Sweetened and unsweetened non-alcoholic beverages in New Zealand: assessment of relative availability, price, serve size, and sugar content.

BACKGROUND: Sweetened beverages are a major contributor to sugar intakes in New Zealand, yet little information exists regarding the retail environment and the characteristics of sweetened and unsweetened beverages available for purchase.

AIM: Our aim was to assess the availability, price, serve size and sugar content of sweetened and unsweetened non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase in New Zealand supermarkets. We also review and summarise the evidence for policy options relating to beverage availability, price, serve size and sugar content.

METHODS: Data on all non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase in two large Auckland supermarkets were sourced from Nutritrack, a brand- specific packaged food composition database.

RESULTS: Of 680 beverages available for sale in 2012, less than one in five (17%) was low-energy or unsweetened. However, low-energy options were cheaper, on average, than their sugar-sweetened counterparts (by approximately one third). The sugar content of beverages available ranged from zero to 23 g/100 mL. Some beverages contained more than 80 g of sugar (16 teaspoons) per single serve. National and international evidence suggests that increasing prices of fizzy drinks could reduce consumption, but long-term impacts on obesity and population health are unknown. Little evidence exists regarding other strategies to create healthier retail food environments.

CONCLUSION: The vast majority of beverages available for purchase in New Zealand supermarkets are either sugar-sweetened or contain naturally occurring sugars. Options to decrease availability and reduce consumption of sweetened beverages should be urgently explored.