Patricia Chairopoulos, head of the food and environment section at magazine 60 Million consumers enlightens us today on sugar consumption during our breakfasts and snacks. She carried out a comparative test, and the result is that the French eat too much sugar…
franceinfo: For your survey you evaluated around fifty products and most of them contain far too much sugar
Patricia Chairopoulos: Yes, like other industrial products for that matter. Sugars are present in 80% of prepackaged foods, both sweet and savory, and they are identified in the ingredient lists under the name of sucrose, of course, but also glucose, fructose, glucose-fructose syrup, etc.
And the problem is that the French love sugar, we consume too much apparently?
According to the National Food Safety Agency, the French consume on average more than 100 grams; the World Health Organization recommends a maximum of 50 grams of sugar per day. These are free sugars, those found in fruit juices as well as all added sugars.
The risk of an excess is to promote weight gain, cavities, certain metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, not to mention the fatigue linked to excessive variations in blood sugar, that is to say the level of glucose in the blood.
But when we say that sugar gives energy, is it wrong?
Yes and no, it depends on what types of sugars we are talking about. Admittedly, eating a sweet chocolate bar gives a boost, but it does not last, and you may even have a stroke afterwards. On the other hand, the carbohydrates found in the form of starch in whole grains and legumes in particular, are interesting because they provide good quality energy to the body, and over the long term.
What types of products have you analyzed and on what criteria?
We analyzed about fifty products, half breakfast products such as cereals and mueslis, and the other half snack products: biscuits and chocolate and fruit cakes such as strawberry rolls.
And what are the results, do we have enough information on the packaging?
Although manufacturers are required to indicate certain nutritional values (calories, fats, carbohydrates, sugars, etc.) on packaging, they are insufficient. Because a key criterion is missing: the glycemic load. This value takes into account the glycemic index of the food and its carbohydrate content. The higher it is (above 20), the more the ingested portion causes a rapid rise in the level of glucose in the blood (glycemia), and the less the food will be interesting for the line and health.
Indeed, peaks in blood sugar promote the storage of sugars in the form of fat and also increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Not to mention that the fluctuation of blood sugar during the day can promote stress and fatigue.
Good for breakfast, there is the traditional battle between cereals and mueslis. What are the results of your investigation?
The results are clear: on the cereal side, the glycemic loads are generally very high. Worse still are their sugar content: at an average of 16 grams, a bowl of cereal alone provides a third of the intake recommended by the WHO (50 grams/day). Add a cake and a sweet drink as the day progresses, and you’re off the hook.
In the morning, it is better to bet on muesli. With a glycemic load of less than 20, a small half of our sample is interesting for health. A small problem, however: except for two references, we are dealing with sweet products, especially “crispy” recipes. But another advantage of mueslis lies in their fiber content, essential for good food transit, the prevention of certain cancers, as well as the regulation of blood sugar and cholesterol.
The goal is to reach 30 grams per day, according to health authorities. Seven of our mueslis (more than 6 g of fiber) are a good source. Nothing to do with most cereals and their poor intake.
Not too much salt? Because we know that manufacturers tend to add more everywhere?
On this criterion, all breakfast products are good, containing less than 0.5 grams per bowl.
And for a snack?
The results are less good, and even more on sugars. At the back of the pack, we unsurprisingly find the sweetest, knowing that cakes and cookies contain on average more than 14 grams per serving (about 50 grams, or two cookies) or 30% of our daily sugar needs! On this criterion, the family of cakes offers the best (Moelleux de Gerblé – 6.5 g/portion) as well as the worst (Casino Strawberry Doodingues – 23 g/portion). They can also be salty and for some, too rich in saturated fatty acids.
But when you read your survey, are there really products to avoid, especially since many contain additives?
Based on the overall ratings of our ranking, some products are definitely to be avoided. When it comes to additives, cakes are the champions, with a record nine additives for one reference. These are mainly emulsifiers and baking powders, but also thickeners, gelling agents and other acidity correctors.
Does that mean that there are big disparities between the products you tested?
Yes, even if in the snack category, no product really stands out. Our ratings range from 13/20 for the best to 5/20 for a chocolate chip cake.