Coles and Woolworths' soft drink sales slump amid health fears

27 January 2017

In the light of the strong links between excess sugar consumption and major health issues such as tooth decay, diabetes and obesity, the ADA and many other health organisations have campaigned heavily to highlight the dangers posed by sugar which is not present in almost all the processed food we eat.

While the fight is ongoing, new figures obtained by Fairfax Media have highlighted that these vital public education campaigns are paying dividends in terms of changed behaviour patterns.

For the first time in almost a decade, during which supermarkets reported strong year-on-year growth in the segment, sales of soft drinks have fallen, slumping by 2.9 per cent last financial year.

Global market intelligence company IRi, which monitors sales from all the major supermarket chains, noted that this drop in soft drink sales reflects "concerns that soda consumption is a big contributor to poor dietary habits and weight gain."

In tandem with the fall in soft drink sales, sales of other grocery items containing high levels of sugar such as bread and bakery snacks, longlife juice and drinks, breakfast cereals and muesli, have also witnessed sales drops. 

In other words, the message about the ill-effects of too much sugar in the diet is having an impact.

Health organisation campaigns, such as rethink sugary drink, supported by the ADA, as well as documentaries like That Sugar Film, are playing a major role in re-shaping public perceptions and contributing to the kinds of changed behaviour that will manifest in major oral and overall health benefits for thousands of people now, and well into the future.

(source: The Age)