Women in MEA Countries Worry about Sugar

Sugar reduction is the top health priority in a survey of consumer attitudes towards sweet baked goods in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and South Africa, according to DuPont Nutrition & Health.

The survey also revealed that biscuits, cookies, cakes and croissants are popular snacks in the three countries, widely consumed at all times of day.

Growth markets in the Middle East and Africa are of particular interest to the sweet bakery industry. According to Innova Market Insights, 57% of new bakery launches come from the sweet segment, strongly led by biscuits and cookies.
“Women are the main decision-makers who choose which sweet bakery products to buy. They are also the consumers who are most concerned about health, especially the health of children and family members with a diet-related condition, such as type two diabetes. Sugar reduction is a key element in that,” says Lena Hamann, bakery marketing manager at DuPont Nutrition & Health.
Conducted in cooperation with the global market research organization GfK, the DuPont consumer survey focused on young professional men and women and mothers with children. All participants were aged 24 to 45.
“Our findings show the impact of demographic change and changing attitudes in these markets. While sales of healthier baked goods are still very small in the markets surveyed, we can see there is a growing interest in health among certain consumer groups.