health concerns

NYC Health Department Asks Food Companies to Cut Added Sugar

Photo: Gary Ombler/Getty Images/Dorling Kindersley

While the jury is still out on whether sugar is truly bad for you in the long run, there’s no arguing that there’s way too much added sugar in the soft drinks, juices, and packaged foods that Americans consume every day.

It’s an issue that the New York City Health Department has been rallying against for a few years now (since Michael Bloomberg’s mayoral days) and now, the New York Post reports that the NYC Health Department has once again banded with nearly 100 other health departments to call on major companies to cut added sugar in food and drink products by 20 percent by 2025.

The move is part of the National Salt and Sugar Reduction Initiative, which successfully convinced about 30 companies to cut sodium content in foods back in 2009. As it stands, Americans currently consume 17 teaspoons of sugar per day, which are 5 more teaspoons than health officials recommend.

NYC Health Department Asks Food Companies to Cut Added Sugar