Now, with shifting consumer preferences, companies are increasingly focused on reducing sugar content in their products. SPAR Austria is also actively contributing to this shift through its comprehensive sugar reduction efforts.
By the end of 2024, SPAR Austria had removed about 82 fully loaded trucks of sugar (more than 4,500 tonnes) or almost 1.2 billion sugar cubes from its own brands since the launch of its ‘zucker-raus-initiative’, an industry-wide sugar reduction alliance initiated in 2019, according to the release.
Beverage products account for the largest share in reductions at 37%, followed by 26% in the dry grocery range (canned goods and ready meals). The reduction is possible through careful revision of existing recipes to gradually reduce sugar content without using artificial sweeteners or substitutes.
“For SPAR Austria, less sugar means offering customers products of higher quality which are therefore even more enjoyable. By reducing excessive sweetness, we bring out the genuine, unadulterated flavour of the products,” said Markus Kaser, SPAR Austria Board Director.
SPAR Austria is focused on gradually reducing sugar content and improving recipes. For example, SPAR Austria’s strawberry yoghurt recipe has been reduced from 13.9g/100g of sugar in 2007 to 9.8g/100g over the past few years. As a matter of principle, SPAR Austria does not use the artificial sweetener aspartame in its SPAR Own Brands. With the help of the Scientific Medical Advisory Board, other types of sugar and sweeteners are tested and discussed.
“From our point of view, the most sustainable sugar reduction is the one where no sugar is added from the outset and the natural flavour is placed in the foreground,” said Markus Kaser. This approach is evident in SPAR Natur*pur organic Skyr drinks in Multifruit and Apple-Berry flavours, made from organic meadow milk from Carinthian milk. These lactose-free drinks have no added sugar or sweeteners and are sweetened by the natural sweetness of the fruit. They are also high in protein and contain probiotic microorganisms.
The WHO (World Health Organisation) recommends a daily intake of no more than 25 to 50 grams of sugar for the average adult, roughly equivalent to six to ten teaspoons. In Austria, per capita sugar consumption is 80 grams per day. A figure that is now declining, but still above the WHO’s recommended guideline.
2025 marks the sixth anniversary of the sugar reduction initiative launched by SPAR Austria in 2019. Since its inception, significant milestones in sugar reduction have been achieved. With around 50 partners in the alliance, the effort to reduce sugar content in food is continuously promoted throughout the industry. SPAR Austria also informs consumers about the risks of high sugar consumption and has consistently pursued sugar reduction in its own brands.
