A NEW TEASPOON LABELLING SYSTEM (an excerpt taken from That Sugar Guide, written by Damon Gameau and published by MacMillan Publishers) www.foodtechnology.co.nz 15 non-branded bottles of fizzy drinks. Some estimates are that bottles of budget cola brands could face price hikes of as much as 80%. This may seem unfair to the cheaper bulk brands of soft drink, but the alternative has downsides too. Putting a 20% tax on the price of all soft drinks could mean that consumers simply switch to cheaper brands, and end up consuming the same amount. This approach means that all drinks containing a similar amount of sugar will face a similar price rise. The British iniiative is estimated to raise £520m – or around $NZ 1.1b. One concern is that the tax will hit the poor the hardest, however studies have shown that the poor are far more likely to reduce their consumption as a result of the tax – and therefore get the health benefits. To counter the concern of the impact on the poor, this money will be invested mostly in THE WINNER IS school sports. It is a shame the Health Minister didn’t put the same level of scrutiny into his plan for child obesity released last year. It is just more of the same – looking like he is taking action without actually doing anything. Meanwhile obesity rises. It has become very obvious that we need much clearer labelling on food products when it comes to sugar. So here is a proposal. It is very simple and is based on the new World Health Organisation recommendations of no more than six teaspoons a day of added or ‘free’ sugars for optimal health. People need to be able to clearly calculate how much sugar they are having in a day. There are basically two symbols we are proposing: one for the total number of teaspoons of sugar in a product and one for the natural sugar and added sugars that are present in dairy products. If any sugar was added to a product by the manufacturer, we would refer to this statement from WHO: ‘Free sugars refer to monosaccharides (such as glucose, fructose) and disacchairides (such as sucrose or table sugar) added to foods and drinks by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, and sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.’ Meaning, if any of the above sugars were added, the consumer would see the logo clearly on the bottle. In general, anytime the ‘total sugars’ symbol was seen, this would refer to added sugars. The only exception would be dairy products, which have a combination of naturally occurring lactose sugar and added sugars. The WHO statement on natural sugars is: ‘The WHO guideline (on sugar intake) does not refer to the sugars in fresh fruits and vegetables, and sugars naturally present in milk, because there is no reported evidence of adverse effects of consuming these sugars.’ This means there would be no teaspoon symbol for fresh fruits or vegetables. However, on dairy products like flavoured yoghurt, there would be this logo, which shows the natural and added sugars present with a plus sign in the middle so you also know the total sugar content: The team and I have been actively pushing to have this symbol placed on products and have already had some terrific expressions of interest. We will be encouraging more companies to jump onboard. The winner of a copy of That Sugar Guide (rrp $34.99) is: Michelle Johnson from Senate SHJ Holistic health: A healthier lifestyle is about consumers making individual choices every day. Increased education around nutrition, exercise and personal hygiene will go a long way towards battling obesity and tooth decay if we can demonstrate that balance and moderation will lead to better long-term health. Informed choices about what we put in our mouths and how we move our bodies will achieve a healthier community in the long-term than a heavy-handed, indiscriminate tax. The New Zealand Beverage Council is made up of well-intentioned, family-oriented, community spirited, tax-paying Kiwis who are all acutely aware that a balanced lifestyle is critical to good health. Our members are not in denial. They share the concern that some products - intended as occasional treats – are being over-consumed. They are working to ensure consumers have access to more low/no kilojoule products, different portion sizes, natural sweetener alternatives and complete packaging information. We know there is plenty of work to do. The NZBC has its door open to engage in reasonable discussion, and we would like to do more with the public health sector to find realistic and achievable pathways that lead to improved health for many, while retaining the right to choose treats. Olly Munro and Kerry R Tyack are president and executive director respectively of the New Zealand Beverage Council.
FT-Apr16-vol51-3
To see the actual publication please follow the link above