Canadian Beverage Association responds to U.K. Action on Sugar release

TORONTO, Oct. 1, 2015 /CNW/ - In response to the release from the U.K. organization Action on Sugar, Canadian Beverage Association (CBA) issued the following statement:

Jim Goetz, President, CBA, said:

"Canadian beverage manufacturers are leading the way in cutting calories and reducing the sugar in their products. Through new product development, reformulation and increased availability of smaller pack sizes, annual sugar-sweetened beverage consumption has decreased by over 17% in the past decade.¹"

Notes to Editors:

Please note: All references to beverages or non-alcoholic beverages exclude data pertaining to 100% juice, dairy, hot beverages (e.g. coffee and tea), or beverages prepared by consumers from powders or syrups.

1. No- and low-calorie beverages are virtually half (49%) of all non-alcoholic refreshment beverage volume in Canada.¹
2. Soft drinks represent only 2.5% of the total calories in the average Canadian's daily diet.²
3. The beverage industry in Canada is a market leader in supporting calorie awareness, including Clear on Calories, the industry-led, front-of-pack calorie label.
4. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adult consumption of free sugars not exceed 10%. Canadian consumption of free (added) sugars at roughly 11%³ is in line with this recommendation, and continues to decrease as a percentage of total energy.

The Canadian Beverage Association is the national trade association representing the broad spectrum of companies that manufacture and distribute the majority of non-alcoholic refreshment beverages consumed in Canada. Over 58,000 individuals are employed directly, indirectly and through induced jobs in the Canadian beverage industry.

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¹ Canadean www.canadean.com
² Garriguet D. "Overview of Canadian's Eating Habits: 2004"; Nutrition: Findings from the Canadian Community Health Survey. Statistics Canada; 2006.  Cited statistic is calculated from soft drinks-related data as reported in Chart 2 and Table 4. 
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-620-m/82-620-m2006002-eng.pdf
³ Brisbois TD, Marsden SL, Anderson GH, Sievenpiper JL. "Estimated Intakes and Sources of Total and Added Sugars in the Canadian Diet". Nutrients. 2014, 6, 1899-1912; doi:10.3390/nu6051899
http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/6/5/1899/htm   

SOURCE Canadian Beverage Association

contact Carolyn Fell at 416-362-2424 or [e-mail].