Sugarwise

Last updated

Sugarwise
Formation2016
FounderRend Platings
TypeCertification body
Headquarters Cambridge
Region
England
FieldsNutrition, Health
Website sugarwise.org

Sugarwise is the international certification authority for sugar claims on food and drink. It assesses foods and beverages on the basis of their sugar claims. [1]

Contents

The authority certifies and allows use of its logo on products with no more than 5g of free sugars in 100g in a food or 2.5g of free sugars in 100ml in a beverage, that can also carry a sugar claim. [1] The low free sugar standard is derived from the World Health Organization guidelines for daily intake of free sugars. [2]

The Sugarwise Test

The Sugarwise test distinguishes between free sugars and intrinsic sugars in a food or drink product for the first time [3] and was developed by Cambridge University Scientists. [3] [4]

Sugarwise adheres to the WHO guidelines on free sugar content: [5] "Free sugars include monosaccharides and disaccharides added to foods and beverages by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, and sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates." [2]

Policy and Public Affairs

#DontTaxHealthy

Sugarwise was one of the two organisations behind the #DontTaxHealthy campaign to cut VAT on healthy food [6] and continues to lobby for tax breaks on low sugar food and drink. [1]

Parliamentary Engagement

Sugarwise has held Summits at the UK Houses of Parliament, chaired by Keith Vaz [7] in his capacity as Chair of the APPG for Diabetes, in a bid to promote lower-sugar food and drink and help tackle the growing threat of obesity and diabetes. [8] Sugarwise's Patron is Lord Clive Brooke, Baron Brooke of Alverthorpe. [9]

A Summit at the European parliament was convened in September 2017 [10] supported by Alex Mayer. This called for tariffs to be removed for healthier food and drink across the EU post Brexit [1] And was followed by a third summit at the UK Houses of Parliament on 13 September 2017. [11]

History

Sugarwise was launched in March 2016 [12] [13] with the assistance of Enterprise Europe Network. [14] Mother-of-one Rend Platings founded the organisation [15] after hearing England's chief medical officer's revelation that, as a result of obesity, today's generation of parents may be the first to outlive their children. [16]

The Sugarwise logo was developed by design firm Pemberton & Whitefoord (P&W) [17] with the support of Tesco. [18]

The first product to be certified was JimJams reduced-sugar chocolate spread. [19] [13]

In July 2017 Sugarwise certified "Sugar Free" recipes magazine sold in UK supermarkets. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soft drink</span> Sweetened non-alcoholic drink, often carbonated

A soft drink is any water-based flavored drink, usually but not necessarily carbonated, and typically including added sweetener. Flavors used can be natural or artificial. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a sugar substitute, or some combination of these. Soft drinks may also contain caffeine, colorings, preservatives and other ingredients.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sugar substitute</span> Sugarless food additive intended to provide a sweet taste

A sugar substitute is a food additive that provides a sweetness like that of sugar while containing significantly less food energy than sugar-based sweeteners, making it a zero-calorie or low-calorie sweetener. Artificial sweeteners may be derived through manufacturing of plant extracts or processed by chemical synthesis. Sugar substitute products are commercially available in various forms, such as small pills, powders, and packets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junk food</span> Unhealthy food high in sugar or fat

"Junk food" is a term used to describe food that is high in calories from macronutrients such as sugar and fat, and often also high in sodium, making it hyperpalatable, and low in dietary fiber, protein, or micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. It is also known as "high in fat, salt and sugar food". The term junk food is a pejorative dating back to the 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chocolate milk</span> Sweetened chocolate-flavoured milk

Chocolate milk is a type of flavoured milk made by mixing cocoa solids with milk. It is a food pairing in which the milk's mouthfeel masks the dietary fibres of the cocoa solids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diet soda</span> Type of sugar-free or artificially sweetened soda

Diet or light beverages are generally sugar-free, artificially sweetened beverages with few or no calories. They are marketed for diabetics and other people who want to reduce their sugar and/or caloric intake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Healthy diet</span> Type of diet

A healthy diet is a diet that maintains or improves overall health. A healthy diet provides the body with essential nutrition: fluid, macronutrients such as protein, micronutrients such as vitamins, and adequate fibre and food energy.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is a Washington, D.C.–based non-profit watchdog and consumer advocacy group that advocates for safer and healthier foods.

A fat tax is a tax or surcharge that is placed upon fattening food, beverages or on overweight individuals. It is considered an example of Pigovian taxation. A fat tax aims to discourage unhealthy diets and offset the economic costs of obesity.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) provide nutritional advice for Americans who are healthy or who are at risk for chronic disease but do not currently have chronic disease. The Guidelines are published every five years by the US Department of Agriculture, together with the US Department of Health and Human Services. Notably, the most recent ninth edition for 2020–25 includes dietary guidelines for children from birth to 23 months. In addition to the Dietary Guidelines per se, there are additional tools for assessing diet and nutrition, including the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), which can be used to assess the quality of a given selection of foods in the context of the Dietary Guidelines. Also provided are additional explanations regarding customization of the Guidelines to individual eating preferences, application of the Guidelines during pregnancy and infancy, the USDA Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review, information about the Nutrition Communicators Network and the MyPlate initiative, information from the National Academies about redesigning the process by which the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are created, and information about dietary guidelines from other nations.

Obesity in Mexico is a relatively recent phenomenon, having been widespread since the 1980s with the introduction of ultra-processed food into much of the Mexican food market. Prior to that, dietary issues were limited to under and malnutrition, which is still a problem in various parts of the country. Following trends already ongoing in other parts of the world, Mexicans have been foregoing the traditional Mexican diet high in whole grains, fruits, legumes and vegetables in favor of a diet with more animal products and ultra-processed foods. It has seen dietary energy intake and rates of overweight and obese people rise with seven out of ten at least overweight and a third clinically obese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obesity in the United Kingdom</span> Overview of obesity in the United Kingdom

Obesity in the United Kingdom is a significant contemporary health concern, with authorities stating that it is one of the leading preventable causes of death. In February 2016, former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt described rising rates of childhood obesity as a "national emergency". The National Childhood Measurement Programme, which measures obesity prevalence among school-age pupils in reception class and year 6, found obesity levels rocketed in both years groups by more than 4 percentage points between 2019–20 and 2020–21, the highest rise since the programme began. Among reception-aged children, those aged four and five, the rates of obesity rose from 9.9% in 2019–20 to 14.4% in 2020–21. By the time they are aged 10 or 11, more than a quarter are obese. In just 12 months, the rate is up from 21% in 2019–20 to 25.5% in 2020–21.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sugary drink tax</span> Tax or surcharge on soft drinks with high sugar content

A sugary drink tax, soda tax, or sweetened beverage tax (SBT) is a tax or surcharge designed to reduce consumption of sweetened beverages by making them more expensive to purchase. Drinks covered under a soda tax often include carbonated soft drinks, sports drinks and energy drinks. Fruit juices without added sugar are usually excluded, despite similar sugar content, though there is some debate on including them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juice</span> Naturally-occurring liquid present in fruits and vegetables

Juice is a drink made from the extraction or pressing of the natural liquid contained in fruit and vegetables. It can also refer to liquids that are flavored with concentrate or other biological food sources, such as meat or seafood, such as clam juice. Juice is commonly consumed as a beverage or used as an ingredient or flavoring in foods or other beverages, such as smoothies. Juice emerged as a popular beverage choice after the development of pasteurization methods enabled its preservation without using fermentation. The largest fruit juice consumers are New Zealand and Colombia. Fruit juice consumption on average increases with a country's income level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Added sugar</span> Caloric sweeteners added to food and beverages

Added sugars or free sugars are sugar carbohydrates added to food and beverages at some point before their consumption. These include added carbohydrates, and more broadly, sugars naturally present in honey, syrup, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates. They can take multiple chemical forms, including sucrose, glucose (dextrose), and fructose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweetened beverage</span> Type of beverage

Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) refers to any beverage with added sugar. They have been described as "liquid candy". Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages have been linked to weight gain and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. According to the CDC, consumption of sweetened beverages is also associated with unhealthy behaviors like smoking, not getting enough sleep and exercise, and eating fast food often and not enough fruits regularly.

The Australian paradox is an observation of diverging trends in sugar consumption and obesity rates in Australia. The term was first used in a 2011 study published in Nutrients by Professor Jennie Brand-Miller, in which she and co-author Dr. Alan Barclay reported that, in Australia, "a substantial decline in refined sugars intake occurred over the same timeframe that obesity has increased."

Action on Sugar is a registered UK charity formed in 2014 by a group of specialists concerned about sugar and its impact on health. Through research and lobbying the group works to highlight the harmful effects of a high sugar diet and desirability of reducing the amount of added sugar contained in processed foods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sugar industry</span> Enterprises dealing with sugar

The sugar industry subsumes the production, processing and marketing of sugars. Globally, about 80% of sugar is extracted from sugar cane, grown predominantly in the tropics, and 20% from sugar beet, grown mostly in temperate climate in North America or Europe.

<i>Pure, White and Deadly</i> Book on health problems from sugar consumption

Pure, White and Deadly is a 1972 book by John Yudkin, a British nutritionist and former Chair of Nutrition at Queen Elizabeth College, London. Published in New York, it was the first publication by a scientist to anticipate the adverse health effects, especially in relation to obesity and heart disease, of the public's increased sugar consumption. At the time of publication, Yudkin sat on the advisory panel of the British Department of Health's Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA). He stated his intention in writing the book in the last paragraph of the first chapter: "I hope that when you have read this book I shall have convinced you that sugar is really dangerous."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sugar marketing</span> Marketing of sugar

Sugar is heavily marketed both by sugar producers and the producers of sugary drinks and foods. Apart from direct marketing methods such as messaging on packaging, television ads, advergames, and product placement in setting like blogs, industry has worked to steer coverage of sugar-related health information in popular media, including news media and social media.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Healthiest products should be tariff-free post Brexit, says Sugarwise". FoodNavigator.com. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  2. 1 2 "WHO - WHO calls on countries to reduce sugars intake among adults and children". WHO. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Labels To Help Identify Added Sugar In Foods". Sky News. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  4. "Cambridge: New app to show how much sugar is in food". ITV News.
  5. Rend Platings (15 February 2016), Rend Platings BBC News 130216 1726 , retrieved 9 October 2017
  6. "A sugar tax 'won't solve the obesity crisis'. Here's why" . The Independent. 12 January 2017. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  7. "The UK Sugar Summit". Alliance for Natural Health International. 19 October 2016.
  8. "Sugar rush – industry leaders to swarm Parliamentary summit - Business Weekly - Technology News - Business news - Cambridge and the East of England". www.businessweekly.co.uk.
  9. "Announcement of Lord Brooke's Patronage by CEO of Sugarwise". www.linkedin.com.
  10. "The Sugar Summit in Brussels #SugarSummit". Eventbrite.
  11. "Netmums and Sugarwise survey reveals parents' "struggle to find low sugar foods in-store" | Cost Sector Catering". costsectorcatering.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  12. "New Nutrition Business Development". www.new-nutrition.com. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  13. 1 2 Sugarwise. "Rend Platings Sky News 110316 0939" . Retrieved 23 December 2018 via YouTube.
  14. Innovate UK (19 December 2016). "Innovation coaching helps UK firms to thrive in European markets". GOV.UK. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  15. Sugarwise. "Rend Platings on BBC Inside Out on 15th February 16 1930 Sugarwise" . Retrieved 23 December 2018 via YouTube.
  16. Malhotra, Aseem (31 October 2016). "Sugar Is the New Tobacco, so Let's Treat It That Way". Medscape . Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  17. "Sugarwise marque to launch across Europe". Packaging News. 10 August 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  18. "Tesco helps mum create low sugar food certification brand". www.campaignlive.co.uk.
  19. "Reduced-sugar spreads brand JimJams gains 'landmark' listing". 24 July 2016.
  20. Croce, Maria (25 July 2017). "Reducing Sugar Intake Is Sweet Deal for Health". Daily Record .