Coke backs brand in sugar debate

Fizz Symposium to discuss softdrinks in schools and a possible tax

Soft- drink giant Coca- Cola i s defending its brand as health experts call for a ban on sugar- sweetened drinks linked to obesity, type- 2 diabetes, addiction and tooth decay.

New Zealand representatives from the global company will front up at a conference on Tuesday organised by Fizz ( Fighting sugar in soft drinks) — a group of doctors and public health specialists who want New Zealand to be free of sugar- sweetened drinks by 2025.

Country manager of Coca- Cola Oceania, Sandhya Pillay, will represent Coca- Cola at the annual Fizz conference. She argues obesity cannot be blamed on sugary drinks alone and that focusing on just one food or drink is not a solution.

“As a leader in the food and beverage industry, Coca- Cola has a role to play in helping decrease obesity, but we cannot provide the answer and we definitely cannot solve this i ssue alone,” she said.

“What might surprise you is that while Kiwis are already consuming fewer sugar- sweetened drinks each year, obesity rates in New Zealand are still climbing.” Pillay said the best ap- proach to help reduce obesity was to give people choice and information, rather than product bans, increased taxes on families and individuals or through more regulation.

Other Coca- Cola owned brands include L& P, Coca- Cola Zero, Diet Coke, Powerade, Pump, Fanta, Sprite, Rose’s Cordial, Keri Juice and Schweppes.

The group of doctors, dentists and specialists that belong to Fizz say the evidence linking sugary drinks to poor health, rotten teeth, gout, cardiovascular disease and premature death i s so strong it cannot be ignored.

The Fizz Symposium is in its third year with keynote speakers from New Zealand and abroad discussing health issues, soft- drinks in schools and a possible tax on sugary drinks.

Founder Dr Gerhard Sundborn said a tax on sugary drinks would force businesses to invest in more sugar- free versions and raise public awareness.

He wants soft- drinks and sugary juices banned in school cafeterias and said sugary drinks contribute 26 per cent of sugar in a child’s diet and about 20 per cent in adults.

“We believe sugar should be prioritised over everything else,” he said. “Those drinks are the single biggest products which put sugar into our diet. If you target them, you’ll target the big ticket item.”

Dr Sundborn said the one- day symposium called “Toward a sugary drink- free Aotearoa” would discuss the rationale and likelihood of a tax on sugary drinks.

Dr Sundborn said it was positive that representatives from Frucor and Coca- Cola were attending the event.

He said both companies had introduced reduced sugar products which was a step in the right direction.

“We see the industry as an important part of the solution, working together we can accomplish far more. We’re not fighting them,” he said.

Dr Sundborn hoped the symposium would strengthen public support for a sugar tax. “Government listen to polls, it can tend to create policy, especially when they think it could stand to lose votes over it.”

Dr Gerhard Sundborn