SOURCES OF FREE SUGARS

Two thirds (67%) of all free sugars consumed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people came from beverages, led by soft drinks, sports and energy drinks (28%), followed by fruit and vegetable juices and drinks (12%), cordials (9.5%), and sugars added to beverages such as tea and coffee (9.4%), alcoholic beverages (4.9%) and milk beverages (3.4%).

Adults 19 years and over derived a larger proportion of their free sugars from beverages than children and teenagers aged 2-18 years (71% compared with 60%).

(a) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 2 years and over.
(b) Based on Day 1. See Glossary for definition.
(c) Includes tea and coffee powders, beverage bases, and breakfast beverages. See Endnote 1 for details.
(d) See Endnote 2 for details.
Sources: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, 2012-13.

Among food sources of free sugars, sugar products and dishes excluding those added to beverages contributed 6.7%. This includes products such as sugar, jam, chocolate spreads and honey. This was followed by confectionery (6.1%), cakes, muffins and scones (5.5%), frozen milk products (2.8%), sweet biscuits (2.2%) and breakfast cereals (1.9%).

(a) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 2 years and over.
(b) Based on Day 1. See Glossary for definition.
(c) Excluding sugar, honey and syrup added to beverages.
(d) Includes nut/seed/fruit bars.
Source: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, 2012-13

Given the types of food and beverage categories contributing to free sugars consumption, it is unsurprising that discretionary foods accounted for the majority (87%) of free sugars. The leading foods and beverages contributing to the 13% of free sugars from non-discretionary food sources were fruit and vegetable juices (4.9%), flavoured milks and milkshakes (2.2%) and breakfast cereals (1.3%).

Was there a difference by remoteness?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote areas consumed a greater proportion of their free sugars from beverages than those in non-remote areas (71% compared with 66%). While the proportion of free sugar coming from soft drinks was similar between remote and non-remote areas, people in remote areas derived a larger proportion (14%) of their free sugar intake from the sugars added to beverages such as tea and coffee than people in non-remote areas (8.3%)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in remote areas derived a higher proportion of their free sugar intake from discretionary sources than people living in non-remote areas (91% and 86% respectively).

How did this compare with non-Indigenous people?

Beverages were a major source of free sugars among both populations however, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people derived two thirds (67%) of their free sugar intake from beverages, where non-Indigenous people derived just over half (51%). This is consistent with previous results published from the 2012-13 NATSINPAS and 2011-12 NNPAS, where 50% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people reported consuming sugar-sweetened beverages on any given day, compared with 34% of non-Indigenous people.^3,4

In particular, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults aged 19 years and over consumed a greater proportion of their free sugar intake from soft drinks, sports and energy drinks (31%), sugar added to beverages (14%) and cordials (7.8%) than non-Indigenous adults who consumed 19% of their free sugars from soft drinks, sports and energy drinks, 9.0% from sugar added to beverages and 4.4% from cordials.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people consumed a higher proportion of free sugars from discretionary sources than non-Indigenous people (87% compared with 81%).


ENDNOTES

1 The category 'flavoured milk drinks and beverage bases' was a grouping to capture the free sugars in the AUSNUT foods: Dairy milk (cow, sheep, goat), Flavoured milk and milkshakes, Dairy milk substitutes, unflavoured, Dairy milk substitutes, flavoured, Other beverage flavourings and prepared beverages (includes products such as Milo, breakfast beverages), chai latte, bubble tea, tea mix powders, coffee mixes and coffees prepared from coffee mix, and coffees prepared with soy milk.

2 Sugar added to a beverage was measured by summing the free sugar within the AUSNUT major food group 'Sugar products and dishes' where those food records also had the 'beverage with additions' combination code.

3 Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2015, Consumption of Sweetened Beverages, Australian Health Survey: Nutrition First Result – Foods and Nutrients, 2011-12, cat. no. 4364.0.55.007, ABS, Canberra.

4 Sugar-sweetened beverages include cordials, soft drinks and flavoured mineral waters, electrolyte, energy drinks and fortified waters, and fruit and vegetable drinks that have added sugar (typically sucrose).