It is clear that the sugars component of the diet has potentially deleterious effects on health. In the past, the dietary sugars were collectively referred to as non-milk extrinsic sugars (UK) or added sugars. The WHO first proposed a new term, free sugars, which is rather broader than added sugars, and also includes the sugars in fruit juices and purees, as well as honey and syrups. This review considers the potential problems that free sugars represent in relation to health risks, and the recent proposals that free sugars are a more appropriate focus than added or total as far as public health initiatives are concerned. This will require major activities in relation to measurement, labelling and communication to the consumer if attempts to reduce dietary free sugars content are to be successful.
Keywords: Dietary carbohydrate; Free sugars; Health risks.