The sweetest thing...

Among the many things that the current pandemic has delayed / put on hold / consigned to history (delete as applicable and according to your current mood) is the European Food Safety Authority's attempt to set a tolerable upper intake level (UL) for dietary sugars, including added sugars. 

ULs form part of what we know as Dietary Reference Values (DRVs). These values, which also include measurements such as Reference Intake (RI) and Adequate Intake (AI), can influence government policy and help consumers make informed choices for a healthier diet.

So why will this be important? It is likely to have a significant influence on the future of new product development, both for the retail and hospitality markets. Setting a limit means assigning a visible and measurable target for businesses and consumers to aim at. And we do love to count things (ever felt cheated after a long, life-affirming walk only to find your phone belligerently showing 9,900 steps...?). For healthy eaters, these targets allow them the joy of an abacus of virtue.

Should the data available be sufficient, then a new UL for dietary sugars could be in place by mid-2021. Given the UK government's existing commitment to a 20% sugar reduction from 2016 to year end, and the new obesity strategy, there are multiple drivers of formulation change around. Of course, legislative changes often drive innovation and I look forward to the raft of novel ingredient enquiries paddling, slowly but surely, towards my inbox...