Consumption patterns of products containing non-caloric sweeteners in Mexico

Abstract

Introduction: non-caloric sweeteners (NCS) are a group of food additives that are increasingly present in a wide variety of products that are very accessible to the general population. Objective: to describe the consumption patterns of NCS in the Mexican adult population, both in product categories and frequency of consumption, as well as the subgroups of the population that are more likely to consume them. Methods: an online survey was conducted in 5,038 Mexican adults who responded how often they consumed 8 different categories of products containing NCS. Different sociodemographic data (sex, age, education, economic income, among others) were collected to analyze the subgroups of the population that most frequently consume these products. Results: the categories of products with NCS most frequently consumed every day were sugar substitute sachets and beverages. Education was a factor that was associated with more frequent consumption of a greater number of product categories with NCS, followed by age, the presence of chronic diseases and economic income. Conclusions: although the Mexican population does consume foods and beverages containing NCS, the regularity of their consumption is not very frequent. Knowing the factors associated with the consumption of NCS allows us to establish personalized recommendations about the use of these substances.