Sugarwise is the international certification authority for sugar claims on food and drink. It assesses foods and beverages on the basis of their sugar claims.[1]
The authority certifies and allows use of its logo on products with no more than 5g of free sugars in 100g in a food or 2.5g of free sugars in 100ml in a beverage, that can also carry a sugar claim.[1] The low free sugar standard is derived from the World Health Organization guidelines for daily intake of free sugars.[2]
The Sugarwise Test
The Sugarwise test distinguishes between free sugars and intrinsic sugars in a food or drink product for the first time[3] and was developed by Cambridge University Scientists.[3][4]
Sugarwise adheres to the WHO guidelines on free sugar content:[5] "Free sugars include monosaccharides and disaccharides added to foods and beverages by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, and sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates."[2]
Policy and Public Affairs
#DontTaxHealthy
Sugarwise was one of the two organisations behind the #DontTaxHealthy campaign to cut VAT on healthy food[6] and continues to lobby for tax breaks on low sugar food and drink.[1]
A Summit at the European parliament was convened in September 2017[10] supported by Alex Mayer. This called for tariffs to be removed for healthier food and drink across the EU post Brexit[1] And was followed by a third summit at the UK Houses of Parliament on 13 September 2017.[11]
History
Sugarwise was launched in March 2016[12][13] with the assistance of Enterprise Europe Network.[14] Mother-of-one Rend Platings founded the organisation[15] after hearing England's chief medical officer's revelation that, as a result of obesity, today's generation of parents may be the first to outlive their children.[16]
The Sugarwise logo was developed by design firm Pemberton & Whitefoord (P&W)[17] with the support of Tesco.[18]
The first product to be certified was JimJams reduced-sugar chocolate spread.[19][13]
In July 2017 Sugarwise certified "Sugar Free" recipes magazine sold in UK supermarkets.[20]
