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Survey Shows Americans Have a Love Affair with Eating Dessert

97% of Americans Eat Dessert More Than Three Times a Week

CROCKETT, Calif. (March 28, 2005) – Dessert is an essential ingredient in the social recipe of American society. Families bond over it, couples fall in love sharing it, and happy memories are tied to it.

So it isn’t surprising that a recent scientific telephone survey confirmed that most Americans love to eat dessert often, enjoy baking it and tend to be happier and more social than those who do not.

“ Enjoying dessert is an important part of a happy life,” says renowned nutritionist Beverly Utt, MS, MPH, RD. “Whether it is the mother baking brownies with her son, a woman sharing an ice cream sundae with her husband or a family enjoying a cake baked for the holidays, dessert gives people a chance to share memorable times with each other.”

A survey of 520 men and women aged 21 or older showed that 97% of Americans eat dessert an average of more than three times a week, 88% bake dessert more than once a week, and 75% of those who eat dessert said that they “generally enjoy life” or consider themselves “happy-go-lucky.” The survey was commissioned by C&H Sugar Company and conducted by Boca Raton-based market research firm rose research llc.

“ I think eating dessert around three times a week is about right,” says Utt. “It really fits in with a balanced approach to life. It’s not surprising that people who eat dessert enjoy life more. They aren’t denying themselves something they love.”

Utt says dessert is about celebration and enjoying something delicious. “Eating what you like is an important concept when done in a balanced way” she says.

Other survey results include:

• Frozen desserts (ice cream/yogurt) are the most popular (52%), followed by cake (37%), pie (35%) and cookies (16%).

• Most of the respondents tie desserts to happy occasions, with 63% saying they give desserts as gifts. The most popular occassions are birthdays (84%); holidays (59%); parties (23%) and anniversaries (23%).

• The dessert gifts given most often are cakes (62%); cookies (49%); pies (35%) and brownies (15%).

• Dessert is considered a social meal, with 83% saying they eat it with others, specifically citing family (42%); their spouse (25%); friends (10%); children (5%) and collegues (1%).

• Regarding age, those 45 and older eat dessert more often than their younger counterparts – 3.42 times a week vs. 2.75 times – and are more apt to eat dessert “at the kitchen/dinner table” (56% vs. 31%).

• Concerning gender, men are more likely to eat dessert because “it tastes good” (48% vs. 34%), while women are more apt to feel “it is the perfect way to end a good meal” (11% vs. 4%). Men prefer “frozen desserts” such as ice cream or yogurt (56% vs. 40%), while women favor “pies” (44% vs. 37%) and “cookies” (34% vs. 25%).

NOTE: Included you will find a recipe and photo for “Triple-Layered Lemon Meringue Cake.”

This recipe, developed by C&H Sugar, highlights the unique taste that only comes from pure cane sugar. The study, detailed above, showed that cakes are the most popular dessert to give as gifts and second most popular dessert to eat.

About Bev Utt
Bev Utt is a primary consultant for chefs, magazines, cookbook authors, culinary groups, schools and medical institutions. She is also a spokesperson for C&H Sugar.

She has contributed to several books including Martha Stewart’s Quick & Healthy Cookbook; Joe Piscatella’s Fat Proof Your Child, Don’t Eat Your Heart Out; and The Healthy Heart Cookbook (Institute for Fitness and Health). Her magazine contributions have been published in Appellation, Cooking Light and Martha Stewart Living, where she has been the sole consulting nutritionist since 1993.

Utt earned her Bachelor of Science in Public Health Science, her Master of Science in Nutrition, and Master of Public Health in Health Education from Loma Linda University.

About C&H Sugar Company
Founded in 1906, Crockett, Calif.-based C&H Sugar Company, Inc. (www.chsugar.com) is the leading refiner of pure cane sugars. C&H processes more than 700 tons of cane sugar per year, from which more than 70 types of products are produced. In 2006, C&H Sugar will celebrate its 100th Anniversary.

About rose research (r2) llc
rose research (r2), a Boca Raton, Fla.-based, full service global market research company, was formed in 1990 by Steven H. Rose. Formerly an executive vice-president and later, a partner at the Daniel Yankelovich Group, he has been involved in cutting-edge marketing research for almost 30 years.

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Contact: Adam Matza

Torme Lauricella Public Relations

415.956.1791, x-221