UK makes progress on sugar reduction in yogurts

Dental Tribune International

Tue. 14 January 2020

save

LEEDS, UK: The UK government has recently taken action to reduce sugar intake in the country and called for industry reformulation of foods that contribute most to sugar consumption in children’s diets, such as yogurts. Subsequently, scientists from the University of Leeds examined product and nutrient information from 893 yogurts available in UK supermarkets and compared all products to a 2016 baseline survey. The findings revealed that there has been a significant decrease in total sugar content in the last two years.

Those with the most reduction in sugar were children’s drinks and fruit yogurts. The number of different children’s and organic products has also decreased since 2016, by 23% and 27%, respectively. In contrast, products containing less than 5 g of sugar per 100 g and classed as “low sugar” increased from 9% in 2016 to 15% in 2019. The data highlights the potential positive effect public policy measures and recommendations are having on improving the nutrient profile of commonly consumed foods. However, the researchers warned that yogurt might still not be the healthiest option for children.

“Yogurt definitely can have health benefits but ultimately the final nutrient composition depends on the type of milk used and the ingredients added during production, which often include additional sugars and other sweeteners,” said lead author Dr Bernadette Moore, associate professor of obesity in the School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds.

“The food industry has a responsibility to ensure healthier options are available and that our children aren’t flooded by products full of hidden sugars. We hope to see them step up even more to this challenge,” added Dr Alison Tedstone, national director with responsibility of diet, nutrition and obesity in the Health and Wellbeing Directorate of Public Health England at Public Health England.

Compared with 2016, the number of dairy-alternative products has almost doubled. Moore believes that this is due to ethical and environmental considerations. However, it is still unclear whether plant-based yogurts provide the same nutritional and health benefits as cow’s milk does. “Because dairy alternatives do not have lactose, which is a naturally occurring sugar, the total sugar content comes entirely from added sweeteners. Generally added sugars are considered to be worse for teeth and health,” Moore noted.

The researchers also found that 40% of the products tested were new. Of those, 32% showed reductions in sugar content and 61% showed no changes. This suggests that products high in sugar may have been discontinued and that this, in turn, has influenced the overall drop in sugar across all surveyed products.

The study, titled “Sugar reduction in yogurt products sold in the UK between 2016 and 2019”, was published online on 8 January 2020 in Nutrients.

Tags:

To post a reply please login or register

Report shows sugar reduction goals not yet on track

LONDON, UK: The negative impact that excess sugar consumption has on both oral and overall health is a well-established fact at this point. It comes as ...

Study finds UK sugar reduction policies have been only partially successful

LONDON, UK: The government of the United Kingdom and Great Britain and Northern Ireland has made headlines over the past decade for policies focused on ...

Taking on work in progress in practice transaction

When purchasing a practice, among the many factors clinicians need to consider is the situation regarding work in progress (WIP), an area that can be ...

First report released on progress by food and drink industries on cutting sugar

LONDON, UK: Sugar and its harmful effects on the population have been an ongoing focus in England for some time. In 2016, as part of a broader government ...

UK public underestimates sugar levels in popular drinks

GLASGOW – People in the UK significantly misjudge the amount of sugar in popular drinks, researchers at the University of Glasgow have found. This is ...

PROPACS makes an impression in Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM, UK: One subject that was on everyone’s mind at the inaugural British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show was the imminent General Data ...

Sugary baby pouches under increasing critical scrutiny in the UK

LONDON, England: The commercial baby food industry powerfully shapes early childhood nutrition in the UK and globally. Despite its trusted image, its ...

Sugar, sugar … honey, money

The sugar tax is finally upon us, but are corner shops or supermarkets for that matter likely to worry about this potentially threatening change to their ...

Charity shines spotlight on excessive sugar consumption

RUGBY, UK: Though the April 2018 introduction of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy—otherwise known as the sugar tax—has proved effective in reducing the ...

Leading UK beverage manufacturers to reduce sugar levels

LONDON, UK: The manufacturers of British beverage brands Lucozade and Ribena will be reducing the amount of sugar and calories in their products by up to 10...

Education

On-demand
webinar