Why is sugar used in so many food products?

Answer 1

it makes things taste better......

Answer 2

It 's a cheap way to counter act bitter tasting ingredients. It all comes down to money really. Companies don't care if people eat to much sugar but neither do the people who eat too much sugar. Of course you can buy food without added sugar but it can be more costly and frankly doesn't taste as good. So to answer your question sugar is used because that's what people what.

As far as recipes go sugar is often a necessary preservative as well as a sweetener. If you ever make homemade jams or jellies you'll know that unless you add about 4 cups of sugar to each batch it will spoil quickly. Salt is another natural preservative but I really can't imagine making a peanut butter and salted grape sandwich.

Answer 3

Sugar performs a variety of functions in food products, in addition to providing a sweet taste and flavour. Sugar is used as a preservative, as is the case in jams and jellies, where sugar inhibits the growth of microorganisms. Sugar is used in baked goods, like cakes, to hold moisture and prevent the staleness that we notice when these foods dry out. In canned fruit and vegetables, sugar enhances texture and colours. Sugar is also used to prevent large ice crystals from forming in frozen sweet mixtures, like ice cream, and to support fermentation in products containing yeast, such as bread. In these roles and others, sugar is an important and versatile food ingredient.

Answer 4

Sugar sells. Follow the money. Sugar is addictive.

The reason is that it is addictive in almost the exact same manner as meth-amphetamine does, but not to as great an extent as meth does, in that sugars stimulate the production of a chemical in the brain, dopamine (sp?), which stimulates the pleasure center (hypothalamus?) of the brain which makes you feel REALLY good when it does its' thing. I saw a program on brain chemistry recently related to addiction to drugs which pointed this out. Addiction is why dope addicts use a huge amount of suger in coffee and such when in detox, since sugars in the coffee tend to make the withdrawal effects a bit less severe. (I had a step-daughter in rehab a while back and I learned this there during 90 days, twice over in fact. Addicts use a HUGE amount of sugar.) Many things stimulate dopamine production. Sugar just happens to be one of them, so you tend to repeat eating foods which contain sugars to get the pleasure from the dopamine it stimulates. The makers of food products know this, so they add sugars to stimulate the addictive response to the pleasure center getting stimulated, and it is perfectly legal. Besides, it tastes good. Ever heard of a child getting s sugar high? Well, that is the pleasure center doing its' thing from sugar. The kid feels good and acts accordingly, almost hyperactive, which is why the authorities recommend limiting sugar for children. Personally, I avoid sugars mostly, but I really like frosted flakes (and frosted shredded wheat) with milk in the morning to get me going in addition to a really good cup of coffee which contains caffiene which does the same as sugar to stimulate that pleasure center which helps me get going in the early morning hours before the time I would wake natually without an alarm clock. So, there it is, sugar makes you feel good, and the food producers know this and they add sugars accordingly to keep you coming back for more of the feel-good feeling you get from ingesting sugars.

Answer 5

It not only adds a "pleasant taste," but, truly is addictive.
For folks raised in a "sugar" culture, what do you think commercially one would go for--sugar.
I was raised on whole foods; ate my share of sugar.
But, because of the steamed veggies w/herbs, etc. I learned that foods could taste good w/out all that sugar. Plus, even though Southern, my mom did NOT use sugar in her veggies.
Salt is harder to do w/out, but, it doesn't take much; recently found out thru this message system, that sea salt has less sodium. I'd check it out; but, it is very nutritous--and the French is best; fine ground and Kosher grind. Also, Celtic salt is becoming popular.
But, my best is commercialism, taste, and addictive, and a known energy booster, although temp. w/a horrible let-down leading to moremoremore.
Book: SUGAR BLUES. It'll "curl your hair."

Answer 6

Humans most commonly use sucrose as their sugar of choice for altering the flavor and properties (such as mouthfeel, preservation, and texture) of beverages and food. Commercially-produced table sugar comes either from sugar-cane or from sugar-beet.

Answer 7

It is used partly to enhance flavour and also for preservation. That is why I say that it is better to cook from scratch without the worry about what is going into it!

Sugar can come in many guises - fructose, maltose, dextrose, sucrose, lactose - basically anything with the suffix "ose" in it!

Answer 8

suger is one of the most widespread used drugs in the world,and that is why so many people produce sugar content products for the billions of addicts

Answer 9

because it adds a pleasing taste to many foods.

Answer 10

I wish that they would stop this, being a diabetic its really hard to find food sometimes.

Answer 11

Because it tastes good and is also a good preservator