Due to the rise in cancer cases…a parliamentary proposal to reduce the sugar content in drinks – New Algeria

The representative of the National Democratic Rally, Hisham Safar, deposited a written question on the table of Prime Minister Nadhir Al-Arbawi regarding capping the percentage of sugar in drinks of all kinds, which is a demand that some well-known brands that have begun the process of reducing the percentage of sugar in drinks and juices have begun to respond officially. The limit is 105 grams per liter.

The representative began his parliamentary questioning by talking about the rise in cancer cases in the country, and said that “Algeria is witnessing increasing cancer cases from year to year,” and he cited as evidence the state of Guelma, which counts more than 500 new cases annually, which prompted specialists to investigate the real reasons that Behind this rise, it turns out that Algeria is the first country in the world in the percentage of sugar in soft drinks and juices, especially children’s drinks, as they contain 12 grams of sugar, which is a number very far from international standards for health and nutrition systems, and this reason may be one of the main causes of this malignant disease that It destroyed the bodies of many Algerians, which cost the public treasury huge sums of money.

Finally, the representative asked about the reasons for not capping the percentage of sugar in drinks of all kinds at three grams in accordance with international standards, in order to preserve the safety of bodies from this disease and to spare the treasury huge amounts of treatment money on the other hand.

According to previous statements made by the head of the Algerian Soft Drinks Producers Association, Ali Hamyani, to a national newspaper, the percentage of sugar present in drinks and juices reached a maximum of 105 per liter.

According to Ali Hamyani, “reducing the sugar content in juices and soft drinks will be gradual so that the consumer, who is accustomed to a very sweet taste, will not feel uncomfortable.”

The government had previously given beverage producers a deadline last year to reduce the percentage of sugar in drinks, and for this purpose it issued a joint ministerial decision (between industry, agriculture, trade, and health) that includes the adoption of the technical regulations related to fruit juices, fruit nectars, vegetable juices, and drinks made with fruit or vegetable juices.

In this context, the regulation granted producers “a period of one year from its publication in the Official Gazette.” To comply with its provisions, but until now it is not known to what extent the producers have complied with the content of the ministerial decision.”