Added Sugar Labelling

 

Food labels should accurately inform consumers about sugars in packaged foods.

Food for Health Alliance strongly supports recommendations in the Diabetes Inquiry’s report that the Australian Government makes it easier for the public to know what added sugars are in products by: 

  • introducing new food labelling requirements so consumers can clearly identify the amount of added sugar from front-of-pack labelling; and
  • including information regarding added sugar in the nutrition information panel

woman with two bottles in supermarket

Which sugars are bad for health?

There is a growing scientific and community concern around the impact of sugar on health, and in particular the impact of excess consumption of ‘free sugars.’

Free sugars are all sugars that are not found in whole fruits, vegetables or dairy products. This includes sugar from sugar cane, honey and syrups as well as concentrated fruit sugars like pastes, concentrates and juices that are often used in foods for young children. 

Consuming too many free sugars is associated with poor diets, obesity and risk of chronic diseases like cancer.

The World Health Organization recommends that intakes of free sugars make up equal or less than 10% of total energy intake. 

72% of Australian school age children exceed this.

 

What are ‘added sugars’?

Currently, ‘added sugar’ is defined very narrowly and doesn’t include all free sugars.

For labelling about sugars to be effective, there needs to be a legislated definition of added sugar that includes all free sugars.

For more information about what ingredients should be included in a fit for purpose 'added sugar' definition, see this report prepared by The George Institute for Global Health.

Read the report

Learn more

Improving food labelling

Labelling of packaged foods should provide accurate information that enables consumers to make choices in line with dietary guidelines. Learn about our work to improve food labelling.

Improving baby & toddler foods

Learn about improving the composition, labelling and promotion of ready-made foods for babies and toddlers to support good health.

What we do

We identify, analyse and advocate for evidence-informed policy and regulatory reforms to improve our food environment – how our food is made, labelled, sold and advertised.