Sugars

The Current Situation

The FSA has announced its saturated fat and energy intake programme to tackle the population's intake of saturated fat and calories. As part of its programme of activity, the Agency has proposed draft recommendations to reduce the level of added sugars in soft drinks, as a means of reducing calorie content.

Industry Reductions

The food and drink manufacturing industry has for some time been reformulating its products to reduce the calorie content to help consumers maintain a healthy energy balance. Although there is no scientific consensus to show that sugar causes obesity[1], many companies have already reduced sugar levels as a means of lowering the energy content of their products. For example, data from independent consultancy Mintel compiled for an FDF report [2] shows that more than 700 products have been launched with new recipes since January 2008, many of which are products lower in sugars. Mintel's research also suggests that total sales of such products in key food and drink categories are now worth £8bn - and in some areas are growing at twice the rate of the market as a whole, indicating consumer demand for less energy dense products.

Our industry is also committed to providing a wide choice of products to cater for the differing nutritional needs of the population. By offering a vast range of foods with varying nutritional compositions, consumers can select a healthy balanced diet to suit their personal preferences and lifestyle.

In addition, through the industry's GDA labelling campaign we have been educating consumers about key nutrients such as sugar[3] UK food and drink manufacturers have long recognised the importance of providing consumers with clear on-pack nutrition information as a powerful tool to help them make better-informed choices and improve their overall food literacy. To date 85 companies of all sizes have adopted the GDA labelling scheme on a voluntary basis – and in a consistent way – on the front of more than 20,000 lines. We estimate that the front-of-pack GDA scheme now features on more than 50% of food and drink packs sold by UK retailers[4].

Industry Commitment

FDF members are committed to providing clear nutrition labelling, including front of pack GDA information on sugar, and lower sugar options where technologically possible, safe and acceptable, to allow consumers to make their own choices.