New audit shows popular drinks have more than twice daily sugar limit

A new audit undertaken by the Food for Health Alliance has found that popular drinks sold in Australian supermarkets contain as much as 2.5 times the daily limit of sugar recommended for good health, in a single serve.

The audit analysed the sugar content of a range of common soft drinks, energy drinks and sports drinks. Among the worst offenders were Coca-Cola Classic and Solo Original Lemon and which contained around 16 teaspoons of sugar in each 600ml bottle.

Some of the other highest sugar examples include:

• Monster Energy Green (500ml), 14.2 teaspoons

• V Energy (500ml), 13.4 teaspoons

• Red Bull Energy Drink (473ml), 12.7 teaspoons

The World Health Organization recommends a maximum limit of 12 teaspoons of sugar per day, with 6 teaspoons the recommended limit for good health outcomes.

Executive Manager of the Food for Health Alliance, Jane Martin says that with consumption of these drinks still high, their high sugar content paints a worrying picture for Australians’ health.

“Sugary drinks continue to be the leading source of added sugar in Australians’ diet. Each year sugary drinks companies sell more than 1.3 billion litres of sugary drinks to Australians – the equivalent of 530 Olympic swimming pools.

“Strong evidence links sugary drink consumption to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, kidney and liver conditions, mental health conditions and to long-term weight gain and obesity – which raises the risk for 13 types of cancer.”

Dr Monica Farrelly, who is a dentist and Oral Health Promoter at the Australian Dental Association says that these drinks are particularly harmful for dental health.

"Sugary drinks are a major contributor to poor oral health and increase the risk of tooth decay across all age groups. Tooth decay is one of the most common and preventable health conditions, yet it continues to place a significant burden on individuals, families and the health system.

“The combination of high sugar content and acidity in many sugary drinks can damage teeth. Over time, this can result in cavities, enamel erosion (wear), irreversible dental damage and sensitivity for individuals' teeth.

“Supporting Australians to reduce their intake of sugary drinks is an important preventative health measure,” she concluded.

The audit comes as new research by Cancer Council Victoria shows that 77% of Australians surveyed support government action to push sugary drink companies to reduce the sugar content of their products.

Ms Martin agrees that government intervention is needed to encourage companies to reduce the amount of sugar in these drinks.

“Sugary drink companies pack their products with excessive amounts of sugar and relentlessly target Australian consumers with promotions and marketing to make us want to buy them. It’s no wonder consumption of these drinks remains high.

“With big profits to be made from these drinks, we know companies won’t stop making and pushing these high sugar products on Australian families on their own.

It’s time for governments to intervene through regulation and incentives to stop these companies from continuing to profit at the expense of Australians’ health,” Ms Martin concluded.

Food for Health Alliance is a partnership between Cancer Council Victoria, Deakin University, Healthway and VicHealth.