Finally, there’s news that both sugar producers and high fructose corn syrup manufacturers can agree to be happy about.

According to the results of a survey recently released by Mintel Research Consultancy, grocery shoppers are more concerned with fat and calories than sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

“When reading ingredient labels, shoppers are more focused on fat content and calories than the amount or type of added sugar,” says Erin Murray, senior analyst with Mintel. “We found that nearly four in 10 label readers seek information on fat or calories, compared to just 3% who look specifically for [high fructose corn syrup], and 25% who seek information on sugar content.”

Mintel also found that consumers are more likely to be limiting fat and calories than sugar and sweeteners, with 37% of consumers saying they have been limiting or avoiding calories in the past six months, and 20% saying they’ve been avoiding fats and sugars.

In comparison, 17% report cutting back on products with sugar or added sugar, and 4% are actively limiting or avoiding high fructose corn syrup.

Mintel is a leading global supplier of consumer, product and media intelligence.

For more information, visit www.mintel.com.