As people’s lives became busier, they had less and less time to prepare and eat meals. At the same time, the food industry offered a diverse range of “time-saving” products. Ready meals that took minutes to prepare were a huge success.
It was also this period that saw the beginnings if an irreversible increase in the consumption of industrially manufactured confectionery, while consumption of table sugar (direct consumption) declined.
Yet another modern trend began in the mid-1980s. These were the years of “free” foods. Consumers were offered “light” versions of foods, many with every possibly “harmful” substance removed. They were free of artificial colourings, caffeine-free, sugar-free, fat-free, alcohol-free, calorie-free (but also taste-free!)
A golden opportunity for manufacturers of artificial sweeteners cane in 1988 with the repeal of France’s “saccharine law”, dating back to 1902. This meant unrestricted sales of artificial sweeteners in supermarkets. It also meant that the manufacturers of these products could encroach on territory once occupied by sugar and confectionery.
It was against the backdrop of a somewhat unsteady market that the Collective du Sucre (Sugar Collective), intent on stabilising direct and industrial sugar consumption, returned with a vengeance to the TV screen to launch its “Dominoes” series, a mighty advertising saga that was to last seven years.
Pleasure is nothing to feel guilty about; Sugar is a quality product, natural and irreplaceable.
These were just some of the messages carried by the various campaigns between 1986 and 1992.