7 Sugar

Current nutrition facts tables for sugar do not show the % DV as there is no recommended daily amount for healthy diets. (Read about upcoming changes proposed by Health Canada in the next chapter, Labelling and Packaging Requirements.) The most recent guidelines published by the World Health Organization (2015) suggest restricting daily intake of free sugars to less than 10% of the total energy intake. The aim is to further reduce the suggested daily intake to 5%, equivalent to 25 g or 6 teaspoons per day. Free sugars include syrups and commercially manufactured icings as well as sugar naturally occurring in honey, maple syrup, fruit juices, and concentrates. As per the World Health Organization guidelines “intrinsic sugars are those incorporated within the structure of intact fruit and vegetable and sugars from milk (lactose and galactose)” (World Health Organization, 2015). A guideline on sugar intake for adults and children is available at the WHO Media Centre.