UK food industry urged to cut sugar 20% in cakes, chocolates to fight obesity

With children consuming three times more sugar every day than they should, Public Health England is challenging UK food industry to cut sugar by 20 per cent by 2020 and by 5 per cent this year

It said the food industry should try lowering sugar levels, reducing product size or pushing healthier products. However, experts have expressed doubts over whether the targets could be enforced.

The consumption of sugar in such amounts could result in weight gain and obesity.

It had been observed that at the time they start primary school one in five children was overweight or obese and by the time they start secondary school that rose to one in three.

This heightened their risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers in adulthood.

According to Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at Public Health England (PHE), children from deprived backgrounds were more likely to be affected by obesity.

"Tackling the amount of sugar we eat is not just a healthy thing to do, but an issue of inequality for many families. If businesses achieve these guidelines, 200,000 tonnes of sugar could be removed from the UK market per year by 2020."

According to PHE, changes to nine food groups could lead to 200,000 tons of sugar being taken out of snacks and meals yearly by 2020 and cut the number of overweight children by 20 per cent. The targets included biscuits, breakfast cereals, cakes and pastries, chocolate, confectionery, ice cream, puddings, sweet spreads and yoghurts.

However, the agreement is voluntary and some obesity campaigners warned that food manufacturers and restaurants might not fall in line in absence of compliance mnechanisms.

''We've seen over recent weeks that some companies within the food and drink industry have made great progress whilst others are seriously lagging behind and others claiming wrongly that they can't do it,'' said Graham MacGregor, a professor of cardiovascular medicine and chairman of the campaigning group Action on Sugar, The Guardian reported.