Comparative Analysis of Food Additives in Products with and Without Added Sugar on the Polish Market

TL;DR

This study compares food additives in Polish products with and without added sugar, finding that sugar-free items have fewer and simpler additives.

Contribution

The study provides a systematic comparison of additives in sugar-containing and sugar-free food products on the Polish market.

Findings

Products without added sugar had fewer additives, with an average of 1.6 per product compared to 3.8 in sweetened products.

Acidity regulators and antioxidants were more common in products with added sugar.

Sweeteners were more prevalent in sugar-free products, while preservatives and colors were more frequent in sweetened ones.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Limiting sugar intake is an important factor in preventing many diseases, which has led to growing interest in products labeled as “no added sugar”. Reformulation of food products may affect the types and number of additives used, highlighting the need for systematic analysis. The aim off this study was to compare the presence of additives in food products available on the Polish market, categorized as “with added sugar” or “no added sugar”. Methods: The analysis was based on label data from 1278 food products collected in the second and third quarters of 2023. Products were categorized according to sugar content, and the presence, types, and number of additives were compared between groups. Results: Products without added sugar generally had a simpler composition and contained fewer additives. The most frequently identified additive groups in products with sugar were acidity regulators and antioxidants, present several times more often than in sugar-free products. Preservatives, colors, emulsifiers, and other additives were also significantly more frequent in sweetened products, while sweeteners were more common in sugar-free products. The average number of additives per product was 1.6 for sugar-free products and 3.8 for products with added sugar. Conclusions: The results indicate that the presence and number of additives are closely related to whether a product contains added sugar. Products labeled as “no added sugar” tend to have simpler compositions and fewer additives, reflecting changes in recipes related to sugar reduction.

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