What next for soft drinks?
Following the publication last week of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition’s (SACN) Carbohydrates and Health report, industry quickly expressed concern over its focus on sugar rather than carbohydrates as a group and related health outcomes – as the report’s title suggests.
As Sharon Fisher, communications manager, Making Sense of Sugar, says, “Given that the scientific focus of the report was dietary carbohydrates and health outcomes in the round, we question whether the dietary recommendations which focus on one type of ingredient alone – sugars – will reduce levels of obesity, which remains a key focus for the UK.”
But it’s not just the singling out of sugar that has ruffled feathers – the report’s recommendation that, in particular, consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (eg fizzy drinks, soft drinks and squash) should be minimised by both children and adults has raised questions of why the drinks industry is being targeted in particular.
Gavin Partington, BSDA director general, says, “Our industry is taking action to help and has successfully provided the choice that consumers need by developing a wide range of low and no sugar drinks. Manufacturers have reduced sugar intake from all soft drinks by more than eight per cent since 2012. Our ongoing work will do more to reduce sugar intake than the setting of unrealistic targets that do not consider overall diet and lifestyle.
“The fact is there is no difference between the sugar in soft drinks and the sugar in other types of food and drink. It is baffling that soft drinks have been singled out and the industry’s work to reduce the nation’s sugar intake ignored.”
Indeed, it does seem that drinks are the easy target, with the SACN’s advice to the UK government to halve the intake recommendation of free sugars in the population’s diet to less than five per cent of daily energy intake being simplified in the British press as meaning that a single can of Coke will exceed the new allowance.
According to Kawther Hashem, nutritionist at Action on Sugar, soft drinks manufacturers are going to have to act quickly and reformulate if they their products’ success to continue.
Hashem comments, “SACN recommends we drink less sugary drinks. Many popular sugary drinks cannot be included within a healthy diet plan – as they can contain anywhere between 30g and 50g of sugars per can or bottle – your entire five per cent recommendation (30g). Soft drinks companies must reformulate their sugary drinks immediately if they want to be consumed as an occasional ‘treat’ within a healthy diet.”
