UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe, which represents soft drinks producers across the EU, says it is determined to support consumers in managing their intake of added sugars from soft drinks, by ensuring that the healthier choices are more accessible.
The industry responded to the
UNESDA President and President Western Europe at
"It demonstrates our sector's accelerated action in response to changing consumer preferences and the expectations of public health stakeholders."
UNESDA says the 14.6 percent reduction in added sugars has been achieved through a range of actions, including changing recipes to reduce sugars, developing new products with different sweetness levels, increasing the availability of small packs to support portion control and moderation, and encouraging people towards more no- and low-sugar/calorie options through marketing investments.
"Our sector's progress in reducing sugar and calorie reduction has been enabled by the openness of stakeholders to engage through the EU Platform," adds Brett. "We believe that the EU Code of Conduct for responsible business and marketing practices announced in the
Government’s sugar reduction plans not working, says Action on Sugar
The soft drinks consortium also says that while the soft drinks sector has reduced the average sugar content in its products, and the WHO's research shows that frequency of consumption among school-aged children has declined across all age groups over the past 16 years, obesity levels have not reduced.
It says this demonstrates the complexity of the issue and the need for a holistic approach, with all food and drink sectors committing to actions that support healthier food environments.
In addition to ongoing sugar and calorie reduction,
References
GlobalData research across seven markets -Belgium ,France ,Germany ,Spain ,Sweden ,Romania ,UK – representing 62 percent of the EU market and extrapolated to create an aggregate figure.
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