Oliver, who last month told Prime Minister David Cameron to “be brave” and tax sugar, implemented a 10% tax on sugary drinks in his restaurants.
However, industry commentators criticised his call, claiming a tax on sugar could cost the pub trade millions.
Making Sense of Sugar (MSS), an educational platform set up by sugar manufacturer AB Sugar, set out this week to dispel the top five most common myths about sugar to help consumers and businesses combat misinformation.
Five sugar myths:
- Sugar is high in calories
- Sugar is only used to sweeten products
- Some sugars are better for you than others
- Sugars are hidden in a lot of pre-packaged food and drinks in the UK
- The body can survive without sugar
In response to the myths, MSS said: “Sugar has only four calories per gram. This compares with fat (nine calories per gram) and alcohol (seven calories per gram).
“Sugar doesn’t just sweeten a product, it has other properties that make it unique – it is used to provide structure and texture and also acts as a natural preservative.
“No kind of sugar is better or worse for you whether it’s naturally present in a food (e.g. a piece of fruit) or used during manufacturing. The body breaks down each sugar in exactly the same way.”
Sugars also couldn’t be hidden in any pre-packaged food or drink, as the labels had to show total sugars, it said.
And, as for the body being able to survive without sugar, MSS added: “All sugars are carbohydrates that provide energy for the body. The most common sugar in the body is glucose, which your brain, major organs and muscles, need to function properly.”
#EatWhatYouLike
Yorkshire chef author and cookery teacher Nigel Brown recently launched a Twitter campaign called #EatWhatYouLike, which hit back at celebrity chefs and government bodies for imposing too many rules on people about what to eat.
Such campaigns against sugar had the potential to damage businesses, particularly pub restaurants, he claimed.
“If people are conscious because the government are saying ‘don’t eat too much sugary food’, then there’s your desserts revenue gone for a start.”
Consumer diet and lifestyle in figures:
- 27% of consumers feel they maintain a healthy lifestyle
- 51% say they have a balanced diet, but don’t exercise enough
- 39% find it hard to get their children active
- 59% understand and find food labels useful
- 43% believe calories are important to a balanced diet and lifestyle
- 38% don’t agree that portion sizes are important to having a balanced diet and lifestyle
- Source: Making Sense of Sugar