title: Total and Free Sugar Content of Canadian Prepackaged Foods and Beverages.
abstract: A number of recommendations for policy and program interventions to limit excess free sugar consumption have emerged, however there are a lack of data describing the amounts and types of sugar in foods. This study presents an assessment of sugar in Canadian prepackaged foods including: (a) the first systematic calculation of free sugar contents; (b) a comprehensive assessment of total sugar and free sugar levels; and (c) sweetener and free sugar ingredient use, using the University of Toronto's Food Label Information Program (FLIP) database 2013 (n= 15,342). Food groups with the highest proportion of foods containing free sugar ingredients also had the highest median total sugar and free sugar contents (per 100 g/mL): desserts (94%, 15 g, and 12 g), sugars and sweets (91%, 50 g, and 50 g), and bakery products (83%, 16 g, and 14 g, proportion with free sugar ingredients, median total sugar and free sugar content in Canadian foods, respectively). Free sugar accounted for 64% of total sugar content. Eight of 17 food groups had ≥75% of the total sugar derived from free sugar. Free sugar contributed 20% of calories overall in prepackaged foods and beverages, with the highest at 70% in beverages. These data can be used to inform interventions aimed at limiting free sugar consumption.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E2, Canada. jodi.bernstein@mail.utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Jodi T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E2, Canada. a.schermel@gmail.ca.
authors.forename: Alyssa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schermel
authors.affiliation: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada. chris.mills@mail.utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Christine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E2, Canada. mary.labbe@utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Mary R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: L'Abbé
keywords: Canada; food composition; food supply; free sugar; nutrition labelling; policy; public health; sugars