- New research from the George Institute for Global Health has found that common supermarket products don’t clearly declare added sugar on the packaging.
- On average, Australians consume 60 grams of added sugar a day – which they might not even know about!
- We support the call for improved nutrition labels and education on how to read them.
Last week we addressed how the Health Star Rating system can be misleading for consumers and now, this study confirms our concerns!
Researchers from the George Institute for Global Health at the University of NSW discovered that 70 per cent of packaged foods contain added sugar, and have called for action requesting product manufacturers declare the added sugar in their products.
After analysing 34,000 products, it’s been revealed that the worst offenders are pies, cakes, ice cream, processed meats and potato chips – which contain more added sugar than some cereals! But the real kicker is, these products still receive a healthy star rating on current labelling, suggesting they’re nutritionally sound choices.
Understanding the difference between naturally occurring sugar in dairy and whole fruits, and added sugars which are often covered up by using an alias name for sugar is where the discrepancy lies.
The Dietitians Association of Australia says including “added sugars” on new nutrition labels is vital if we’re to help Aussies make healthier food choices.
Come on Australia! It’s about time we did something about our product labelling.
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