Excessive Amounts of Sugar Discovered in Baby Drinks
A Foodwatch investigation reveals: Over 85% of kids' beverages scrutinized exceed the sugar limit. Certain ones surpass the daily sugar consumption limit by as much as thrice. Now, professionals advocate for a contentious strategy.
Multiple beverages geared towards children have been discovered to be overly sweet, as per a test carried out by consumer association Foodwatch. Out of 136 beverages assessed with packaging appealing to kids or young adults, 117 (86%) contained more than 5 grams of sugar per 100 ml. In Britain, this would set off the so-called 'sugar tax'. Foodwatch now urges the implementation of this tax in Germany as well.
For their research, Foodwatch analyzed various types of drinks from the top 5 supermarkets aimed at children and teenagers, such as those featuring animal or comic character prints, or trendy product designs like iced teas or energy drinks. Pouches and small bottles with a straw were also assessed. The tested products encompassed sodas, fruit juices, energy drinks, mineral water, and iced teas.
Typically, the drinks under inspection contained 7.8% sugar, equivalent to 6.5 sugar cubes in a 250 ml glass, as per Foodwatch. Only four of the tested items would gain a Nutriscore of green A or B. A quarter would be tagged yellow C, while around three-quarters (74%) would obtain an orange or red score of D or E.
"Threat to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease"
The beverage with the most sugar was an energy drink, with 15.6 grams of sugar per 100 ml. As per Foodwatch, a can of this drink would surpass a child or young person's daily sugar intake by three times. According to Berthold Koletzko from Munich's children's clinic, the intake of sugary beverages during childhood and adolescence is a significant risk factor for obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Therefore, immediate steps to decrease the consumption of sweet beverages are "urgently required."
In Britain, a tax of 18 pence (approximately 21 cents) is leved for every 5 grams of sugar per 100 ml, and 24 pence for every 8 grams. This tax, introduced in 2018, led to a 29% decrease in sugar content in drinks between 2015 and 2021 in Britain. In Germany, the reduction was merely 2% during the same period.
"German nutrition and health policy is grossly unsuccessful in preventing nutrition-related illnesses," commented Luise Molling of Foodwatch. Alongside a sugar tax, her organization calls for restricting advertising for unhealthy products and setting a legal age limit for the sale of energy drinks. However, the current policy primarily relies on voluntary industry measures, which have minimal impact.
The findings from Foodwatch's investigation highlight the prevalence of high sugar content in beverages marketed towards children, with many food markets offering such products. Consequently, a call for the implementation of a 'sugar tax' in Germany, like in Britain, has been advocated by Foodwatch due to the threat these beverages pose to childhood obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
