「你今日飲咗未？」Favorite drinks all too sweet for consumers

益力多含糖多過汽水 飲一支如吞3粒方糖
(明報)2009年11月17日 星期二 05:15

【明報專訊】標榜「每日飲一支、益製腸胃」的益力多，繼3年前被消委會揭穿只飲一支已等於吞了3粒方糖，含糖量一直未見改善，食物安全中心聯同消委會最新公布的80款預先包裝飲品含糖量檢測結果中，益力多更居首位，比汽水、果汁的糖分更高；一日飲3支，已攝取了一天所需糖分上限。

食安中心與消委會檢測市面8大類共80款預先包裝飲料（見表），撇除未作冲調的粉末狀冲劑，只有2款飲品包括益力多和美樂多，每100克糖含量超過15克（約3粒方糖），達英國食品標準局所訂的「高糖」水平。

一支達小童日攝糖量四成

食安中心首席醫生馮宇琪坦言，成人每日攝取糖量上限約10粒方糖，兒童攝取量更低﹕「以一個6歲小朋友，21公斤計，其實每飲一支（益力多），已經佔了他每日糖攝取限量的四成；加上他有機會在其他食物攝取糖分，例如朱古力、糖果。」故市民若一餐飲用了高糖飲品，其後應多飲清水以免攝糖量爆標。

消委會早在2006年公布的檢測已顯示，一支100毫升益力多含14.8克糖，今次公布的結果更達16克，益力多香港發言人強調多年無改配方，未有將益力多含糖量再調高，因益生菌有助腸道活動，平衡飲食不攝取過量糖分，仍建議市民每日飲一支益力多。但他們會向日本 總公司匯報報告內容，研究調低配方中的含糖量。

汽水含糖量雖較益力多少，但因罐裝容量較大，飲一罐330毫升等同吃了8.5粒方糖；果汁飲料亦不比汽水健康，以利賓納黑加侖子每100克含13克糖為例，飲一包一樣等同吞了8.5粒方糖。

即使是聲稱無糖的「舊街場白咖啡2合1」冲劑，冲調後每100克亦含0.74克糖，不符無糖標準；另有5個聲稱「低糖」樣本﹕大和豆漿、LIPTON 3合1奶茶、活益比菲多乳酸菌酵乳、Yeo's甘蔗水及健康工房夏枯草，含糖量同樣超過每100克含不多於5克的標準。

飲品稱「少甜」「微甜」避規管

消委會亦發現，部分飲品已轉用「少甜」、「微甜」、「無糖添加」等聲稱字眼，避過明年7月1日生效的營養標籤法例規管，當中包括利賓納黑加侖子、維他奶麥精和豆奶、麥斯威爾醇低脂咖啡冲劑、陽光檸檬茶、大排檔即溶奶茶及雀巢咖啡等，消委會總幹事劉燕卿指出，若發現誤導聲稱增加，會促政府規管。





Favorite drinks all too sweet for consumers

Beatrice Siu and Nickkita Lau

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Health drink Yakult may not be that healthy after all.
The popular milk-like product packed more sugar per 100 grams than 79 other beverages in a joint study by the Consumer Council and the Centre for Food Safety.

And that includes drinks - fruit juices and soya and carbonated drinks - that are usually considered to contain their fair share of sugar, the council said yesterday.

Yakult's live lactobacillus drink topped the list of drinks for sweetness, with 16 grams of sugar per 100 grams.

"In other words, drinking three to four of Yakult's usual mini 100-milliliter bottles might exceed the daily recommended intake limit," said Ron Hui Shu-yuen, vice chairman for community relations.

The World Health Organization recommends the daily intake of free sugars be limited to less than 10 percent of the total daily energy intake - or about 50 grams on an energy intake of 2,000 kilocalories.

Two other lactic acid drinks contained high levels of sugar at 15 grams and 13 grams, respectively.

Other products that have 13 grams of sugar include Fanta Orange, Mirinda Orange, Capri-Sun Orange, Arabian Blackcurrant Drink and Vita Lemon Tea.

Consuming one can or pack of these drinks - which range in volume from 200 to 330 milliliters - will provide 50 to 90 percent of the daily recommended intake, or the equivalent of 8.5 cubes of sugar.

Anne Fung Yu-kei, the centre's principal medical officer for risk assessment and communication, suggested consumers drink more water and tea instead.

A Yakult spokeswoman said its recommended serving is one of its mini-bottles per day, and that consumers should adjust their intake to their needs. She said the sugar content is the same for Yakult manufacturers around the world, who use a standard formula.

The sugar is also needed to aid the breeding of prebiotic and other beneficial bacteria in the body.

The spokeswoman said the test result will be referred to the Japanese headquarters, which will determine whether follow-up action is needed.

The survey also found 10 products that claimed to have "less sugar" or "low sugar" failed to comply with the 2008 Food and Drugs nutrition labeling requirement of not more than five grams of sugar per 100 grams, or per 100 milliliters of food, to qualify for the designation.

Oldtown White Coffee 2-in-1, which claims to be sugar free, actually contains 5.3 grams of sugars per 100 grams.

This too breaches the requirement that "sugar-free" food must not contain more than 0.5 grams.

Two of the five samples claiming to be "less sweet" or "slightly sweetened" contains 9.1g and 9.8g respectively.