Sugar restrictions

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Policy brief launched to curb global sugar consumption Today, World Cancer Research Fund International has launched a policy brief to help reduce the amount of sugar consumed worldwide. The brief -Curbing Global Sugar Consumption – is the first to provide an analysis of the effectiveness of sugar policies that have been implemented around the world.

Published to coincide with the World Health Assembly, the policy brief comes at a time when sugar consumption is on the rise and is designed to help countries meet the new sugar Guideline, which was published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March of this year. The WHO sugar Guideline recommends that adults and children restrict their sugar intake to less than 10% of total daily energy intake - the equivalent of around 12.5 teaspoons of sugar for adults - and suggests a further reduction to below 5% of total daily energy intake for additional health benefits. In addition to providing concrete examples of effective policy actions - from soda taxes to a vending machine ban – and speaking to the experts who were involved in the development and implementation of the policies, the brief identifies the four key areas where action is needed to reduce the amount of sugar consumed: availability, affordability, acceptability and awareness. Full details are available in the policy brief or you can read a blog by Bryony Sinclair, our Policy and Public Affairs Manager, or the guest blog by Professor Barry Popkin, one of the world’s leading experts on dietary behaviour.