As cane growers and sugar millers we closely monitor government policies that relate to sugar – from the way the crop is produced through to how the final product is used and consumed.
Current policy discussions
- Sugar tax
- Health star rating scheme
- Added sugar labels
Sugar tax
While the sugar industry clearly has an interest in preventing a sugar tax, we genuinely believe a tax is not the best way to solve serious health issues such as obesity.
We believe a better approach would be to provide targeted support and information approved by the medical profession to identified groups of people (e.g. parents, those already obese or struggling with their weight and people with heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes) to explain the risks involved in eating a poor diet.
Information campaigns should include advice to limit their daily consumption of treats, including energy dense food or drinks containing high levels of sugar or fat.
We want individuals to make well informed decisions about the foods and drinks they consume.
Health star rating
We support the front of pack labelling scheme which aims to help shoppers to compare quickly the sugar, salt and fat content of the different options available within a food category, such as brands of breakfast cereals or yoghurts.
Added sugar labels
We know some people believe sugar is ‘hidden’ in processed foods and that they find it difficult to make healthy choices when shopping.
We support the need to give shoppers clear, simple and transparent information about the food and drinks they buy and consume.
We feel some consumers are struggling to identify food products that are treats and others that can be enjoyed everyday.
The Australian Government has published Dietary Guidelines which explain the amounts and the types of foods we need to eat to stay healthy.
We encourage Food Standards Australia and New Zealand to monitor and take action against false health claims and misleading labels such as ‘no sugar’, ‘low sugar’ and ‘natural sugar’ which can confuse and mislead shoppers. As sugar is a natural product extracted from sugarcane plants, we are concerned to see health claims confusing people about natural, added, free or intrinsic sugars.