UK consumer group Which? has criticised food manufacturers and retailers for their failure to communicate the often high sugar content of savoury foods through adequate labelling.
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A survey by Which? found that readymade savoury meals, such as Asda’s sticky chilli chicken an Tesco’s crispy beef with sweet chilli source, actually contain more sugar than vanilla ice cream. These products, Which? said, have more than three times the amount of sugar per portion than is considered ‘high’ by the Food Standards Agency.
The consumer group also emphasised the high levels of sugar in other unexpected sources, including Weight Watchers oat digestive biscuits (a low-fat food) that contain 20.5g of sugar per 100g – almost 4% more than McVitie’s digestives – and Kellogg’s crunchy nut cornflakes, which contains 35g of sugar per 100g.
The consumer watchdog said that checking the level of sugar in products can often confuse consumers because it can be listed under various different forms: corn sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, glucose syrup, high-fructose glucose syrup, honey, invert sugar, invert sugar syrup, isoglucose, levulose, maltose, molasses, sucrose and sucrose syrup, among others. These can be listed separately, disguising the total level of sugar in a product.
Moreover, the labelling of sugar is voluntary, unless a product describes itself as being low in sugar.
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By GlobalData“It’s no wonder if people are baffled about the amount of sugar they’re consuming. Although many companies do voluntarily label their products, not all do ,” Which? editor Neil Fowler said:
Which? has campaigned alongside the FSA for the adoption of a front of pack traffic light labelling system, a move that has been vigorously resisted by many food manufacturers who favour Guideline Daily Amounts.
“We support the FSA’s front of pack traffic light labelling scheme, but manufacturers need to raise their game and put full nutrition information on the back of packs too,” Fowler continued.
Responding to Which?’s comments, Melanie Leech, director general of industry body the Food and Drink Federation said that food manufacturers and retailers are already working to alert consumers to the level of sugar contained in food.
“Which? is pushing at an open door. While labelling regulations require companies to include a precise description of the sugars used in a product, such as fructose or glucose, manufacturers are already making it easier for people to see exactly the amount of sugar in their food by putting Guideline Daily Amount information on the front of their packs. This clearly shows the total amount of sugar in the product – whether added or naturally present. Over 15 000 product lines now feature this GDA information,” she said.
