The poll, conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of The Sugar Association, asked 478 parents of children under the age of 18 how they thought sugar consumption in the US had changed over the past 40 years.
Despite the fact that it has decreased by 35%, 75% of those parents said they believe sugar consumption has increased in some way. And that wasn’t the only result inconsistent with reality …
“The confusion about food – what to eat and what not to eat – is constantly fuelled by extremists who sensationalise each and every new piece of research and distort the facts about sugar for the sake of a story or to hype a new book,” said Andrew Briscoe, CEO of the Sugar Association.
An overwhelming number of parents with children under the age of 18 also overestimated the number of calories in a teaspoon of sugar. 71% believe that there are 20 or more calories in one teaspoon, and almost 30% believe the caloric value is upwards of 100.
Only 7% answered correctly: There are only 15 calories in one teaspoon of sugar.
Approximately 85% of parents of children under the age of 18 believe that all-natural foods are better for you than those that contain artificial ingredients, and 86% stated that the type of sweetener used is at least somewhat important to them when deciding what foods and beverages to serve their kids.
Unfortunately, these same parents often find identifying these foods challenging, making them difficult to avoid. When asked which labels they used to help guide food purchases, only 45% said they looked at the ingredient statement, which is where they would be able to determine whether a food was made with natural vs artificial ingredients, and which type of sweetener was used.
“Food labels are there to help consumers make informed choices,” said Briscoe. “If the ingredient section looks like a laundry list of unknown elements, consumers aren’t going to bother reading it.”
The Sugar Association has petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to follow Canada’s lead and set food label guidance that clearly identifies which ingredients are artificial sweeteners and how much of each are found in a product.
“Parents have a right to know what they are feeding their families,” Briscoe said. “And the current labelling standards aren’t working.”
The petition has been pending with the FDA for eight years.
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