News

10 January 2014

Response to launch of ‘Action on Sugar’ campaign

As a responsible business and as part of the food and drink industry, we are supportive of measures that help people make informed choices about their calorie intake and diet.

We want to play our part in helping people adopt a diet commensurate with the lifestyle they lead so as to avoid health problems, however, to single out one ingredient for sole blame on this issue is misleading and unhelpful for consumers. It oversimplifies the issue. 

Obesity is caused by people consuming excess calories through the food and drink they consume. The increased incidence of obesity in the UK is a result of a complex range of factors. We do of course acknowledge that sugar consumption is frequently cited as a factor in these public health challenges. However, the Government Family Food statistics have in fact shown a reduction of almost 12%[1] in total sugars over the last decade. 

This is clearly a complex problem that requires a complex solution – one that we are keen to play a role in.