A man arranges produce at Best World Supermarket in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of Washington, D.C., US, August 19, 2022. REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger

The past few months of robust grocery store sales would suggest shoppers in the US aren’t stretched for cash. But that’s not the full story.
过去几个月美国食品杂货店强劲的销售额是否意味着消费者的手头不再拮据了？事实并非你所看到的那样。

Food manufacturers like Kellogg, PepsiCo and Nestlé all reported sales growth in the first quarter of the year.
家乐氏、百事和雀巢等食品生产商今年一季度报告的产品销售额都有所上涨。

But even though sales are up, people are buying less.
然而，虽然销售额上涨了，但人们买的却更少了。

Growth has been fueled by higher prices, which offset declining volumes.
销售额上涨源于食品提价，更高的价格补偿了销量下降导致的差额。

"If you look at the top-line dollar sales, it is obviously very positive,” said Alastair Steel, an executive for client engagement at market research firm Circana. “But it really is driven by price increases.”
市场调研机构Circana负责接洽客户的高管阿拉斯泰尔•斯蒂尔说：“如果你看新闻报道的销售额，显然情况非常乐观，但实际上销售额上涨是因为价格提高了。”

For the period ending on May 21, compared to the same period in 2022, sales of fresh eggs by volume fell 4.7%, milk dropped 3.9%, packaged bread fell 3.8%, and fresh root vegetables slid 3.5%, according to Circana, which tracks US retail sales.
Circana追踪美国零售销量的数据显示，从今年年初到5月21日为止，鲜蛋销量同比下降了4.7%，牛奶销量下降了3.9%，袋装面包销量下降了3.8%，新鲜根茎类蔬菜销量下降了3.5%。

In that time, dollar sales of eggs rose by 41.2%, milk rose by 0.9%, bread jumped 8.5% and fresh root vegetables rose 10.7%.
同一期间，鲜蛋销售额提高了41.2%，牛奶销售额提高了0.9%，面包销售额提高了8.5%，新鲜根茎类蔬菜销售额提高了10.7%。

Steel noted early in the pandemic, when people stopped eating at restaurants and stocked up on pantry staples, unit sales soared.
斯蒂尔指出，在疫情初期，人们不再去餐厅吃饭，并大量囤积主食，当时单位产品销售额大幅上涨。

Since then, they’ve been coming down.
自那以后，食品销售额一直在回落。

Some of that can be attributed to an “unwinding” of that 2020 boom, he noted.
斯蒂尔指出，食品销售额下降一部分可以归结于2020年囤粮高潮的退去。

At that time, people could also use stimulus payments to cover costs. Those who were working from home didn’t have to spend money commuting.
那时候，人们还可以用新冠经济刺激补助来支付家用，而且那些居家办公的人不用在通勤上花钱。

Dining in isn’t the only way people are saving.
在家吃饭不是人们省钱的唯一方式。

Some Americans are trading down by going for cheaper items, or shopping at bargain stores.
有些美国人为了省钱而购买更便宜的商品，或去特价商店购物。

In the first four months of 2023, food prices went up by 7.7%, with grocery prices rising 7.1% and menu prices increasing 8.6%, according to data from the BLS’ Consumer Price Index.
美国劳工统计局的消费者价格指数显示，今年年初到4月为止的这段时间，美国食品价格上涨了7.7%，菜价上涨了7.1%，菜单定价上涨了8.6%。

Prices overall rose 4.9% throughout the year.
全年食品价格总体上涨4.9%。

> WHO guideline on sweeteners sparks criticism
代糖到底能减肥吗？世卫组织和热量控制协会吵起来了……

[Photo/unsplash]

Sugar substitutes such as stevia, aspartame and sucralose do not help people lose weight in the long run and may instead pose health risks, the World Health Organization has warned.
世界卫生组织近期发布一份关于非糖甜味剂的新指南警告说，从长远来看，甜菊糖、阿斯巴甜、三氯蔗糖等代糖无助于人们减肥，反而可能对健康构成威胁。

A systematic review of the available evidence "suggests use of NSS [non-sugar sweeteners] does not confer any long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children,” the WHO said in a statement.
世界卫生组织在一份声明中说，对现有证据的系统回顾“表明，使用NSS(非糖甜味剂)对成人或儿童减少体脂没有任何长期好处”。

“Results of the review also suggest there may be potential undesirable effects from long-term use of NSS, such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality in adults,” it added.
“审查的结果还表明，长期使用非糖甜味剂可能存在潜在的不良影响，例如增加二型糖尿病、心血管疾病和成人死亡率的风险，”它补充说。

“People need to consider other ways to reduce free sugars intake, such as consuming food with naturally occurring sugars like fruit, or unsweetened food and beverages,” said Francesco Branca, WHO director for nutrition and food safety.
世卫组织营养和食品安全司司长弗朗西斯科•布兰卡说:“人们需要考虑其他方法来减少游离糖的摄入量，例如食用含有天然糖的食物，如水果，或食用不加糖的食品和饮料。”

Artificial sweeteners are “not essential dietary factors and have no nutritional value,” Branca emphasized. “People should reduce the sweetness of the diet altogether, starting early in life, to improve their health."
布兰卡强调，人工甜味剂“不是必需的饮食因素，也没有营养价值”。“为了改善健康，人们应该从小开始减少饮食中的甜味。”

Formulating recommendations that are not supported by strong scientific evidence is inappropriate and could unnecessarily deter the public from personal choice and potentially beneficial dietary options, according to the Calorie Control Council, a low-calorie food and beverage interest group.
但是文章一出，热量控制协会就坐不住了，根据热量控制协会的说法，在没有强有力的科学证据支持的情况下制定建议是不合适的，可能会不必要地阻止公众做出个人选择和潜在有益的饮食选择。

“The world's most highly regarded health and regulatory agencies have thoroughly reviewed this evidence and have validated the role of these ingredients. Along with exercise and a healthy diet, low- and no-calorie sweeteners are a critical tool that can help consumers manage body weight and reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases,” council president Robert Rankin said.
“世界上最受尊敬的卫生和监管机构已经彻底审查了这些证据，并证实了这些成分的作用。除了锻炼和健康饮食，低卡路里和无卡路里甜味剂是帮助消费者控制体重和降低非传染性疾病风险的关键工具，”热量控制协会主席罗伯特•兰金说。

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