Sugary drink icon can help confusion over kids’ drinks

9 February 2017

Media release

Dental Association says sugary drink icon can help confusion over kids’ drinks

Recent research on the sugar content of supermarket-sold beverages in New Zealand shows finding out sugar levels is a confusing area says the New Zealand Dental Association.

Sugar is a major contributor to dental decay, and the study showed that some fruit juices have higher sugar levels than fizzy drinks.

“We have said in our Consensus Statement on Sugary Drinks, people need a clearer way to know how much sugar is in the drinks they are holding,” said NZDA spokesperson Dr Rob Beaglehole.

“A sugary drink teaspoon icon is much simpler than ‘100ml per serve’, so instead of focusing on the type of drink, customers could look at a label that states ‘contains 16 teaspoons of sugar’.

“It’s about simplification, and comparing like with like. The teaspoon icon is the way to go,” says Dr Beaglehole.

“We’ve always said there’s no single measure that can be relied on. This broad approach will benefit not just childhood obesity levels, but type 2 diabetes, as well as dental health.”

A consortium of public health groups is backing a NZDA-led 7-point Consensus Statement on Sugary Drinks.

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