The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will publish a scientific opinion on how much sugar can be included in a healthy diet by 2020, it has confirmed.
It will aim to establish “a sciencebased cutoff value for daily exposure to added sugars from all sources which is not associated with adverse health effects”.
Added sugars include sucrose, fructose, glucose, starch hydrolysates such as glucose syrup, highfructose syrup, and other sugar preparations consumed as such or added during food preparation and manufacturing, it said.
The mandate for an opinion was requested by the five Nordic countries last year, signed by the director generals of the Swedish National Food Agency (Livsmedelsverket), the Finnish Food Safety Authority (EVIRA), Denmark’s National
Food Institute (DTU), the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (VKM) and the Icelandic Food and VeterinaryAuthority (MAST).
Irene Mattisson, senior risk assessor at Livsmedelsverket welcomed the announcement. “A maximum value for howmuch added sugar is acceptable in the diet and which applies throughout the EU would be a strength. Therefore, we are very pleased that EFSA listened to our wishes.”
A 2010 EFSA opinion gave reference values for the intake of total carbohydrates and dietary fibre but fell short of giving values for added sugars (citing insufficient evidence), although it did state that a high intake of sugars as sugarsweetened beverages may contribute to weight gain.
“New scientific evidence has come to light since then [and] there has also been growing public interest in the impact of the consumption of sugarcontaining foods and beverages on human health,” said the Parmabased authority.
The authority will now gather experts in the fields of dietary exposure, epidemiology, human nutrition, dietrelated chronic diseases and dentistry to form an adhoc working group.
Engaging with stakeholders
EFSA said it intends to engage with stakeholders throughout the assessment process, holding two public consultations, including one facetoface meeting. It will ask for feedback on the draft protocol in the first half of 2018 and on the draft opinion in late 2019.
Nutritionist and Researcher at campaign group Action on Sugar Kawther Hashem said the mandate was needed so EFSA can scientifically evaluate the links between added sugar and health at a European level.
A Nestlé spokesperson told us: “We share public concerns about the health risks associated with excess free sugars in food and beverage products. We support and are guided by the recommendation made by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the intake of free sugars should be less than 10% of total energy intake in both adults and children. We welcome more scientific research on the health benefits of further reducing free sugars to no more than 5% of energy as additionally suggested by WHO.”
Florence Ranson, spokesperson for industry group FoodDrinkEurope (FDE) said it was looking forward to the consultation process and to sharing information on product formulation.
”We favour a sciencebased approach, which takes into account all aspects of a diet,” added Ranson. “Sugars, like any other nutrient or food, can be enjoyed as part of a varied and balanced diet, when consumed in moderation and according to a person’s individual physical or physiological needs.”
Source: Food Navigator
