Respondents to an International Food Information Council survey said they preferred the taste of sweet to other tastes, but 78% said they were trying to reduce their sugar intake. The online survey of 1,000 Americans aged 18 and older occurred from Feb. 14-19.
When asked to list the top two foods they like most, 32% gave food that tastes sweet as the No. 1 spot and 27% gave food that tastes sweet as the No. 2 spot. Other answers were food that tastes savory/umami (30% at No. 1 and 19% at No. 2), food that tastes salty (21% and 25%), food that tastes sour (9% and 16%), and food that tastes bitter (9% and 13%).
When asked how important it was to reduce the overall sweetness in the diet, 33% said very important and 45% said somewhat important, which compared to 17% who said not too important and 6% who said not at all important.
“From a biological perspective, our love of sweet taste makes sense,” said Kris Sollid, senior director of research and consumer insights for Washington-based IFIC. “It’s thought to be an ancient survival mechanism that signaled safe, energy-rich food, like glucose from plants. As we’ve evolved, navigating our innate preferences and health goals has become more complicated.”
When asked which items contribute the most to the sweetness/sweet flavors in their diets, 53% said desserts and sweet snacks, the top answer. Rounding out the top six were candy at 49%, fruit at 41%, sugar-sweetened beverages at 36%, and juice and coffee and tea beverages both at 32%. Respondents were not limited in how many items they could list. Seventy-seven percent said they believe sugar is added to foods and beverages because they provide sweetness, but respondents were less aware of other sugar roles with calories at 31%, texture at 22%, extended shelf life at 21%, color at 16%, fermentation at 13%, moisture retention at 11% and bulk at 9%.
“This kind of cognitive dissonance shows how emotionally and biologically complex our relationship with sweetness is,” said Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, president and chief executive officer for IFIC. “There is a deep-rooted tension between enjoying food and aspiring to eat what we think of as ‘healthier.’ We need more tools and strategies that help people strike a balance.”
When asked whether sweet-tasting foods and beverages can be part of a healthy diet, 24% said they strongly agreed and 35% said they somewhat agreed, which compared to neither agreed nor disagreed at 26%, somewhat disagreed at 10% and strongly disagreed at 5%.
“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to dietary sweetness,” Reinhardt Kapsak said. “Science does not necessarily support the idea that simply reducing sweetness automatically leads to better health outcomes. What we need is thoughtful innovation, consumer education and supportive environments that honor both health and enjoyment.”
