Acceptance, availability, and accessibility of reformulated sugar-sweetened beverages in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

Background: The rising obesity rates in South Africa (SA) can be attributed to the high availability, accessibility, and excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). In response, SA introduced the Health Promotion Levy (HPL) in 2018 to increase the price of SSBs and discourage consumer purchases. Some SSBs were reformulated to reduce sugar content and reduce tax liability. The sensory qualities of reformulated SSBs (RSSBs) may be different, leading to poor acceptance.
Objective: To assess the acceptability of RSSBs among consumers employed at schools, and the availability and accessibility of RSSBs at major retail grocery stores (MRGSs) in Pietermaritzburg (PMB).
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at 13 schools in PMB (n = 192). A sensory evaluation was used to assess the acceptability of six RSSB samples (zero-sugar and light soft drinks, squash, sports/energy drink, iced tea, and flavoured water). A survey was conducted at MRGSs (n = 10) to assess the availability and accessibility of the RSSBs.
Results: The light (p < 0.05) and zero-sugar soft drinks (p < 0.05), and sports/energy drink (p < 0.05) were acceptable to the consumers; however, the flavoured water (p < 0.05) and iced tea (p < 0.05) were less acceptable. Soft drinks, squash; and sports/energy drinks were most available at the MRGSs. A soft drink brand was the most accessible, taking the most shelf space (mean = 1 773.90 cm ± 3 199.93 cm) and situated at all shelf levels (top, middle, and bottom).
Conclusion: Consumers were accepting of the reformulated soft drink and sports/energy drink. Furthermore, soft drinks, squashes, and sports/energy drinks were the most available and accessible RSSBs at MRGSs.
Keywords: availability, accessibility, consumers, obesity, sugar-sweetened beverages, sensory evaluation