HFSS (high in fat, salt and sugar) regulations have dominated the conversation around food and beverage for the past five years, with sugar reduction gaining particular attention.
But new figures, from Tufts University, show a sharp rise in the numbers of people developing diabetes and heart disease, as a direct result of consuming sugar-sweetened drinks, suggesting that current sugar-reduction regulations aren’t working.
So, do sugar-reduction regulations go far enough? And is the food and beverage industry looking down the barrel of more extreme regulations in the future?
Are sugar reduction regulations working?
Sugar-reduction regulations are in force, in one form or another, in multiple countries across the globe, including the United Kingdom, United States, Mexico, South Africa and those within the European Union. Despite this, figures show that diabetes and cardiovascular cases are continuing to rise worldwide as a direct result of high-sugar consumption.
Now a report, compiled by researchers at the Gerald J and Dorothy R Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, estimates that 2.2 million new cases of type 2 diabetes and 1.2 million new cases of cardiovascular disease are occurring every year due to consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.
“Sugary beverages are rapidly digested, causing a spike in blood sugar levels with little nutritional value,” says a spokesperson for the research team at Tufts University. “Regular consumption over time leads to weight gain, insulin resistance, and a host of metabolic issues tied to type 2 diabetes and heart disease, two of the world’s leading causes of death.”
Published in Nature Medicine yesterday (6 January 2025) the report shows particularly concerning numbers in developing countries, with 21% of all new diabetes cases in Sub-Saharan Africa attributed to the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks, while they contributed to nearly 24% of new diabetes cases and more than 11% of new cases of cardiovascular disease in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Meanwhile, Colombia, Mexico, and South Africa have been hit particularly hard, with more than 48% of all new diabetes cases in Colombia attributed to consumption of sugary drinks, nearly one third of all new diabetes cases in Mexico attributed to sugary drinks, and 27.6% of new diabetes cases and 14.6% of cardiovascular disease cases in South Africa attributed to sugary drinks.
Closer to home, figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) have shown that diabetes is now one of the most common chronic conditions within Europe. Furthermore, the International Diabetes Federation Europe estimates that 61 million Europeans now live with type 2 diabetes, with the WHO estimating that a further 1 in 3 people remain undiagnosed.
Interestingly, figures also showed that men are more likely to suffer the consequences of sugary drink consumption than women, raising a potential question over how sugar reduction is actioned and communicated to consumers.
So, what more can industry do to address sugar consumption and are new reduction regulations on the cards?
Will European governments introduce further sugar-reduction regulations?
Governments across Europe have already placed heavy restrictions on food and beverage manufacturers, in efforts to reduce the consumption of sugar.
But the research team at Tufts University believes more needs to be done.
“We need urgent, evidence-based interventions to curb consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages globally, before even more lives are shortened by their effects on diabetes and heart disease,” says Dr Laura Lara-Castor, first author on the report.
And many health organisations support this viewpoint.
“It’s evident that much more must be done – particularly on biscuits, chocolate confectionery, puddings and the large portions of high sugar products sold in the out of home sector," says Kawther Hashem, nutritionist at Action on Sugar. “Much stricter measures need to be in place to ensure progress is being made by the food industry.”
The study’s authors have called for a multi-pronged approach, including public health campaigns, regulation of sugary drink advertising, and taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages.
And it’s clear government organisations agree, with a spokesperson for the European Commission saying, “high intake of added sugars can be a risk factor for ill health, especially in the case of intake of sugar sweetened beverages.”
However, in spite of this, there are currently no noises coming out of Brussels to indicate the European Union is planning to implement further regulations on sugar any time soon. Only time will tell.
Register here to join FoodNavigator’s Sugar Reduction webinar taking place on 22 January 2025
