Packages will have less sugar from January 2017 – publico

 
         

                 

                         
                     

                         

                 

 
 

This was announced in January, but after all will only move forward in early 2017 and is less ambitious than originally intended. The individual packages (packets) of sugar distributed in cafes and restaurants will now be between five to six grams, according to an agreement that has just been signed on Thursday in Lisbon between industry representatives and health authorities.

the agreement provides a reduction for each packet (sachet), which will contain five to six grams of sugar, instead of the current six to eight grams, he told Lusa the president of the Association of refiners Portugal sugar. This while the Director General of Health, Francisco George, stated that the ideal is to get the maximum amount of sugar in each package is four grams.

Protocols for “responsible and balanced consumption of sugar” were signed also by the representatives of the Industry and Commerce Association of Coffee and Hospitality Association, Restoration and Similar of Portugal.

Stressing that what aim is to “give a signal to all the Portuguese” that should decrease the intake of sugar, the Director-general He recalled the contribution of sugar in excess n the development of diabetes, a disease that is the central theme of World Health Day, marked today.

When the proposal was announced in January, Francisco George emphasized that the aim was to reduce to half or less than half (four to three grams) the amount of sugar packages served in the catering sector and make it mandatory that only be available to customers in if they request it, not indisciminada way as at present.

After signing the agreement, the representative of the industrial sugar, Francisco Avillez, considered that the change will not be felt significantly by consumers, but admitted that will impact the industry. “Companies will reduce their profitability, but are aware that it is best for the Portuguese,” he said, without specifying the amount of losses by reducing the amount of sugar in packages.

in January, the Director general of Health said that this change would be just one of the measures to reduce the consumption of sugar and, consequently, decrease the rate of chronic diseases, especially type 2 diabetes and obesity, two major public health problems in Portugal.