Sugar: More than - Making Sense of Sugar

sweetnessMore thanSugar:

Issue 1 - November 2020Latin America

3 A closer look at sugar

4 What sugar is

5 Where sugar comes from

6 Why we use sugar

7 Sugar alternatives

8 Howtofindoutwhatisinyourfoodanddrinks

10 Changingwhatgoesintoyourfoodanddrinks

12 Sugar myths

14 Making Sense of Sugar

15 Glossary

CONTENTS

Making Sense of Sugar is a website that aims to inform and educate people about sugar and the role it can play in the diet in order that people can make informed choices about what they consume.

Basedonrobustscienceandfacts,thewebsiteprovidesinformationaboutsugarinawaywhichissimple,straightforwardandinformative.Thewww.makingsenseofsugar.com/latwebsiteincludesinformationonthedifferenttypesofsugars,aswellassimpleguidanceonidentifyingsugarsonfoodanddrinklabelsandtipsonhealthyeatingandstayingactive.

WorkingtogetherwithUNALA,theLatinAmericanSugarProducersAssociation,ABSugarhasdevelopedtheLatinAmericanversionoftheMakingSenseofSugarwebsite.ThecurrentUNALAmemberorganizationsorenterprisesarefromArgentina,Brazil,Chile,Colombia,CostaRica,DominicanRepublic,Ecuador,ElSalvador,Guatemala,Mexico,andNicaragua.

MakingSenseofSugarhasbeendevelopedandfundedbyABSugar,withoperationsin10countriesandaround32,000employees.FormoreinformationonMakingSenseofSugarvisitwww.makingsenseofsugar.com/latamorfollowusonTwitter@senseofsugar.

MAKING SENSE OF SUGAR

There is much confusion around the role of sugar as an ingredient and the role it can play in the diet.

Withthisbooklet,wewanttoprovidefactualandhelpfulinformationandover the following pages we take alookinmoredetailatwhyyoumay choose to use or consume this ingredient.

Throughout this booklet when we refer to sugar it means sucrose...Which is a natural ingredient that is extracted from sugar cane and sugar beet.

=Sugar Sucrose

sugara closer look

at

Sugar: More than sweetness 3

Sugar has four caloriespergram,whichcomparestoprotein(four calories),alcohol(seven calories)andfat(nine calories).

Calorie comparison

Themost common sugarsfoundinfoodanddrinksare:

What

sugar is

arefoundinfruits,vegetables andhoney

Glucose & fructose is also commonly

known as malt sugar,foundinmalted drinks andbeer

Maltoseis commonly calledmilksugarbecauseitisfoundinmilk anddairy products

Lactoseisoftencalledtable sugar. Madeupfromglucoseandfructose,itisextractedfrom sugar cane or sugar beetandisnaturallypresent in most fruitsandvegetables

Sucrose

Fat 9 calories per gram 9

Protein 4 calories per gram 4Starch (carbohydrate) 4 calories per gram 4Sugars (carbohydrate) 4 calories per gram 4

Alcohol 7 calories per gram 7

4 Sugar: More than sweetness

Sugar caneisgrownintropicaland sub-tropicalpartsoftheworld,includingSouthAfrica,Brazil,Colombia,Guatemala,India,Mauritius,MexicoandCentralAmericaandtheWestIndies.Itisanenormousgrass,growingashighasfivemetresandthesugarisstoredinitslongstalkasasourceofreservefoodfortheplant.

Sugar beet isarootcropandisgrowninmoretemperatepartsoftheworld.Thisplantstoressugarnotinitsstalk,butinitsroot.ItisgrownthroughoutEurope,theUnitedStates,Canada,Chileandmanymorecountries.

Thebodydoesnotdistinguishbetweensugarsusedinfoodanddrinkmanufacturingorinthehome,andthosefoundnaturallyinfruitsandvegetables.Forexample,sucroseinanappleisbrokendowninexactlythesame way as the sucrose in your sugar bowl.However,theratewhichthesucroseisabsorbedcanvarydependingonifthesourceisasolidoraliquidfood,forexample,anappleorapplejuice.

Carbohydratescomprisingsugarsandstarchesarebrokendowninthebodyintoglucose.Sugarsareanimportantsourceofenergywithglucosebeingthemostimportantforthebody.Ourbrainrequiresaround130 grams of glucoseperdaytokeepfunctioning.

Ifyouareadiabeticandmanagingyourbloodglucoselevels,sugarhasamediumGlycaemicIndex(GI)of65.LowGIfoodsaredefinedas55orbelow.Anyoneunsureastowhattheycaneat,werecommendseekingadvicefromyourGeneralPractitioner(familydoctor).

DID YOU KNOW: Sources of carbohydrates to fuel your muscles and brain include starchy foods, e.g. bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, pulses and cereals

Where sugarcomes from


Sugarisusedwithinthefermentation processasafoodsourcetoproduceethanol,carbondioxideandwater.Inbakingandbrewing,fermentationisacriticalprocess.Inbreadmakingthisspeedsuptherising/leaveningprocess.Inalcoholicbeverageproduction,fermentationdeliversthetargetalcoholandsweetnesslevel.

Sugarparticlesizecanbechosentoadjustthemouthfeel ofproducts,suchasfudges,icings,fondantsandchocolate.Thesugarcrystalsizecanalsobechosentoaddcrunchandvisualtextureonthetopofproductsaswellasglazesandicingscreatingaglossysurfacefinish.

Sugar is a preservative.Injams andotherpreserves,sugarbindswater molecules making them unavailableformicroorganisms.Thishelpspreventthegrowthofmoulds(bacteria).

Let’s take a look at some examples of sugar in action...

Whether it’s preservation, mouthfeel, texture, colour, flavour enrichment or any of the many functionalities sugar provides, there is so much more to sugar than simply sweetness, for which there is no one substitute.

Whywe use sugar


There are a range of sugars and sweeteners to suit your choice preferences; ranging from taste, function and cost.

Sugarhelpstoproduceasoftanddelicatecrumbstructure foracake,thesnapofabiscuitorthedevelopmentofsmallcrystalsforsmoothandcreamyfudge.

Brownsugarsintroducetheirowncolour toafinishedproduct.TheprocessofcaramelisationintheproductionoftoffeesortheMaillardreaction,sometimescalledthe‘browningreaction’,developsarecognisablegolden-brownfinishtobakedbreadsaswellasenhancingthevisualappearanceofproducts.

Sugardepressesthe freezing point of frozenproductsincludingicecreams,sorbetsandfrozenbakedproducts.Thisresultsinslowerandsmallericecrystalformationwhichdeliversasmoothertextureinthemouthfromfrozenorwhendefrosted.

Agaveandhoneyareoftenpopularalternativestosugarwhenusedtosweetendrinks,drizzleoveryoghurtsorusewithinbaking,sohowdotheydifferfromsugar?

Agave syrup or agave nectarismadefromtheagaveplant.Itissweeterthansugar,hasalowerGIthansugar,butitdoeshaveahighercontentoffructose.

Sucroseis50%fructose,whereasagavenectarcontainsaround84%fructose,althoughexactamountscanvarybybrands.

Honey isproducedfrombeesbyregurgitatingflowernectarandlettingitevaporate.Ithassimilar uses to agave as well asbeingslightlysweeterthansugar,soyoucanuseless.

DID YOU KNOW: In some countries, agave syrup and honey are both termed as “added sugars”, just like table sugar. They both contain the sugars glucose, fructose and/or sucrose in varying amounts. At 21 calories per teaspoon, both are higher in calories than sugar which is 16 calories

Sugaralternatives


When it comes to sugars, you can find lots of useful information on how much sugars are in a product by taking a closer look at the different food and drink labels.

Youcanfindoutaboutsugarstypicallyonthefront-of-packwhereyoumayfindaReferenceIntakelabel.

Sugarshavetobedeclaredasingredientsintheingredientslistorasaningredientthatcontainssugars,suchasfruitjuice.

Whenlookingatlabels,thesugarsmostcommonlypresentinfoodanddrinksareglucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose and maltose – collectively they are known as ‘sugars’andthistermisusedinnutritionallabelling‘carbohydrate – of which sugars’.

72 kcal

4% 20% 1%0%0%18g 0g 0g 14mg

Total sugars Total fat Saturated fat

Sodium

Per 200ml serving

of an adult’s reference intake Typical values per 100g: Energy 214kJ/51kcal

Calories

Reference Intake label

Nutritional information

Nutrition Information

Typical values Per 100gEnergy 2105kJEnergy 505kcalFat 25gof which saturates 16g

Carbohydrate 62gof which sugars 38gProtein 5g

Salt 1g

Ingredients list

DID YOU KNOW: The first place you are able to find out whether a product contains sugars is in the ingredients list. All the ingredients that have been used to make the product will be shown in order of weight

How to find out what is inyour food & drinks

Wheat Flour (54%), Vegetable Oil, Wholemeal (Wheat) (16%), Sugar, Cultured Skimmed Milk, Partially Inverted Sugar Syrup, Raising Agents (Sodium Bicarbonate, Tartaric Acid, Malic Acid), Salt.


Let’s take a look at some labels to see how you can identify sugars and calories...

Thesugarsinthisglassofalmondmilkareaddedduringthemanufacturing process as there is nonaturallyoccuringlactose.

Glass of vanilla almond milk (190ml)

Blackberry jam (1 teaspoon 15g)

Themajorityofthesugars in this blackberryjamarenaturallyoccuringfromtheblackberries.

*NRV: The NRV percentages (Nutritional Reference Value) are based on the NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010 recommendations.

DID YOU KNOW: Products with labels of “low sugar content”, “no added sugar” or “light” does not necessarily mean that the product will have fewer calories than their ‘sugary’ equivalents

Counting caloriesNotonlycanyoufindoutwhatsugarsareinaproductbylookingatfoodanddrinklabels,youcanalsofindouthowmanycalories(energy)youareputtingintoyourbody.

Vanillaalmondmilk

NUTRITIONALINFORMATIONServingsize-1glass(190ml)Calories284.5kj(67.5kcal)Protein0.8gFats(Lipids)1.9gSaturatedFat0.2gPolyunsaturatedFat0.5gMonounsaturatedFat1.2gTransFattyAcids0g Cholesterol 0mgCarbohydrates11.8gSugars11.2gDietaryFibre0.4gSodium111.1mgPotassium24.8g

*NRVVitaminA13%Riboflavina21%VitaminB1257%VitaminD20%Calcium 37% Magnesium 4%VitaminE43%Zinc5%

Blackberryjam 100g 1 serving

NUTRITIONALINFORMATIONServingsize-1teaspoon(15g)Servingspercontainer:17approx.

Calories(kcal)Protein(g)TotalFat(g)TotalCarbohydrates(g)TotalSugars(g)Sodium(mg)

2140.50.252.652.615

320.107.97.92.3

Ateaspoonofblackberryjamcontains32calories(2%oftheGDA(GuidelineDailyAmount)and7.9gofsugars(9%oftheGDAforsugars).


1. Functionality Sugarisaningredientandproductwithmultifunctionalproperties(structure,texture,flavour,sweetnessandpreservative)1andthereiscurrentlynoonesingleingredientthatcanreplacetherangeofdifferentfunctionsitperforms.

Whenreformulatingaproduct,theformulation(composition)matrix2 manages thecomplexbalancebetweeningredients,caloriecontentandproductfunctionality.

2. Impact on caloriesInsomefoods,whenreducingorremovingsugaritmaynotresultinacaloriereduction,asgenerallysugarisoftenreplacedbyothercarbohydratessuchasstarches(fourcaloriespergram)orfat(ninecaloriespergram).

Drinksareoftendifferentasthesweetnesscanbereplacedbyintensesweetenersandwatertoprovidethebulkwithintheproduct.

1 Thefunctionsofsugar:sweetness,bulk,texture,mouthfeel,crystallinity,size,preservative,waterholdingcapacity,colour,flavour,crumbtexture,stability,preservative,humectancy,waterholdingcapacity,microbialstability,microbialsafety2 Whichconsistsoftherecipeandthestepsintheprocesstomaketheproduct

There are many reasons why food and drink producers may reformulate their products; consumer choice and taste, market conditions and regulatory environment, through to product innovation and cost considerations.

Many of you will have seen changes to the compositionofsomemanufacturedfoodanddrinksintermsoftheirnutrientandenergyintakes.Thesechangeshaverangedfromreducingcalories,salt,trans-fattyacids,saturatedfattyacidsandsugars.

Changingthecompositionofaproductcanbefarfromsimplewhentryingtoremove,reduceorreplaceoneingredientasitmayconcern a range of factors as part of the recipeprocess.Whenlookingatreducingor trying to replace the sugar content specificallywithinproducts,therearefourmainareasforconsideration;functionality,impactoncalories,shelflifeandfoodsafetyandregulations.

of your reference intake Typical values per 100g: 2058kJ/498kcal

Each serving contains

Energy1037kJ248kcal

12% 5%

3.8gFat

8.1g

41%

Saturates

9.1g

10%

Sugars

0.2%

3%

Salt

DID YOU KNOW: Any impact of changing the composition of food and drink products also depends on the consumers’ other food and drink choices as part of their wider diet

Changing what goes intoyour food & drinks


3. Shelf life and food safety Removingorreducingfunctionalingredients,suchassaltand/orsugarcanhaveasignificantnegativeeffectonwateractivity(aW)3 in a product.Thiseffectcanshortenshelflifeandaffecttheproductsstabilityfrombothafoodsafetyandproductqualityperspective.

4. RegulationsTherearealternative4ingredients,includingsweeteners,thatcanbeusedtoreplacesomeofthefunctionalityofsugar.Alongsidesomeofthetechnologicalbarriersthatmanufacturersmayface,thereareregulatory limits on the application of certain ingredientsandsweetenersinfoodanddrinkstoreplacesugar,includingtheamountthatcanbeused(upperlimits),typeoffoodanddrinktobereformulatedandmandatorylabellingstatements.

Countryfoodadditiveslegislationprovidesclearguidanceforfoodanddrinkmanufacturersonwhenalternativeingredients,includingsweeteners,canreplacesugarindifferentfoodpreparations.

3 WaterStability(aW)isthewaterthatisfreelyavailableformicrobialactivity4 Whatcanyouusetoreplacesucrose?*EECadditiveregulationslimittheuseoftheseinsomeproducts

Sucrose function Possible replacement

Sweetness Highintensitysweeteners*,polyols*

Mouthfeel/Texture Hydrocolloids,polyols*,sugars

Structure Bulkingagents,polyols*,fibres

Colour Colours

Flavour Flavours

Stability/Preservation Benzoates,etc.

Humectancy Polyols

Consumer choice Asconsumers,manyofushaveawidechoiceof‘sugarfree’and‘sugar-reduced’productstochoosefrom.Inthesetypesofproducts,thesweetnesswilltypicallycomefromintensesweetenersand/orfrombulkysweetenerssuchasIsomalt.

DID YOU KNOW: The reason that many products such as some ketchups and jams now carry a recommendation to store in the fridge after opening is due to the product not being able to rely on a high performing preservative


Sugar mythsYou may hear and read lots about sugar and sugars, but how do you separate fact from fiction? We have addressed some of the most common myths to help.

Sugar has no role in the diet

Sugars are an important source of energy withglucosebeingthemostimportantforthebody.Forexample,ourbrainrequiresaround130gramsofglucoseperdaytokeepfunctioning.Youcanfindglucoseinallsortsoffoodsincludingfruit,vegetablesandhoney.

Sugar has more calories than other ingredients

Calories are essentially a measure of the amountofenergyinfoodanddrinks.Whenweeatordrink,weareputtingenergy(orcalories)intoourbody.Differentfoodanddrinksprovidedifferentamountsofenergy.Thisinformationcantypicallybefoundonfoodanddrinklabels,aswellaswithinnutritionalinformationpanels.

Sugarhasfourcaloriespergram,whichcomparestoprotein(fourcalories),alcohol(sevencalories)andfat(ninecalories).

Sugar is an ‘empty’ calorie

‘Emptycalories’isaconceptoftenusedtorefertofoodanddrinksthatsupplyenergywithoutothernutrients.However,sincecaloriesthemselvesprovideyourbodywithenergythereisnosuchthingasan‘emptycalorie’–acalorieisacalorie.

Some sugars are better for you than others

Nosugarsarebetterorworseforyou;whetheritsnaturallypresentinafood,forexampleapieceoffruit,orusedduringthemanufacturingprocess.Thebodybreaks

MYTH

MYTH

MYTH

5WHO:https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes6SACN(2015)CarbohydratesandHealth:www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-carbohydrates-and-health-report7Bowenetal.(2018)OralBiofilms:Pathogens,matrixandpolymicrobialinteractionsinmicroenvironments.TrendsMircobial.;26(3):229-242

MYTH

MYTH

MYTH

downsugarinexactlythesameway,independentlyoftheirsource.However,therateofwhichthesucroseisabsorbedcanvarydependingonifthesourceissolid orliquidfood,forexample,anappleor applejuice.

Brown sugar is better for you than white sugar

Bothbrownandwhitesugarisaformofsucroseandcontainthesamenumberofcaloriesatfourcaloriespergram.

Sugars are hidden in food and drinks

Foodlabelsontheback(orside)ofapackalwaysshowthelistofingredients(indescendingorderofweight),aswellasthetotalsugarscontainedintheproductper100gorper100mlofproduct.Labelssometimes also show this information per portionorasperthecountry’sdailydietaryamountguidelines.

Whenlookingatlabels,sugarsmostcommonlypresentinfoodanddrinksareglucose,fructose,sucrose,lactoseandmaltose–collectivelytheyareknownas‘sugars’andthistermisusedinnutritionallabellingonpack:‘carbohydrate–of whichsugars’.

Whenitcomestoidentifying‘addedsugars’(iftheyhavebeenaddedduringfoodanddrinkmanufacturing),youwillnotbeabletofindtheselistedonalabel.Thisisbecauseitisnotpossibletoaccuratelyanalysetheamountof‘addedsugars’inafoodordrinkproductasyoucannotdistinguish


8vanLoveren(2019)SugarRestrictionforCariesPrevention:AmountandFrequency.WhichIsMoreImportant?CariesRes.53(2):168-1759WorldDentalFederationhttps://www.fdiworlddental.org/oral-health/risk-factors10UniversityofGothenburg:https://neurofast.gu.se/consensus

MYTH

naturallyoccurringsugarsfromaddedsugarsinalaboratorygiventheyarethesamemolecules.Additionally,youmayfindduringtheproductmanufacturingprocessthatthesugarsinitiallyaddedatthestartareconvertedintoanotheringredientbythefinalproduct.

Togiveyousomeexamples,whenyoumakebeerthesugars(glucoseandfructose)fromthemaltarefermentedtomakealcoholwhichisnotactuallyasugar.Alternativelywhensugarsarecombinedwithotheringredientstoenhancetheflavour/orcolourofaproduct,itcanbeverydifficulttodeterminewherethesugarscomefromi.e.havetheybeenadded?Dotheyoccurnaturally?Orhavetheybeencombinedduringthecookingprocess?

However,somecountriesareexploringhow‘addedsugars’couldbecalculatedandshownonlabels.Forexample,theUSAwillbeintroducing‘addedsugars’ontolabelsofpre-packagedfoodanddrinkproductsin2020buttheywillbecalculatedbasedontheproductmanufacturersproprietaryrecipeasabaselineandthenguidancefromtheFood&DrinkAdministrationoncalculationguidelinesonallowancesofwhathashappenedtothesugarsaspartofthemanufacturingprocess.

Sugar substitutes are not safe

Sugarsandsweetenersarebothsafe–thechoicedependsonyourpreferenceanduse.

Sweeteners can offer you an alternative choicebutcannotreplicatealloftheotherfunctionsthatsugarcanprovidesuchastexture,preservation,etc.Insteadsugaralternatives can only replace the sweetness ofsugarandthemajorityhaszerocalories.

Sugar causes obesity and diabetes

Currentscientificevidencedoesnotsuggestthatsugardirectlycausesconditionssuchasobesityordiabetes.Bothoftheseconditionsareduetoacomplexrangeoffactorssuchasbeingoverweight,leadingasedentarylifestyleandinsomecasesgenetics5.

MYTH

MYTH

MYTH

Howeverlikeprotein,starch,fatandalcohol,sugarisasourceofcaloriesinthedietandifweconsistentlyconsumemore‘energy’orcaloriesthanourbodiesuse,thiscanleadtoanaccumulationofexcessbodyfat.Thiscanthenresultinobesitywhichcanincreasetheriskoftype2diabetes.NOTE:ScientificevidencecontainedwithinareportpublishedbytheUK’sScientificAdvisoryCommitteeonNutrition(SACN)foundnodirectlinkbetweenintakeanddiabetes.However,itsuggestsagreaterriskisassociatedwithahigherintakeofsugars-sweetenedbeverages6.

Sugars rot your teeth

Allfoodanddrinksthatcontainfermentablecarbohydrates(e.g.sugaryfoodssuchascookies,cakes,softdrinksandcandyaswellaslessobviousfoods,suchasbread,crackers,bananasandbreakfastcereals), canincreasetheriskoftoothdecay7.

Fermentablecarbohydrates(includingsugars)arebrokendownbythebacteriainyourmouthtoproduceacidandthisacidcanthendissolveawaysomeoftheenamelsurfaceofyourteeth.Brushingyourteethwithfluoridetoothpastetwiceadayandkeepingsugaryfoodanddrinksformealtimes,ratherthanasasnack,isthebestwaytoprotectthem.It’simportanttorememberthatitisboththefrequency8 of consumptionandtheamountthatcanhaveanimpactontoothdecay.NOTE:TheWorldDentalFederation9(DFI)suggestthattheriskofdentalcariesincreasesifconsumingexcessiveamountsofsugarfromsnacks,processedfoodandsoftdrinks,eg.morethanfourtimesadayand/ormorethan50grams(approx.12teaspoons)perday.Theyalsorecommendawarenessofnotonlysugarsaddedtofoodbutalsothosenaturallypresentedinhoney,syrups,fruitjuicesandfruitjuiceconcentrates.

Sugar is addictive

Currentscientificevidencedoesnotsupporttheideathatsugar(oranyotherfoodstuff)canbeaddictive10.Certainfoodanddrinksofcoursecanbepleasurabletoconsume,butitis important not to confuse this with clinical addiction.


onsugar,thedietandhealth,toover25millionpeoplearoundtheworldby2030.Thisisanambitiousaspirationbutwebelievetotackletheobesitycrisiswearefacingglobally,requiressuchambitionandprofile.

Toreadthelatestfactsandstats,debunkedmyths,andtoptipsonhealthyeatingandstayingactive,visit www.makingsenseofsugar.com or follow us @senseofsugar

AB Sugar is committed to playing its part in helping find real, workable solutions to tackling issues such as obesity, as well as helping consumer confusion about what a balanced diet really means based on accurate information and robust science.

Aspartofthis,welaunchedour ‘Making Sense of Sugar’ campaign in 2014 withtheaimofprovidingfactualinformationbasedonrobustsciencetohelpinformandeducatepeopleintheUKaboutsugarandtheroleitcanplayinthediet.ThecampaignhasnowexpandedtohaveaglobalfocusandhasbeenlaunchedinMalawi,Spain,TanzaniaandZambia,andnowmostrecentlyLatinAmerica.

Thiscampaignformspartofour ‘Global Mind, Local Champions’ sustainabilityframeworkwhichismadeupofthreebroadpillarsofsustainability:buildingruralcommunities,thrivingandhealthycommunitiesandconsumingresourcesresponsibly.ThethrivingandhealthycommunitiespillarincludesthecommitmentlaunchedinApril2018toprovideaccesstoobjectivescientificadvice


Added sugars(e.g.glucose,fructose,sucrose)andsyrups(honey,highfructosecornsyrup)thatareaddedtofoodordrinkswhentheyaremanufacturedorprepared.

Calories are a measure of the amount of energy infoodanddrinks.Whenweeatordrink,weareputtingenergy(orcalories)intoourbody.Differentfoodanddrinksprovidedifferentamountsofenergy.Thisinformationcanoftenbefoundonfoodanddrinklabels.

Carbohydratesarekeycomponentsinthediet,comprisingsugars,starchycarbohydratesanddietaryfibre.Starchycarbohydratesprovideanimportantsourceofenergyandfibreisimportantfordigestivehealth.Fordietarypurposes,carbohydrateshavealsobeendescribedas:1. Sugars–intrinsicandextrinsic2. Complex carbohydrates –starchanddietary

fibreMostfoodscontainsomeformofcarbohydrate.

Energy imbalanceiswhenenergy(calories)inputisgreaterthanorlessthanenergyoutputandviceversa.Whenenergyinputisgreaterthanenergyoutputthisleadstoweightgain.Whenenergyoutputisgreaterthanenergyinputthisleadstoweightloss.

Fermentable carbohydrates arecarbohydratesthatcanbebrokendownbythebacteriainyourmouthtoproduceacid.Thisacidcanthendissolveawaysomeoftheenamelsurfaceofyourteethleadingtodecay.Sugarsareatypeoffermentablecarbohydrateaswellassomestarches.Theseinclude“sugary”foods,suchascakes,softdrinksandcandy,butlessobviousfoodswouldbeitemssuchascrackers,breadandbananas.

Free sugarsaresugarsaddedtofoodanddrinksbymanufacturers,cooksorconsumers,andalsosugarsfoundnaturallyinhoney,syrupsandfruitjuice.Sugarsfoundforexampleinfruitsandvegetables(fresh,frozenordried)andinmilkandproductssuchaplainyogurtandcheesearenotclassedasfreesugars.

Glucoseisthemostimportantformofsugarfoundinthebloodandthebody’smainsourceofenergyandisfoundinfruit,vegetablesandhoney.Glucoseisalsocalledbloodglucoseorbloodsugar.Thebodybreaksdownmostcarbohydratesfromthefoodweeatandconvertsthemtoglucose.Whenthebodydoesn’tneedtousetheglucoseforenergy,itstoresitintheliverandmuscles.Thisstoredformofglucoseismadeupofmanyconnectedglucosemoleculesandiscalledglycogen.Whenthebodyneedsaquickboostofenergyorwhenthebodyisnotgettingglucosefromfood,glycogenisbrokendowntoreleaseglucoseintothebloodstreamtobeusedasfuelforthecells.

Glycaemic Index (GI)tellsuswhetherafoodraisesbloodglucoselevelsquickly,moderatelyorslowly.Differentcarbohydratesaredigestedandabsorbedatdifferentrates,andGIisarankingofhowquicklyeachcarbohydrate-basedfoodanddrinkmakesbloodglucoselevelsriseaftereatingthem.TheGIindexrunsfrom0-100andusuallyusesglucose,whichhasaGIof100,asthereference.SlowlyabsorbedcarbohydrateshavealowGIrating(55orbelow),andincludemostfruits,vegetables,milk,somewholegraincerealsandbread,pulsesandbasmatirice.Notalllow-GIfoodscouldbeviewedas‘healthy’–chocolateisanexample;ithasalow-GIbecauseofitsfatcontent,whichslowstheabsorptionofthecarbohydrate.GIrankingcanbeameanstohelpmanagediabetes.However,bemindful,combiningfoodswithdifferentGIsalterstheoverallGIofameal.

Molassesisadark,sweetsyrupresultingfromthesugar making process from either sugar cane or sugarbeet.Whenprocessingsugarcaneorsugarbeet,firstlyitiscrushedandthejuiceisextracted.Thejuiceisthenboileddowntoformsugarcrystalswhichareremovedfromtheliquid.Molassesisthenthisdark,sweetsyrupleftafterthesugarhasbeenremovedfromthejuice.

Reformulationiswhenfoodordrinkmanufacturerschangethecompositionofafoodordrinkproduct.Manychangestothecompositionofmanufacturedfoodanddrinksareintermsoftheirnutrientandenergyintakes;rangingfromreducingcalories,salt,trans-fattyacids,saturatedfattyacidsandsugars.

Total sugarsarethevaluegivenonfoodlabels,includesallsugars,regardlessofthesource.Inotherwords,itincludesthosenaturallypresentandthoseaddedtofoodordrinks.Nutritionlabelsonthebackofpackstypicallyprovideinformationabouttotalsugars–thisincludesboththefreesugarsandnaturallyoccurringsugars.Totalsugarsinformationon back-ofpacknutritionlabelsappearsas‘carbohydrate–ofwhichsugars’.

NB:TheEuropeanFoodSafetyAuthority(EFSA)definessugarsastotalsugars,includingbothendogenous(sugarsnaturallypresentinfoodssuchasfruit,vegetables,cerealsandlactoseinmilkproducts)andaddedsugars(EFSA,2009).

Glossary


@ABSugarplc

www.absugar.com

AB Sugar

1 Samson Place LondonRoad Hampton Peterborough PE78QJ UnitedKingdom

Esto Es Azúcar

www.estoesazucar.com

UNALA

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Sugar: More than - Making Sense of Sugar