Western Europe

To tackle rising obesity and overweight rates in the country, the Department of Health in Ireland launched a Roadmap for Food Product Reformulation and established a Food Reformulation Task Force to implement this Roadmap in 2021. With these efforts,…

The outbreak of COVID-19 adversely affected the consumption of snack bars with these products having fallen out of favour as consumers spent more time at home. However, as restrictions were lifted, and consumers started to spend more time away from…

The return to snacking as a common dietary habit among the Norwegian population during the post-pandemic era supported positive growth across many categories of health and wellness snacks during 2022 as local people returned to their active…

Sugar has become a primary focus of consumer health concerns in recent years, as a high sugar intake has increasingly been associated with a wide range of health issues, including type 2 diabetes and hypertension. In particular, sugary snacks have…

Swedes love their snacks with high levels of per capita consumption for most categories but demand for healthier options remains comparatively quite low. Unlike most packaged food categories where consumers are opting for healthier alternatives of…

Swiss consumers are generally already acutely aware of the immediate health dangers of excessive sugar consumption, including tooth decay and weight problems. Moreover, it is widely understood among the local population that the long-term health…

Vegan snacks recorded the strongest retail value sales in 2023, with triple-digit growth seen from vegan confectionery, savoury snacks, ice cream and sugar confectionery. There is an ongoing rise in vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian diets in the…

Retail value sales of low sugar snacks continued to grow in 2022. Since the pandemic, local consumers have been paying greater attention to the impact that food has on their health, especially as media reports highlighted that those who are…

Consumers in Turkey have become highly price-sensitive, given the steep inflation rate and the decrease in tourism, as the country traditionally benefited from tourist arrivals from both Ukraine and Russia, with this disrupted by the war in Ukraine.…

The soft drinks market in 2023 was significantly shaped by the rising health and wellness trend as consumers increasingly sought healthier options that support overall wellbeing. This led some consumers to migrate towards low or no-sugar offerings…

As obesity and general health and wellness are growing concerns amongst the Belgian population, low and no sugar soft drinks are becoming more popular and are taking sales share from regular soft drinks. Sugar, and particularly sugary soft drinks,…

No sugar was the leading health and wellness claim in soft drinks in Denmark in 2023. Sugar has become a key focus of consumer health concerns in recent years, supported by scientific research and media coverage focusing on the role of excessive…

The selection of functional soft drinks is growing in Finland and consumers are exhibiting great interest in products that offer added protein and an energy boost. Finns lead hectic and active lifestyles in the cold and dark Nordic climate, making…

Retail volume sales of organic soft drinks in France declined for a second consecutive year in 2023, and at a steeper rate than in 2022. This was driven by a second consecutive year of elevated inflation with living costs continuing to rise and…

In 2022, health claims within soft drinks that were a good source of antioxidants, minerals or vitamins grew significantly in Germany. This growth was driven by increasing consumer awareness and interest in nutrition and wellness, as Germans sought…

Sugar has become a key focus of consumer health concerns on the back of increasing publicity around the role of excessive sugar consumption in the development of a range of health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Sugary…

Aligned with the rising demand for healthier options, consumers in Ireland are looking for practical, convenient ways to boost their nutritional intake. Fortified soft drink options have become increasingly appealing, with products offering…

The strongest trend in health and wellness soft drinks in Italy in 2023 concerned the development of low sugar and no added sugar soft drinks. This was linked to the growing media attention on Italy’s rising obesity rate and the health risks…

2022 was an interesting year for the health and wellness soft drinks industry in Norway as demand patterns continued to be shaped by two countervailing trends. The first of these was the positive impact of domestic tax policy, specifically the…

Sugary soft drinks have become a particularly strong focus for concerns about the rise in childhood obesity across many markets. The issue of childhood obesity is particularly pressing in Spain, with research from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III…