Sugar is a natural component of many foods including fruit, vegetables and dairy products. Sugar is also frequently added to a wide variety of foods and beverages to enhance flavor. Sugar is high in calories, and excessive sugar can contribute to weight gain and related negative health effects. The United States Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, has not issued a daily recommended intake allowance for sugar, but government dietary guidelines advise limiting sugar consumption.
FDA Recommended Daily Values
The FDA sets recommended Daily Values for a number of dietary components. Daily Values are set based on a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet, and set minimal recommended intake limits for vitamins, some minerals, and fiber, as well as maximal recommended intake limits for sodium, cholesterol and fat. Nutritional information panels on packaged food products indicate the percent of Daily Value of each listed dietary component found in one serving of the labeled food product. The FDA has not set Daily Values for sugar as of June 2011. However, the quantity of sugar, measured in grams--including both naturally occurring and added--in food products may be found listed on the nutritional information panel.
Considered Regulations
In 2000, the FDA responded to a petition filed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest and numerous other health organizations, and invited public input on the issue of whether to adopt recommended daily values for sugar consumption. The petition suggested that the FDA adopt the same recommendation for daily sugar consumption as that found in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines for Americans in 2000, which was no more than 10 teaspoons of added sugar per day for a 2,000 calorie per day diet. Although the FDA considered public comments, the agency determined not to set a Daily Value for sugar consumption at that time. However, in 2010, the FDA did adopt regulations regarding food labeling that create legal definitions for label claims such as "sugar free" and "no sugar added." These labeling definitions help consumers determine more accurately the sugar content of any labeled food product.
USDA Dietary Guidelines
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which together with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, periodically issues Dietary Guidelines for Americans, has retreated from its earlier recommendation that added sugar intake should be restricted to 10 teaspoons per day for 2,000 calorie-per-day diets. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting consumption of foods and beverages with added sugars, and opt instead for foods with little or no added sugar. The USDA suggests that most people should limit the calories from solid fats and added sugars combined to no more than 5 to 15 percent of their daily calorie intake.
American Heart Association Recommendations
In 2009, the American Heart Association recommended that women consume no more that 100 calories of added sugar per day--about 6 teaspoons--and men consume no more than 150 calories of added sugar per day--about 9 teaspoons. This recommendation is about half of the average American consumption of over 22 teaspoons of added sugar per day, most of which comes from sweet beverages, according to the University of Wisconsin Extension. The American Heart Association recommendations are roughly equivalent to the 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, in that 100 calories of added sugar equates to 5 percent of a woman's 2,000 calorie per day diet.
References
- United State Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration; How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label; 2011
- University of Wisconsin Extension; Nutrition for Family Living; Susan Nitske et al.; September 2009
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration; 21 Code of Federal Regulations Part 101 et seq., Food Labeling; April 1, 2010
- Center for Science in the Public Interest; FDA Weighing Sugar Labeling; June 26, 2000
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