A Government adviser who has worked for confectionary giants says Britain will not act on World Health Organisation recommendations to cut people’s sugar intake by half.
Last week the WHO issued the advice, amid increasing concern from scientists that high sugar intake is fuelling obesity and tooth decay.
But the chairman of a UK committee on nutrition said Government officials in this country will not act on the WHO guidance, but instead follow the advice of his panel.
The disclosure is likely to trigger controversy, because Professor Ian Macdonald, a nutritionist who has worked for Coca-Cola and Mars, is among five of eight members of the panel who have been accused by anti-sugar campaigners of “worryingly close” ties with the fast food and confectionary industry.
Last week Prof Macdonald said he had stood down from paid roles advising on human nutrition at either company, although he still advises Mars on pet foods.
The nutritionist, who is chairman of the carbohydrate working group at the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) is known to be critical of some of the claims made by anti-sugar campaigners, which he considers “irresponsible” and “ill informed”.
In an interview before the new WHO guidance was published last week, Macdonald said: “The position, I’ve been informed by the officials, is that actually we would take note of it, but we would not act on it. The government will act on the advice that comes from [the UK expert panel].”
Yesterday Government officials confirmed that their advice will come from SACN, although they said the committee was expected to carefully consider the evidence which led WHO to make its recommendations.
Story taken from the Telegraph here.
So, we can expect the dietary lunacy to continue, can't have the sugar companies and junk food being out of pocket. When will the Government act ? How many more diabetics, or how much higher do levels of obesity in the population need to be, before firm action is taken ?
Eddie
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