GreenChoice Study: Added Sugar in 71% of Whole Grain & Multigrain Foods!

GreenChoice analyzed over 55,000 common food and beverage products, uncovering the pervasiveness of added sugars in our grocery stores, even in “health food” categories.

Somerville, MA (October 16, 2019) – GreenChoice, PBC has released a special report entitled “The State of Added Sugars (Hidden) in Our Food, 2019.” The report reveals where and how added sugars sneak into the American diet, describes the profound health risks to consumers, and shares.

GreenChoice analyzed the presence of added sugars in over 55,000 common food and beverage products sold in regional and national grocery stores, uncovering the pervasiveness of added sugars even in “health food” categories and products marketed as being free of added sugars. The added sugars identified were listed under a variety of pseudonyms that may be unfamiliar to many consumers.

GreenChoice compiled a list of over 50 names for sugar in order to conduct their analysis.

A few of the many shocking statistics GreenChoice uncovered…

• 60% of food & beverages contain added sugar
• 3 out of 4 products containing sugar have added sugars
• 71% of foods marketed as whole grain, multi-grain, or ancient grain contain added sugar
• Over one-third of products with organic claims contain added sugar

“Our findings add unique insight to the mounting evidence that added sugars are too often discreetly disguised in ingredient lists using a wide array of uncommon or unrecognizable names, misleading consumers, and undermining healthy choices.”

— Galen Karlan-Mason, Founder and CEO of GreenChoice

Deciphering nutrition labels, managing sugar intake, and avoiding added sugars is challenging enough when ingredients are clearly displayed; it’s nearly impossible when added sugar content is not disclosed, ingredients are disguised, and package labels contain misleading claims.

We believe that consumers have the right to know what they are consuming and that everyone should have easy access to the information needed to make well-informed food choices.

Get the full scoop (plus GreenChoice’s complete list of added sugar names) by downloading the report, The State of Added Sugars (Hidden) in Our Food, 2019.

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For Press, Bloggers, Influencers: If you would like to share or reference the report and want supporting visuals, please contact the GreenChoice team directly for complimentary access to the report’s graphs and charts, as well as additional infographics not included in the report. GreenChoice seeks to empower people to create a healthy, just and sustainable world. We offer a free app that mobilizes the power of informed consumerism to promote healthy choices, combat chronic disease, and positively influence the food supply. Companies don’t make it easy to know what products are healthy, sustainable, and ethical – we do.

For more information contact us at contactus@greenchoicenow.com or (617)-855-9025.