Government sets draft guideline for sugar intake

By Bae Ji-sook

The Korean Food and Drug Administration released the draft of a guideline Sunday advising that the daily intake of sugar per person should be 10 to 20 percent of total calorie intake.

Under the guideline, a can of cola will be enough for an elementary school girl while a boy aged less than eight years old should refrain from drinking more than two cups of orange juice sold at supermarkets.

The guideline comes as sugar has become the main cause of the growing number of people struggling with obesity.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, about 10.9 percent of adolescents here have a high possibility of becoming obese in their lifetime.

The social and economic losses stemming from the “disease” are estimated at 1.8 trillion won ($1.4 million), the authorities said. “The World Health Organization restricts sugar to 10 percent of daily intake, but we have loosened up a little to reflect relatively healthier sugar contained in fruits and other natural products,” a KFDA official said. “We advise people to eat fruit.”

Following the new guideline, an 11-year-old girl with recommended daily energy intake at 1,800 kcal can have 180 to 360 kcal of sweets, which is equivalent to up to 40 grams of sugar. A can of regular cola contains 26 grams of sugar, which takes up nearly the daily recommended amount.

The KFDA has also decided to set the guidelines for saturated fats, omega 6- and omega 3-fatty acids to 4.5-7 percent, 4-8 percent and 1 percent of the daily calorie intake, respectively. The recommended amount of cholesterol is less than 300 mg a day.

The food administration plans to finalize the guidelines next month.

bjs@koreatimes.co.kr