Read 'low sugar' labels carefully, dietitians advise

[Isabeau]

Low or reduced-sugar products are replacing low-carb foods as the latest healthy eating trend, but it may be a case of marketing winning out over science.

Grocery stores across Canada are increasingly stocking low-fat, low-carb and low-sugar products from cereal to yogurt.

The food industry wants to meet consumer obsession with weight and concerns over rising obesity rates, said Dana McCauley, a Toronto-based corporate food consultant.

The number of new sugar-reduced products on the market has climbed from about 11 per cent of the market in the U.S. last year, said McCauley. A survey by the grocery industry suggested 17 per cent of Canadians are trying to cut back on the sweetener.

"The trend is leading toward people getting a false impression that they can lower their waistline by consuming foods that are reduced in sugar," said Sharon Macklin, a dietitian in Edmonton.

Macklin, a mother of four, said she thinks companies are trying to sell more expensive foods to people concerned about their weight.

Products may be labelled as containing one-third less sugar, but the marketing may be misleading, said Theresa Glanville, a nutrition professor at Mount St. Vincent University in Halifax.

When Glanville compared boxes of reduced sugar and regular cereals, she found only a five-calorie difference per serving. That's because starches or fat have been added to the low-sugar cereals to boost taste and texture.

"The total amount of carbohydrate is really just modestly different," said Glanville, who suggests consumers should read labels carefully. "For most people, one product is just as healthy as the other."

Glanville, who's also on the scientific advisory board of the Sugar Institute of Canada, said research shows that even when 25 per cent of calories come from sugar, it's not bad for your health, although it may be bad for your teeth.

Macklin advises dieters to eat smaller portions.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/science/nati...ood050601.html