The
World Health Organization has accused big business interests
in the United States of trying to influence a new report on
the dangers of consuming too much sugar.
Fresh
guidelines to be published by the organisation on Wednesday
will stress that sugar should form no more than 10% of a person's
diet.
But
the US Sugar Association has told the WHO that their recommendations
are "unfair, misguided and misleading".
Dr Pekka Puska, director of non-communicable disease at WHO,
told the BBC that big commercial interests "with major links"
were trying to interfere.
Pressure was "pretty high" he said, because the WHO had very
high status as a source on health information.
Funding threat
"I don't think this is a very wise strategy by the industry,
because the evidence is so strong and the great public believes
this message," said Dr Puska.
"I think it's bit short-sighted to deny the facts and it would
be better to collaborate.
"Food is different from tobacco. We always have to eat, so
our aim is just to change consumption from unhealthy to healthy."
The Sugar Association, which includes such giants as Coca-Cola,
Pepsi-Cola and General Foods, is reported to have threatened
to lobby Congress to withdraw funding from the WHO unless
its sugar report is withdrawn.
It says other evidence suggests that sugar can safely form
one quarter of a person's food intake.
Responding to a draft of the WHO report last month, the Sugar
Association said there was "a preponderance of recent scientific
evidence" exonerating sugar as a cause of obesity, diabetes,
heart disease, hyperactivity and tooth decay.
Fresh
guidelines to be published by the organisation on Wednesday
will stress that sugar should form no more than 10% of a person's
diet.
