Diabetic foods - FAQ
What are diabetic foods?
In the past, the labelling has been associated with confectionery foods ie sweets, biscuits, cakes and chocolate that contained a bulk sweetener like sorbitol or fructose instead of sugar (sucrose).These products could be labelled sugar-free as the bulk sweeteners are not classed as sugars. However, the products have similar nutritional content as standard confectionery foods and therefore still raise blood glucose levels in a similar way and contain similar calories.
In the shops there are a lot of diabetic foods i.e chocolate, jam etc. is it o.k to eat these products even in a small amount rarely?
'Diabetic foods' are not recommended as many contain more fat and energy than other foods and are often low in fibre. The general rule appears to be if they are reduced sugar, they are high in fat, and low fat means high in sugar. A small piece of ordinary (sweetened) cake or chocolate on the odd occasion after a regular meal is probably less harmful.
What is the difference between bulk sweeteners and intense sweeteners?
Bulk sweeteners are nutritive sweeteners that contain calories. They also raise blood glucose levels in people with diabetes so they behave like sugars but they are not classed as sugars so products they are used to sweeten can be labelled sugar-free. Intense sweeteners are sugar free and calorie free and are available in tablet, liquid and sprinkle/granulated form and are also used to sweeten foods and drinks in the food industry.
What is the difference between diabetic chocolate and standard chocolate?
Diabetic chocolate contains a bulk sweetener like fructose or sorbitol in place of sugar. Both diabetic and standard chocolate will raise blood glucose levels in people with diabetes. Diabetic chocolate has been shown to be more expensive and generally higher in fat content than standard chocolate. Surveys in the past have indicated that it can be four times the price of standard chocolate.
What is the best way to label foods in order to help people with diabetes make healthy food choices?
The European Commission is still considering the issue of labelling, both, for people with diabetes, and in general, to enable consumers to have the appropriate information to be able to choose a balanced diet. So, at the moment, there is no specific guidance for food manufacturers to follow as far as labelling a product as "suitable for people with diabetes."
The current status is a Trading Standards issue and in general the labelling of a food as diabetic is still related to bulk sweetener content versus sugar content. This practice is not helpful to people with diabetes as the so-called "diabetic" product provides no real benefit in terms of nutritional value or effect on blood glucose levels, in the context of the contribution of confectionery to the diet. The focus on sugar content is also not in line with the key aims of dietary management in diabetes care which are weight management and to minimise the risk of cardiovascular disease.
I recently bought a product labelled as “unsweetened” but when I looked at the label it contained a large amount of carbohydrates and sugars.
The term unsweetened is an advertising slogan and only means that no additional natural sugars have been added, although, bulk sweeteners may have been added. Looking at food labels can determine how healthy something is.
Low sugar is used for products containing 5 grams or less in 100 grams of product. Reduced sugar is used for products containing one third of the fat/sugar of an original product. Watch out for fat-free foods containing lots of sugar though and vice versa.
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APP/KOL/AC 22/02/07