Sugarwise

Sugarwise
Formation 2016
Founder Rend Platings
Type Certification body
Headquarters Cambridge
Region
England
Fields Nutrition, Health
Website sugarwise.org

Sugarwise is the international certification authority for sugar claims on food and drink. It assesses foods and beverages on the basis of their sugar claims.[1]

The authority certifies and allows use of its logo on products with no more than 5g of free sugars in 100g in a food or 2.5g of free sugars in 100ml in a beverage, that can also carry a sugar claim.[1] The low free sugar standard is derived from the World Health Organisation guidelines for daily intake of free sugars.[2]

The Sugarwise Test

The Sugarwise test distinguishes between free sugars and intrinsic sugars in a food or drink product for the first time[3] and was developed by Cambridge University Scientists[3][4]

Sugarwise adheres to the WHO guidelines on free sugar content:[5] “Free sugars include monosaccharides and disaccharides added to foods and beverages by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, and sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.”[2]

Policy and Public Affairs

#DontTaxHealthy

Sugarwise was one of the two organisations behind the #DontTaxHealthy campaign to cut VAT on healthy food[6] and continues to lobby for tax breaks on low sugar food and drink.[7]

Parliamentary Engagement

Sugarwise holds Summits at the UK Houses of Parliament, chaired by Keith Vaz[8] in his capacity as Chair of the APPG for Diabetes, in a bid to promote lower-sugar food and drink and help tackle the growing threat of obesity and diabetes.[9]

A Summit at the European parliament was convened in September 2017[10] supported by Alex Mayer. This called for tariffs to be removed for healthier food and drink across the EU post Brexit[7] And was followed by a third summit at the UK Houses of Parliament on September 13th 2017.[11]

History

Sugarwise was launched in March 2016[12][13]with the assistance of Enterprise Europe Network.[14] Mother-of-one Rend Platings founded the organisation[15] after hearing England's chief medical officer's revelation that, as a result of obesity, today's generation of parents may be the first to outlive their children.[16]

The Sugarwise logo was developed by design firm Pemberton & Whitefoord (P&W)[17] with the support of Tesco.[18]

The first product to be certified was JimJams reduced-sugar chocolate spread.[19][13]

In July 2017 Sugarwise certified "Sugar Free" recipes magazine sold in UK supermarkets.[20]

References

  1. 1 2 FoodNavigator.com. "Healthiest products should be tariff-free post Brexit, says Sugarwise". FoodNavigator.com. Retrieved 2017-09-24.
  2. 1 2 http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/sugar-guideline/en/ WHO calls on countries to reduce sugars intake among adults and children
  3. 1 2 http://news.sky.com/story/labels-to-help-identify-added-sugar-in-foods-10200125 Labels To Help Identify Added Sugar In Foods
  4. ↑ http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/update/2016-03-11/cambridge-new-app-to-show-how-much-sugar-is-in-food/
  5. ↑ Rend Platings (2016-02-15), Rend Platings BBC News 130216 1726, retrieved 2017-10-09
  6. ↑ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/vat-cut-reduction-healthy-food-punishing-consumers-sugar-tax-obesity-campaign-donttaxhealthy-fizzy-a7523991.html VAT should be cut on healthy food instead of punishing consumers with 'sugar tax', campaigners say
  7. 1 2 FoodNavigator.com. "Healthiest products should be tariff-free post Brexit, says Sugarwise". FoodNavigator.com. Retrieved 2017-09-24.
  8. ↑ http://anhinternational.org/2016/10/19/uk-sugar-summit/
  9. ↑ http://www.businessweekly.co.uk/news/food-and-beverage/sugar-rush-%E2%80%93-industry-leaders-swarm-parliamentary-summit
  10. ↑ https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-sugar-summit-in-brussels-sugarsummit-tickets-35048379647
  11. ↑ "Netmums and Sugarwise survey reveals parents' "struggle to find low sugar foods in-store" | Cost Sector Catering". costsectorcatering.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
  12. ↑ "New Nutrition Business Development". www.new-nutrition.com. Retrieved 2017-09-24.
  13. 1 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ1g3qVO2dA Sky News
  14. ↑ https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/innovation-coaching-helps-uk-firms-to-thrive-in-european-markets Mum’s kite mark finds a healthy market
  15. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIST3vxXl_E BBC Inside Out
  16. ↑ http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/871064 Sugar Is the New Tobacco, so Let's Treat It That Way
  17. ↑ "Sugarwise marque to launch across Europe". Packaging News. 2017-08-10. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
  18. ↑ http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/tesco-helps-mum-create-low-sugar-food-certification-brand/1384476?src_site=marketingmagazine
  19. ↑ http://www.foodbev.com/news/reduced-sugar-spreads-brand-jimjams-secures-landmark-listing/
  20. ↑ https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-499166964.html Reducing Sugar Intake Is Sweet Deal for Health
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