Effective communication on saturated fat

In 2008 IGD brought a number of food and grocery companies together to look at the communication of saturated fat on food and drink products. As a result of this work, we have developed messages and tools to help companies provide clear information to consumers about the saturated fat content of food and drink products.

Intake of saturated fat in the UK population is higher than it should be and this is a cause for concern in terms of public health. A high intake of saturated fat is associated with increased blood cholesterol levels, a risk factor for Coronary Heart Disease. Reduction of intake of saturated fat is a focus for the UK Food Standards Agency.

Enabling consumers to make more informed choices about the foods they eat is a key step in helping them to reduce their intake of saturated fat.

IGD and Saturated Fat
Download the full report here

Sugars: Improving information and messages to consumers

Sugars are an important source of energy in the diet, and occur naturally in many foods including fruit, vegetables, dairy products and cereals. They are also a common ingredient in processed foods where they have a number of functions including enhancing palatability, giving texture and colour, and acting as a preservative.

Public health messages focus on reducing consumption of foods and drinks high in sugars, in the context of managing energy intake and dental health. However, there is some confusion about the nutritional value of sugars for example, the perception that those naturally occurring within foods and drinks are different to refined.

IGD’s Industry Nutrition Strategy Group convened a working group to investigate consumer understanding of sugars and look at whether information and messages to consumers about sugars might be improved. The resulting report contains:

• Evidence-based consumer messages for use by food businesses
• Information about labelling of sugars on food and drink products
• A review of terms used to describe sugars in the diet
• Scientific evidence for the relationship between sugars and health

Download the full report here
 

Investigating the consumer perspective

The IGD Industry Nutrition Strategy Group sugars working group carried out research to investigate consumer understanding of sugars, and terms associated with sugars and sugar processing. The results highlighted confusion around processing of sugars; the nutritional value of sugars from different sources; impact of sugars on health and how sugars fit into a healthy balanced diet.

Helping consumers to make healthier choices

Based on the findings of our research, we developed general consumer messages about sugars to help give consumers clarity on sources of sugars and their role in the diet, while specific messages address consumer concerns about sugars and health.

Supporting businesses

In addition to consumer messages, the report by our working group includes a review of terms used to describe sugars in the diet; information about labelling of sugars on food and drink products; and a summary of the scientific literature relating to the impact of sugars on health. Businesses may find these helpful when developing products and resources.