Eat and drink with pleasure... and sensibly

In our affluent society, hunger and thirst are often only secondary reasons for eating and drinking. We often look for taste and enjoyment, even when we only have time to snatch some fast food or a snack. Today, we like to combine the basic necessities of life with conversation, a friendly atmosphere and perhaps trying out some new culinary delight.

Sweet foods have always been one of life's pleasures. Babies respond to a sweet taste with an expression that says, "I'm happy, I like this". In fact, humans and other mammals have an innate preference for the sweet taste. Because it is in our genes, even the best arguments will sometimes be insufficient to persuade us not to enjoy that sweet treat. A sweet taste, moreover, has always been a criterion in the selection of safe food, thereby serving the survival of the species. Bitter substances signal caution.

In the past, most people rarely got as much energy as they actually needed. In the twentieth century, however, this situation changed radically, at least in developed countries. Today we eat more than we need and we consume too much fat and sugar, whilst complex carbohydrates and roughage form a relatively low proportion of our diet.

Low-calorie sweeteners are the only means of giving food a sweet taste without increasing its calorie content. Many people now regularly use low-calorie sweeteners to sweeten tea and coffee, and choose foods and drinks with low-calorie sweeteners.

A broad variety of high quality low-calorie products is now available to people who do not wish to make any compromises on taste but who want to maintain a balanced diet low in calories.