Certification scheme to show schools limit sugar intake

As the School Food Standards place no limit on the amount of sugar children consume, charity Sugarwise has launched a new scheme to certify schools which limit the sugar intake from children during the school day.

Some children may consume as much as up to 30 times the recommended maximum across a whole school day, or up to 10 times the daily recommended limit across a typical school day, Sugarwise says.

By getting certified, schools and caterers demonstrate their commitment to doing their part in reducing sugar intake in children.

Sugarwise is a charity dedicated to the prevention of obesity and Type 2 Diabetes as well as other non communicable diseases influenced by lifestyle.

The Sugarwise mark gives assurance that products on which the logo appears have been independently assessed and are low in free sugars - the sugars that the World Health Organisation recommends limiting to no more than 5% of daily calories - low in calories or low in carbohydrates.

Dr Giles Yeo, Cambridge University says: "Obesity levels are soaring and the costs of inaction will be devastating. Sugarwise certification of schools is a positive and pragmatic means of addressing this challenge. By getting certified, schools and caterers demonstrate their commitment to doing their part in reducing sugar intake in children and show they are serious about following public health guidelines. As part of the broader strategy to reduce levels of obesity in children, we would hope to see many more schools be certified. Every single school that participates in the scheme is making an incremental and important contribution to the solution."