All Out War On Sweets

The UK government wants to cut the amount of sugar that’s in some common foods but apparently they are not reaching their goal. Some foods such as puddings are actually getting sweeter and the sugar content in biscuits and chocolates have remained the same. Under the Government’s 2016 childhood obesity strategy, ministers have pledged to reduce sugar levels in a wide range of food products by 20% by 2020. But results from the first official assessment of progress shows that almost 7 in 10 of the most popular brands have shown no change in their sugar content while others have even increased it.

Food manufacturers were advised to shrink their products, change their recipe or boost sales of healthier options to meet the key pledge but it’s clear that the majority have either done nothing or made their offerings even sweeter. Across the board, sugar content has fallen by just 2% against a target of 5% in the first year.

Public Health Minister Steve Brine has stated: “We lead the world in having the most stringent sugar reformulation targets and it is encouraging to see that some progress has been made in the first year.’’

On the other hand, Dr. Alison Tedstone, Public Health England chief nutritionist, said: “This is about tackling the nation’s obesity crisis. Too many children and adults suffer the effects of obesity, as does society, with our NHS under needless pressure. Obesity widens economic inequalities, affecting the poor the hardest.”