Canadians are consuming fewer calories from beverages, report finds

Canadians are moderating their consumption from full calorie beverages towards low and no calorie beverages. This reduction puts the Canadian Beverage Association's Balance Calories Initiative on track to meet its target of a 20 percent reduction in calories consumed by Canadians from liquid refreshment beverages by 2025.

OTTAWA -- Canadians continue to reduce the number of calories they are consuming from liquid refreshment beverages. In 2014, Canadians consumed an average 142.5 Calories – calories from sugar – a day from beverages such as bottled water, soft drink, juice and energy drinks. That number dropped to 133.9 Calories in 2015, and 128.0 Calories in 2016 representing a 10.2% reduction since 2014, according to a new tracking report by The Conference Board of Canada.

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This reduction puts the Canadian Beverage Association's Balance Calories Initiative on track to meet its target of a 20 percent reduction in calories consumed by Canadians from liquid refreshment beverages by 2025.

"The decline we have seen in Canadians' consumption of calories from refreshment beverages is encouraging. In order to maintain the pace of reduction required to meet the 2025 target, the beverage industry will need to maintain their efforts to date," said Dr. Jean-Charles Le Vallée, Associate Director, Food Horizons Canada, The Conference Board of Canada. "The industry can continue to influence consumer choice in a number of ways such as reducing volumes and continuing to provide more mid- and low-calorie beverage products to the market."

Highlights

• The goal of reducing Canadians' caloric intake from liquid refreshment beverages by 20 per cent by 2025 will require continued effort by the beverage industry.
• The Balance Calories Initiative has 8 years to drop daily calories consumed from liquid refreshment beverages by 14 Calories.
• Canadians are moderating their consumption from full calorie beverages towards low and no calorie beverages.

To achieve the 20 per cent reduction target by 2025, Canadians would need to consume just 114 Calories a day from refreshment beverages. As recent data has revealed, Canadians have indeed been lowering their daily consumption with a nearly 14.5 Calorie drop between the 2014 baseline and 2016. Over the next eight years, the initiative will aim for a reduction in the daily consumption of calories from liquid refreshment beverages of 14 Calories.

The most important market trend now driving lower refreshment beverages daily caloric consumption is a movement from full calorie beverages towards low and no calorie beverage options.  While a decade ago, lower caloric consumption from liquid refreshment beverages was more likely to be driven by a movement within the carbonate category from full to low calories. It is now more likely to be driven by a movement towards plain, flavoured, and enhanced waters.

This, along with topics on how to leverage new opportunities to enhance the food sector's performance, will be discussed at the 6th Annual Food and Drink Summit, December 5 and 6 in Calgary.

Canadian Beverage Association Balance Calories Initiative: 2017 Tracking Report has been prepared by The Conference Board of Canada's Food Horizons Canada research centre for the Canadian Beverage Association. The Conference Board is charged with tracking the progress of the Balance Calories Initiative as an independent third-party verifier.

SOURCE Conference Board of Canada