food labeling / en łÔąĎ±¬ÁĎ researchers call for guidelines, better labeling to curb sugar consumption /news/u-t-researchers-curb-sugar-consumption <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">łÔąĎ±¬ÁĎ researchers call for guidelines, better labeling to curb sugar consumption</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/sugar_1140.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=KMN6AaEN 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/sugar_1140.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=PetNoQOH 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/sugar_1140.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=6jwrITyB 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/sugar_1140.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=KMN6AaEN" alt="A spoonful of sugar"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>lavende4</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2016-09-26T09:29:59-04:00" title="Monday, September 26, 2016 - 09:29" class="datetime">Mon, 09/26/2016 - 09:29</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(Image by Melissa Wiese via Flickr)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/liam-mitchell" hreflang="en">Liam Mitchell</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Liam Mitchell</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sugar" hreflang="en">sugar</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/nutrition" hreflang="en">Nutrition</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/food-labeling" hreflang="en">food labeling</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Researchers at the University of Toronto&nbsp;investigating&nbsp;the amount of free sugar in Canadian prepackaged foods and beverages are calling for&nbsp;new guidelines and better food labeling to help consumers make better choices.</p> <p>Free sugar, commonly referred to as added sugar, is considered a “hidden” source of calories, as it’s not always apparent to consumers they are present. Also, the excessive consumption of free sugar has been associated with an increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and tooth decay. The same ill-health effects are not associated with naturally occurring sugars, such as those found in fruits and vegetables, because they are still in their natural or intact form along with many vitamins, minerals, and often fibre.</p> <p>The research team, which was led by Professor <strong>Mary L’AbbĂ©</strong>, used a vast database of food labeling information – the University of Toronto’s Food Label Information Program – to identify the grams of sugar present in more than 15,000 products. The products were categorized into 17 sugar-focused major food groups, including 77 major subcategories and 207 minor categories. The researchers then applied an algorithm, that primarily uses the total sugar content and ingredient list, to determine what percentage of the total sugar came from free sugar.</p> <p>The results show that eight of the 17 food groups have more than 75% of the total sugar coming from free sugar. Those with the highest proportion, as might be expected, were desserts (94%), sugars and sweets (91%) and bakery products (83%). Free sugar contributed 20% of calories overall in prepackaged foods and beverages.</p> <p>The findings were reported in the journal <a href="http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/8/9/582/html"><em>Nutrients</em></a> on September 21, 2016.</p> <p>“Without information on the free sugar content of foods, it’s hard for consumers to know how much free sugar is too much,” said <strong>Jodi Bernstein</strong>, who was first author of the paper.</p> <p>Bernstein and L’AbbĂ© are hoping this paper will help demonstrate to policymakers the need for clear food labels that will help consumers monitor their consumption compared to the daily amount of free sugar that is recommended.</p> <p>“People are rightfully concerned about how much sugar they are consuming,” said L’AbbĂ©. “If they are going to be concerned about sugar, we want to make sure their concern is focused is on the right kind of sugar: free sugar.”</p> <p>She points out that Health Canada is currently reviewing food labeling policy in Canada, which occurs every 10 to 15 years. While a similar review in the United States led the Food and Drug Administration to require added sugar to be reported on labels starting in July 2018, that hasn’t yet happened in Canada.</p> <p>“While Canada and the United States generally have very similar food labeling requirements, it’s unfortunate that we haven’t taken a similar step in this instance,” said L’AbbĂ©.&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 26 Sep 2016 13:29:59 +0000 lavende4 101114 at