A " Sugar Free " Future !

It is a sad fact of life that obese kids usually go on to become obese men and women with shortened productive lives.  Each generation has had the good fortune to extend the human lifespan and there is a real risk that the amount of sugar in our diet may bring that to an end.

One of the problems is that both sugar and salt create " taste " in the food we eat and food manufacturers are in the business of making a profit.  That is the reason that - week after week - the same customers troop into the supermarkets and buy exactly the same products for their families.  If a product is favoured by customers and sells well there is little incentive for the manufacturer to make a change that may slow sales.

Here we are at the start of a hot summer and shoppers are about to find claims of " reduced sugar " on many product lines that still have a sugar content that is way beyond recommended health guidelines. It is encouraging to find that an Australian entrepreneur has had the courage to invest his money and successfully launch a sugar free product that has become an instant sales success.

That product is the kids favourite summer ice treat known as " Icy Poles."   This Melbourne manufacturer has his product selling nationally in the Woolworths network and in the first month it achieved a $200,000 turnover.    It sells well alongside competitors which are literally loaded with sugar.

This line of commerce is titled "Sugar-Free-zies " and the manufacturer is now investing a further $750,000 to import machinery to expand the range and supply the huge number of independent shops that cater for the summer treat trade.   In place of sugar, Free-zies contain the alternative stevia.

This gives the buying public a real alternative to products that claim to be sugar reduced.  If it has the same taste appeal to the kids and the price is similar to the sugar laden product it presents the answer to parents fighting this frightening weight epidemic.  It also opens a valid marketing opportunity to crack the high volume breakfast product monopoly held by the big brand companies.

The world brand companies are not going to eliminate sugar unless they are forced to make a change by legislation, and that is slow to happen, but they are vulnerable to a sugar free product on sale as competition.  This opens an opportunity for small manufacturers to get the taste right and gain an expanding toe hold in the breakfast trade.

It seems that the duopoly that claims a major share of the grocery trade is open to change.  When that Sugar Free-zies product was offered space was made available in Woolworths because it was quite clear that customers were looking for a sugar free product and the chance of sales success was high. That same opportunity is waiting for the entrepreneur who can market a sugar free breakfast cereal.

The big brands will only grasp the sugar nettle when they see their sales dwindle because of the success of a sugar free competitor.