38% of urban Indians regularly consume artificial sweeteners, survey reveals surprising stats

A recent survey conducted by LocalCircles in India found that 38 per cent of urban Indians consume foods with artificial sweeteners every month. The survey also showed that 91 per cent of urban Indians want food brands to display the usage of artificial sweeteners on the front of the pack.

This comes days after the World Health Organization's (WHO) announcement that aspartame is "possibly carcinogenic to humans”.

The survey received over 23,000 responses from consumers in 295 districts of India. Abour 66 per cent respondents were men while 34 per cent respondents were women. About 42 per cent respondents were from tier 1, 34 per cent from tier 2 and 24 per cent of respondents were from tier 3, 4 and rural districts.

The survey by LocalCircles found that 38 per cent of urban Indians consume foods with artificial sweeteners each month. The observation is based on the responses of 11,342 people who responded to a survey question.

The most common artificial sweetener used in India is aspartame. Aspartame is a non-saccharide sweetener that is 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is used in a variety of food products, including diet soda, sugar-free gum, and some yogurts.

The survey further showed that 1 in 3 urban Indians consuming artificial sweeteners consume diet soda or chewing gum.

The survey found that 4,310 consumers consumed artificial sweeteners in more than one food product. The most common food products that were consumed with artificial sweeteners were:

Diet soda (32%)

Chewing gum (32%)

Yogurt (27%)

Ice cream (25%)

Desserts (23%)

Bakery products (22%)

The survey also found that there is a growing trend of consuming artificial sweeteners in savory food products. For example, 18 per cent of respondents said that they consume artificial sweeteners in soups, and 17 per cent said that they consume them in sauces.

The survey found that 26 per cent of respondents consumed energy drinks with artificial sweeteners, while 18 per cent consumed sugar-free chocolates. 18 per cent of respondents consumed sugar-free ice creams, 5 per cent consumed energy bars, and 37 per cent consumed other foods and drinks.

The survey also showed that 90 per cent of respondents want food brands to display the use of artificial sweeteners prominently on the front of the pack. This suggests that consumers want to be able to make informed choices about the foods they eat.

There are a few reasons why consumers may want food brands to display the use of artificial sweeteners prominently on the front of the pack. First, consumers may want to know if a food contains artificial sweeteners because they are concerned about the potential health risks associated with them. Second, consumers may want to know if a food contains artificial sweeteners because they are trying to avoid them for personal reasons. Third, consumers may want to know if a food contains artificial sweeteners because they are trying to feed their children a healthy diet.

“By the health regulator at least making it mandatory for all such products to carry prominently on the front of the pack the fact that the product has artificial sweeteners, at least parents will be able to make an informed decision,” Local Circles said in its report.

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