’25 gramos’ Campaign launch: Misinformation, advertising and revolving doors with the sugar industry

Madrid, 27 June 2014 – In order to lift the lid on the lack of transparency around the decision making process with the sugar industry in Spain, Access Info Europe has joined the ’25 gramos’ campaign at its launch held this week.

It is particularly difficult to find out who is taking part in, and influencing the decision-making process regarding sugar as there is currently no regulation in Spain to ensure lobbying transparency. As part of the campaign, Access Info Europe with Spanish civil society organisation Fundación Ciudadana Civio will investigate the transparency around sugar industry lobbying, a powerful food industry.

The campaign also seeks to highlight the health dangers associated with excesive sugar consumption, and to denounce the social and environmental impact associated with the methods of production used, the advertising and promotion strategies on sugary food, and the incomprehensible labelling which limits the ability for consumers to know how much sugar they are consuming.

It aims to raise awareness and secure implementation of the recent World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation to reduce the daily level of sugar consumption. More specifically, the WHO recommends a maximum of 25g of sugar per day, whilst in Spain the current average is 110g per day.

The campaign is coordinated by VSF Justicia Alimentaria Global, with the participation of a wide variety of Spanish civil society organisations. The following organisations have united themselves under the Alliance for the Control of Sugar banner: Access Info Europe, Amigos de la Tierra, la Confederación Española de Asociaciones de Padres y Madres de Alumnos (CEAPA), la Confederación de Consumidores y Usuarios (CECU), Ecologistas en Acción, Medicus Mundi, No gracias, Plataforma Rural, and VSF Justicia Alimentaria Global.

On 26 June different civil society organisations participated in the ‘Sugar Planet’ event held for the launch, disseminating information on sugar, discussing problems and solutions around its consumption.

More information on the campaign can be found here.

The report ‘Planeta Azúcar: Desinformación, publicidad y puertas giratorias: las armas con las que la industria alimentaria domina nuestras vidas” published by VSF Justicia Alimentaria, is available here