Warning Why sugar will become an even bigger problem in the future

Experts warn against the consequences of the repeal of sugar production regulations

Sugar is generally a very common food, which is mostly used to sweeten beverages and food. However, a diet with too much sugar can lead to obesity, obesity and various serious health problems. Normally, the EU has hitherto had strict regulations for the production and sale of sugar. However, these rules have now been lifted as the sugar market in the EU has been liberalized. Experts now fear increasing use of cheap sugar syrup.

The German Obesity Society (DAG) and the German Diabetes Aid warn that the use of cheap sugar syrup in European foods is likely to increase sharply. As a result, people would absorb more sugar and become more likely to become overweight, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The experts of the German Obesity Society (DAG) published a press release on this important topic.

People should be careful about consuming sugar. Increased consumption can lead to obesity and health problems. Experts now warned against cheap sugar syrup. (Image: Sebastian Studio / fotolia.com)

Regulations on the production and sale of sugar in the EU were abolished

There are changes in the rules for the production and sale of sugar in the EU. So far, for example, the sugar beet had a fixed minimum price. A large proportion of the sugar produced in Germany comes from the sugar beet. There was also a quota that regulated the entire sugar production in Germany, explain the researchers. This determined how much sugar may be produced annually in Germany. Now the minimum prices for sugar beets have been lifted and fixed production quotas abolished. This process should be considered critically, explain the professional societies further.

Will there be more sugary foods in Germany in the future??

If market access is improved for a product and there is generally high demand, this will further increase demand significantly. This increased demand then leads to an ever greater supply for the product, explains Stefanie Gerlach, spokeswoman for the German Obesity Society (DAG). Experts expect sugar prices to fall in the future. So it could be even more lucrative for producers to sell sweetened drinks and sweets. Meanwhile, industry spokesmen are trying to put the dreaded effects into perspective. They stated that they expect no major consequences from the discontinued rules for consumers.

Many people already eat too much sugar these days

It is expected that the food industry will increasingly use cheap so-called isoglucose in Europe. The Federal Research Institute should therefore make sure in the coming legislative period that our food will not be sweeter in the future, say the scientists. In addition, it should be prevented that the sugar consumption continues to increase. Consumption of sugar already exceeds twice the recommendation for maximum intake. Such high sugar intake leads to more cases of type 2 diabetes and obesity, warns Professor Dr. Dr. Hans-Georg Joost from the German Diabetes Aid.

Will there be a sugar-fat tax in the future??

In order to prevent this negative process, the initiated national strategy of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food for the reduction of the sugar consort has to be rigorously pursued and optimized, the expert adds. This applies above all to time-bound targets, which should be implemented by the food industry. It would be even more efficient if a sugar-fat tax is introduced.

Sugar and isoglucose can cause chronic diseases

Sugar and isoglucose have a direct impact on the diet of EU citizens. This also has a major impact on the development of various chronic diseases. It is urgent to prevent economic interests from promoting increased consumption of sugar, which includes human health as a kind of collateral damage. "The Ministry of Agriculture and Food not only has a responsibility to the food industry, but also for consumer health protection in Germany," explains Professor. med. Matthias Blüher, President of the German Obesity Society (DAG) in the press release.

Strategies to reduce sugar consumption should be designed by experts

The physicians argue that the new federal government should set up a scientific advisory board in order to include the expertise of experts on obesity and diabetes from relevant medical societies to formulate a strategy for reducing sugar consumption. The German Obesity Society also calls for the implementation of a national obesity plan in Germany.

What is isoglucose?

Isoglucose is a cheap sugar syrup that is used in various foods. The product is used in sweets, pastries and sauces as a sweetener, for example. Isoglucose can be identified on ingredient lists, for example, under the name fructose-glucose syrup. Isoglucose is made from corn, wheat or potato starch. Isoglucose (High fructose corn syrup = HFCS) is one of the most commonly used sugars in the US. The product accounts for approximately 50 percent of the sugars used in America. The proportion of isoglucose in the European Union has so far been limited to 5 percent. Isoglucose is in most cases 55 percent fructose and another 44 percent is glucose. In normal table sugar, both sugars are present in equal quantities, the experts explain.

How much sugar should we eat each day??

A recent opinion of the Max-Rubner-Institut on this topic indicates that isoglucose does not harm people's health any more 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, expect production of isoglucose to more than triple in the period from 2016 to 2025 in the future. This will probably also lead to an increased uptake of isoglucose in humans. The WHO recommends that people should consume a maximum of 50 grams (or even a maximum of 10 percent of the total energy intake) per day of added sugar, including syrup and honey. (As)