1. New dietary guidelines & implications for the food
industry
Recent evaluations commissioned by the WHO have concluded
that limiting the amount of sugar added to foods and decreasing the
intake of sugar sweetened beverages (which are a major source of
added sugars) would be beneficial in promoting public health,
particularly with regard to reducing the risk of dental caries, type 2
diabetes and cardiovascular disease (WHO., 2015). Consequently,
the WHO released a new guideline in March 2015 which recommends
that “adults and children reduce their daily intake of free
sugars to less than 10% of their total energy intake. A further reduction
to below 5% or roughly 25 g (6 teaspoons) per day would provide
additional health benefits” (WHO., 2015). Overall, there seems to be
a consensus among government agencies and regulatory bodies
that sugars should be targeted as a potential means of reducing
energy intakes and thereby curbing obesity rates. It is noteworthy,
however, that no such consensus has been reached across the scientific
literature, and the extent to which sugars as an isolated
nutrient group are responsible for the increased prevalence of
obesity continues to be disputed (Kahn & Sievenpiper, 2014) Whether one agrees with the new guidelines or not, the recent
publicity surrounding the sugar and health controversy draws
attention to the use of sugars and other sweeteners in food products.
Sugars are of course naturally present within many food
products (e.g., fruits, vegetables, dairy products) and can be derived
from the hydrolysis of the starch present in cereals, pulses and
potatoes. However, sugars and other sweeteners are also added to
food and beverages during processing and preparation. Although
there is no chemical difference between the sugars that are naturally
present within the food and the added sugars, there are
concerns that products containing added sugars provide minimal
nutritional value and are therefore making a disproportionate
contribution to total energy intake (MacGregor & Hashem, 2014).
Indeed, the main sources of sugars consumed in the UK population
are soft drinks and fruit juices, which together contribute on
average ~30% of sugars intake for those aged 4e64 years (NDNS.,
2014). The amount of sugars that is added to products during
food processing has therefore come under particular scrutiny
(MacGregor & Hashem, 2014); hence, the food industry is now
under pressure to reduce the sugar content of their processed
products.
In this viewpoint article, we will consider nutritionally-relevant
properties of various sweeteners, ranging from the latest low calorie
sweeteners to the more traditional sweet-tasting products.