Background:
Sugary beverages make a notable contribution to free sugars in the diet and are attracting increased attention from health agencies interested in curbing obesity and associated non-communicable diseases. To combat increasing consumer concerns regarding the health effects of sugar, market research has predicted an increase in the sale of beverages portrayed as ‘better for you’. This has previously been demonstrated by other sections of the food industry, with product labelling being one way in which this message is communicated to consumers.
Methods:
The aim of this study was to examine how sugary beverages are being portrayed as better for you via product labels. During September to November 2016 we undertook an audit of beverage labels within 17 South Australian stores from leading supermarket chains. We conducted a content analysis of the labels of 945 sugar containing beverages for explicit and implicit features positioning these beverages as healthy or ‘better-for-you’.
Results:
The mean sugar content of beverages was high at 8.3g/100ml and the majority of sugary beverages (87.7%) displayed features that position them as better for you. This was most commonly achieved by associating the beverages with being natural (76.8%), reduced or natural energy/sugar content (48.4%) and through suggesting that they contribute to meeting the bodily needs for nutrition (38.5%) and health (15.1%). These features are more common among certain categories of beverages such as coconut waters, iced teas, sports drinks and juices.
Conclusions:
Despite existing regulations of nutrition and health claims on food and beverage products in Australia, beverages high in sugar use features on their labels that position them as healthy or better for you.