Free sugars in the Canadian diet: a research summary and future directions for food policy.

Abstract

Until recently, most dietary guidelines and related food policies in Canada focused on total sugars, but recent evidence suggests that free sugars are of greater public health concern. Starting in 2017, our research group received federal funding to fill critical gaps related to free sugars and health. In this commentary, we describe our work related to tracking free sugars in the Canadian food supply and simulating the diet and health impacts of product reformulation. We then summarize how our work has influenced policymaking in Canada with examples of our knowledge translation efforts, and provide a future research and policy agenda based on our findings. Overall, there is significant room for Canadian food policies to target free sugars reductions in food and diets to address overconsumption of this nutrient of public health concern.