Abstract
PurposeThis study investigates how the consumption of sugar products and non-alcoholic beverages has changed across birth cohorts. In addition, this study examines how the socio-economic gaps in the consumption of said products have evolved across birth cohorts.Design/methodology/approachThe research data are drawn from the Finnish household expenditure surveys covering the period 1985–2016 (n = 44,286). An age-period-cohort methodology is utilised through the age-period-cohort-trended lag model. The model assumes that the linear long-term component of change is caused by generations replacing one-another, and that the age effect is similar across cohorts.FindingsSugar products and non-alcoholic beverages occupied a larger portion of more recent birth cohorts' food baskets. Cohort differences were larger in beverage consumption. Lower income was associated with a higher food expenditure share of sugar products in several cohorts. A higher education level was linked to a higher food expenditure share of sugar products in more cohorts than a lower education level. In cohorts born before the 1950s, non-alcoholic beverages occupied a larger portion of the food baskets of the high socio-economic status groups. This gap reversed over time, leading to larger food expenditure shares of non-alcoholic beverages in low socio-economic status groups.Originality/valueThis study assessed how the consumption of sugar products and non-alcoholic beverages has changed across birth cohorts. In addition, this study assessed how socio-economic differences in the consumption of said products have changed. The results highlight that sugar products and non-alcoholic beverages occupy larger portions of more recent birth cohorts’ food baskets. The results also highlight a reversal of socioeconomic differences in non-alcoholic beverage consumption.
Highlights
1.1 The changing consumption of sugar products Sweetness is the most universally liked taste quality among humans (Reed and McDaniel, 2006)
The age pattern was similar in both cases: FES was highest in the youngest age group, and it decreased with age
4.2 Conclusion This study assessed how the FESs of sugar products and non-alcoholic beverages have changed across birth cohorts
Summary
1.1 The changing consumption of sugar products Sweetness is the most universally liked taste quality among humans (Reed and McDaniel, 2006). The preference for sweetness steers humans to forage nutritious fruits, berries and honey (Rozin and Todd, 2015). The Neolithic Revolution saw the beginning of the mass cultivation of crops (Weisdorf, 2005). The Industrial Revolution led to the extraction of sugar from these mass-cultivated crops (Yudkin, 1967). Sugar is a key ingredient in food production and can be found in various foods, besides the obvious, i.e. sweets, chocolates and sodas. British Food Journal Vol 123 No 13, 2021 pp.
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