The Directorate-General for Health in Portugal, along with the Portuguese Association of Distribution Companies, have agreed to further reduce the size of single-serve sugar packets, such as those served alongside coffee, to 4 grams.
In January 2017, the weight of sugar packets was initially reduced from 8 grams to 5-6 grams.
Promoting Healthy Food
The measure will mostly target cafés, bars and restaurants in shopping malls and hypermarkets. It is part of the commitment of the sector to promote healthy eating, by reformulating food products, providing healthy alternatives, and spreading awareness about proper eating and healthy habits.
The initiative is part of the 'Integrated Strategy for the Promotion of Healthy Food, launched in 2017 by the Portuguese government through an inter-ministerial group, which seeks to reduce the levels of sugar, salt and trans-unsaturated fatty acids in foods by 2020.
The strategy is in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organization, which recommends that sugar should account for less than 10% of the total calories consumed daily, ideally approaching 5%.
Smaller Doses
The director of the National Program for the Promotion of Healthy Food, Pedro Graça, told daily Jornal de Noticias that alongside the new measures, Portuguese consumers will be warned of health risks such as cavities and diabetes, which will hopefully lead to them consuming smaller doses of sugar.
At the same time, the measure will help combat food waste as many people do not consume a whole sugar packet. He added that the new measure comes into force at the end of 2019 to give businesses time to dispose of existing stocks.
According to Portugal’s Ministry of Health, poor eating habits contribute the most to life expectancy issues among the Portuguese population (19%). Poor diet is also one of the determinants of chronic disease, which accounts for 85% of the disease burden on the country’s health system.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine
