Sugar should make up less than 5% of total energy consumption, says WHO

Free sugar should make up less than 5% of a person’s total energy consumption, new guidance from the World Health Organization states.1

In the new guidance WHO is backing a 2002 recommendation that monosaccharides and disaccharides—that is, sugar added to food or found in honey, fruit syrups, fruit juice, and fruit concentrate—should make up no more than 10% of a person’s energy intake. However, WHO is now urging that the total consumption drop to less than 5% “if possible.” Last year the authors of a study recommended that intake should be …