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Remember, it is all about balance There are no 'good' or 'bad' foods, only good or bad diets. Don't feel guilty about the foods you love, rather eat them in moderation and choose other foods to provide the balance and variety that are vital to good health.
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Sugars, a type of carbohydrate, have been making media headlines repeatedly over the last years. Most strikingly, the debate tends to be based on gut feelings rather than solid science, often missing out on key studies and reviews. However, for policy makers to make informed decisions about sugar consumption in relation to health, they require a well-balanced reflection of the current scientific evidence. In this context, the European Food Safety Authority in its 2010 scientific opinion on dietary carbohydrates concluded that current data do not allow setting an upper limit for (added) sugar intake in relation to body weight, dental health and certain adverse metabolic effects.
Sugar is a common and important part of our diet and provides an essential fuel for our bodies. In fact, the brain and the red blood cells need glucose as an energy source since they cannot use fat, protein, or other forms of energy for this purpose. Sugar also makes our diet more palatable by adding sweetness to a large range of foods. As with any nutrient, excess consumption can have a negative health impact. Therefore, sugar should be eaten in moderation. Furthermore, an overall healthy lifestyle encompasses regular physical activity alongside a balanced diet.
To better understand sugars and their impact on health, EUFIC provides a range of information materials that cover many of the sugar-related topics and give an overview of the most recent scientific developments in the field.
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On 8th January 2013, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) released its draft scientific opinion on the safety of the low calorie sweetener aspartame. To carry out this full risk assessment, EFSA undertook an in-depth review of peer-reviewed scientific and other literature on aspartame and its breakdown products. This included new human studies. EFSA concluded that aspartame and its breakdown products pose no toxicity concern for consumers at current levels of exposure. The current Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) is considered to be safe for the general population and consumer exposure to aspartame is below this ADI. This risk assessment confirms previous findings on the safety of aspartame. The first safety assessment of aspartame carried out in Europe was published by the European Commission’s former Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) in 1984. Subsequent complementary assessments were made by the SCF in 1988, 1997 and 2002. Since EFSA’s establishment in 2002, the Authority issued advice on new scientific studies related to this sweetener in 2006, 2009 and 2011.
 There has been a tendency for labels to focus on nutrition information and to overlook ‘how much’ of a product should be consumed. Portion control is important as research shows that consumption of large portions, particularly of high calorie ‘energy dense’ foods, can contribute to the risk of obesity. There is some evidence that portion sizes of many common foods, e.g. snacks, convenience foods, restaurant meals, have been increasing gradually over the last decade. Therefore, having portion information on labels that is clear, usable and acceptable may play an important role in preventing over-consumption of energy-dense foods and beverages. This could be useful for consumers interested in limiting their calorie intake and body weight. It is also important to display the number of average servings in one unit of the product, as sold. To achieve this standard of information across food and beverage products in Europe, uniform regulatory policies may be needed, or messages stressing the importance of consuming certain foods/drinks in moderation.
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Energy Balance
With only some basic data, the energy balance calculator defines your Body Mass Index (BMI), your daily energy requirements and if you are at risk for certain diseases.
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The 2nd International Vitamin Conference brought together scientists and regulators in sharing new knowledge on vitamins. The Conference took place between the 23rd and the 25th of May 2012 in Copenhagen, and was arranged by the Technical University of Denmark. Discussion was focused on 13 vitamins from food and supplements, the content, their activity, biomarkers, and optimal dietary intake. In this podcast, EUFIC spoke with 5 key speakers on their respective areas of research on vitamins including vitamin K, folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin C.
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