Regulated sugar syrup expects isoglucose could become a serious problem

End of the sugar market regime for beet sugar: More and more isoglucose expected

On 1 October, the sugar market regime for beet sugar was dropped. Almost at the same time, the quota system for isoglucose expired. Health experts now fear an increase in cheap sugar syrup imports and an increase in sugar consumption.

High sugar consumption endangers the health

Too much sugar makes you fat and sick - this has been proven in numerous studies. For example, it has long been known that high sugar intake can lead to obesity, tooth decay or diabetes, among other things. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a maximum of 50 grams of free sugar a day. On average, the Germans absorb almost twice the amount. This also has to do with the hidden sugar in food. Health experts fear that the food industry will use even more sugar in the future. The reason for the assumption is the abolition of the sugar CMO for beet sugar and the end of the quota system for isoglucose.

Health experts are worried about an increase in cheap sugar syrup imports and an increase in sugar consumption following the phasing out of the isoglucose quota. (Image: PhotoSG / fotolia.com)

Sugarbeet regime for beet sugar accounts

On October 1, 2017, the sugar market regime for beet sugar ceased to exist, and practically at the same time the quota system for isoglucose expired.

The German Obesity Society (DAG) and diabetesDE - German Diabetes Aid warn in a joint press release that the result is foreseeable: no more barriers to the cheap syrup imports with the collective name "isoglucose".

The syrup, which is mostly 55% fructose and 44% glucose, is not considered to be detrimental to industrial sugar unless the levels of consumption increase; However, production is expected to more than triple over the next ten years.

If isoglucose not only displaces sugar from the market but is even more widely used in processed foods, overall sugar and calorie intake will increase even more, further favoring the growth of overweight and obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Increasing the amount of fructose administered over the long term would increase the risk of fatty liver or type 2 diabetes.

The experts therefore call for a speedy optimization and implementation of the national reduction strategy for sugar, salt and fat in the coming legislative period.

Food industry will probably use more cheap isoglucose

"It is to be expected that the food industry will increasingly use cheap isoglucose in Europe", said Prof. Dr. med. Dr. Hans-Georg Joost, responsible for the topics science and nutrition on the board of diabetesDE - German Diabetes Aid.

"In the coming legislative period, therefore, the federal government must consistently work to ensure that food does not become sweeter and that sugar consumption does not increase any further - in fact, it already exceeds twice the recommendation for maximum intake and is partly responsible for the high incidence of diabetes 2 and obesity! "Says the diabetologist.

"To achieve this, the national reduction strategy of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food must be rigorously pursued and optimized, especially with regard to time-bound targets that should be mandatory for the food industry; even more efficient would be a sugar-fat tax, "demanded Joost.

Economic interests should not increase sugar consumption

"Using the example of sugar and isoglucose, we can see that agricultural and nutritional policy has a direct impact on the diet of EU citizens and thus has an influence on the development of chronic diseases," said Professor Dr. med. med. Matthias Blüher, President of DAG.

"We must prevent economic interests from further increasing unfavorable consumption of sugar and putting citizens' health at risk as collateral damage to a one-sided agricultural policy," said the expert.

"Obesity prevention must be considered and taken into account in all political fields of action."

How consumers can recognize isoglucose

The cheap sugar syrup isoglucose is often added to processed foods such as sodas, pastries or sauces as a sweetener.

Consumers also recognize it on ingredient lists under terms such as fructose-glucose syrup. The product is made from corn, wheat or potato starch. So far, the proportion of isoglucose in the European Union has been limited to five percent of the sugar market.

Isoglucose usually consists of 55% fructose and 44% glucose, while in sucrose (table sugar) both sugars are present in the same proportions. This difference is considered to be nutritionally irrelevant.

Based on the similarity in the composition with sucrose (beet sugar) and other sugars containing sugar such as honey or invert sugar, the same energy content and the same metabolism, a recent opinion of the Max-Rubner-Institut concludes that "isoglucose ... the health of man no more [harms] than other sugars ", provided the amounts consumed are the same.

Experts from the European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), however, estimate that isoglucose production will more than triple over the period 2016 to 2025 and expect increased intake of isoglucose. (Ad)