Wheyhey Calls For UK Supermarkets to Take Action Against Sugary Snacks
Protein ice cream producer Wheyhey has recently conducted research into the general public’s attitude towards sugar, education and supermarkets – the survey results concluded that:
* 91% agreed that we consume too much sugar in the UK
* 87% feel that food manufacturers are not taking an active approach to reduce the amount of sugar in foods
* 82% stated that they believe a traffic light rating on food packaging should be a legal requirement for all brands
* 34% believe that the traffic light packaging labels are reflective of the contents packet
* 79% agreed that there is not enough education on the contents of food including sugars and additives
* 52% believe that UK consumers would be more inclined to purchase healthier products if food manufacturers were given more incentives.
This study shows that the public have real concerns when it comes to their consumption of sugar, there is a desire for sugar-free alternatives and a call for supermarkets and food manufacturers to supply these alternatives.
Established in 2013, the Wheyhey brand currently offers a range of indulgent high protein, sugar free ice creams, designed to provide a truly healthy snacking alternative.
Damien Kennedy, co-founder of Wheyhey, comments: “Wheyhey, is growing at an exponential rate. In the UK we will be launching into a supermarket this spring, overseas we have seen success in the Middle East, Germany, Estonia, Finland and Ireland. Innovation is central to our ethos at Wheyhey and as a small business, if we can do it, there are no excuses for bigger businesses not to follow suit.”
There are grave concerns both in the UK and globally, echoed through the World Health Organisation (WHO), that we are consuming too much sugar. Type 2 diabetes is up 60 % in the last decade, according to Diabetes UK. Coupled with this, Type 2 diabetes has resulted in 7,000 amputations in the UK at the annual cost of £9 billion to the NHS – which is under more and more strain.
Research funded by the UK department of Health suggests that the reason for the promotion of less healthy options is because unhealthy items are less perishable, however, this is not the case with the rise of innovative food sources.
A study performed by Professor Paul Dobson at the University of East Anglia, found that ‘special offers’ in supermarkets are 20% more likely to have red traffic light levels of sugar compared to non-offers, and that “Buy-one-get-one-free” offers are heavily geared towards unhealthy products as appose to healthy ones.
According to Wheyhey’s sugar survey, more than half of respondents believe that UK consumers would be more inclined to purchase healthier alternatives above the leading brands, if more was done to promote them. With the dominance of special offers in supermarkets, research has shown that the promotion of healthier alternatives would lead to an increase in sales of these versus sugary products, which are damaging to health.
Greg Duggan, co-founder of Wheyhey, says: “The results from our survey reveal that there is a desire among the great British public for change in terms of the promotion of sugars and additives. We need to look at ways to provide better education to the public on topics such as the traffic light packaging and the health effects of long-term sugar intake. British supermarkets and food manufacturers need to take action on the creation and promotion of healthier alternatives.”
More than two-thirds of participants believe that there is not enough education on the contents of foods, and there is a consensus that the traffic light rating system should be a legal requirement, but clarity is required for whether the traffic light label is for the full contents of a packet or for a selected portion.
In a study carried out by Dr Leek, at the University of Birmingham it was found that 40% of respondents failed to identify the healthier product when two traffic light systems – circular and horizontal – were compared, while 25%struggled to pick out the healthiest ready meal when it had the circular label.
Education is crucial to reducing the next generation’s obesity levels, with TV chef Jamie Oliver having recently embarked on a campaign to reduce sugar intake in schools. Wheyhey research indicates that there is a hunger to learn more about what goes into our food, which applies to both children and adults.
For further information visit www.wheyhey.com or Wheyhey Head Office on Tel: +44 (0)20 8940 8665.
