NEWS

Despite honey and syrups being classed as free sugars, the same as table sugar, products containing them are often marketed as ‘healthier’ products, potentially misleading consumers. Action on Sugar are calling for clearer front of pack labelling.

In 2015 the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition advised that the term ‘free sugars’ should replace the terms 'Non Milk Extrinsic Sugars' and 'added sugars'. Free sugars encompasses all sugars added to foods by manufactures, cooks or consumers, alongside those sugars naturally present in honey, syrup and unsweetened fruit juice.

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Prof Janet Cade discussed the latest advances in dietary assessment technologies suchas apps and wearables, including the validation of myfood24, at the annual ILSI meeting held in Florida.

Article written by Prof Janet Cade:

Best practice guidelines for reporting new technologies to measure diet

I was lucky enough to get some winter sunshine at the ILSI (International Life Sciences Institute) Annual Meeting and Science Symposium. This was held in Clearwater, Florida in January 2019. New technologies was the theme of the meeting, and I presented on Dietary intake assessment using technology including wearables: gaps and requirements.

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New Study: Pure fruit juice and fruit consumption and the risk of CVD: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition–Netherlands (EPIC-NL) study

There is strong evidence to suggest that fruit and vegetable consumption reduces the risk of a variety of diseases including cardiovascular disease (CVD). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that individuals should consume at least 400g of fruit and vegetables daily, this led to the ‘5 a day’ campaign in the UK.

For some, consuming fruit juice as part of the recommended fruit and vegetable intake may make it more achievable. However, whether fruit juice is an acceptable alternative to whole fruit and carries the same health benefits as whole fruit, remains unclear.

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New study published: Comparing consumed portion sizes of energy dense foods with their on-pack serving sizes

In the last 20 years UK guidance on portion size has not been updated, despite larger portion sizes being consumed. A recent study, led by the Nutritional Epidemiology Group at the University of Leeds funded by the World Health Organisation, looked at the differences between suggested serving-sizes displayed on-pack and consumed portion sizes for energy-dense snack foods.

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This week the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) launched some new resources aimed to help individuals ‘get portion wise’. 

The resources developed by the BNF are designed to complement the Eatwell Guide, they split foods into 5 categories and suggest a range of servings that individuals should aim to consume daily: 3-4 portions of starchy carbohydrates, 2-3 portions of proteins, 2-3 portions of dairy and alternatives, 5 or more portions of fruit and vegetables and small amounts of unsaturated oils and spreads. The guide also puts foods high in fat, salt and/or sugar into a ‘Treats’ category suggesting to keep portion sizes small and not to consume these foods too often.

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