Progress You Can Taste: New Choices, Less Sugar 

Consumer expectations continue to evolve, shaped by changing lifestyles, moments of consumption and a growing focus on everyday wellbeing. In soft drinks, this is reflected in the need for more choice: products that remain enjoyable and familiar, while offering options that respond to different preferences, needs and occasions. 

Reformulation is one of the ways Suntory Beverage & Food Europe responds to these changing expectations. It helps us continue evolving with consumers: offering more choice while preserving the taste, quality and familiarity they expect from our brands. 

Over the past decade, we have made significant progress in reducing sugar across our portfolio. Our 2030 ambition builds on that work, combining careful reformulation of iconic brands with innovation in new products, ingredients and technologies, so we can continue offering consumers more choice without compromising on taste, quality or familiarity. 

Our ambition for 2030 

Building on the progress made so far, we are strengthening our commitments for the next stage of our sugar reduction journey. By 2030, SBFE aims to reduce total sugars across its portfolio by 40% compared to our 2015 baseline. We also aim for two thirds of our total volume to contain less than 5g of sugar per 100mL. 

Since 2015, SBFE has reduced added sugar across its portfolio by 33%. Much of that progress has come from reformulating well-known drinks, including Schweppes*, Ribena and Oasis*. 

More than a recipe change 

Lower-sugar recipes still need to support enjoyable everyday hydration. Sugar does more than add sweetness: it shapes texture, balance and the overall drinking experience. Because low- and no-calorie sweeteners behave differently, reformulation requires careful testing to achieve the right result while meeting high consumer expectations. 

SBFE continues to explore innovative approaches to improving taste and taking sugar reduction further, including through new ingredients and technologies. This means moving from development to finished products at scale, while maintaining the quality and consistency consumers expect from our brands. 

Reformulation starts with consumers 

Reformulation starts with understanding how consumers choose and enjoy drinks in their daily lives. This means adapting recipes in ways that feel familiar and easy to adopt, while broadening the range of options available to suit different tastes, preferences and occasions. 

SBFE’s consumer approach is rooted in two Japanese principles: Seikatsusha and Gemba. Seikatsusha recognises consumers as individuals whose preferences are shaped by their values, habits and daily lives. Gemba means going to where decisions are made. Together, these principles help us develop products grounded in a genuine understanding of consumers. 

This means working directly with consumers and recognising that preferences vary between markets. Reformulation must respond to these local contexts, supporting nutritional progress while preserving enjoyment. 

Continuing our sugar reduction journey 

At SBFE, our approach to sugar reduction reflects our commitment to offering consumers greater choice while continuing to deliver the taste and enjoyment they expect. It also forms part of a wider shift across the soft drinks industry towards a broader range of lower- and no-sugar options. 

Our 2030 goals set the direction for the years ahead. Guided by science, consumer insight and our core values, we will continue to use reformulation and innovation to broaden choice while maintaining the taste and quality consumers expect.