Revised World Health Organization benchmarks for free sugar intake: an examination of the updated dietary guidelines issued in 2014
Julia Wójcik
2026-03-15
2 min. read
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In March 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) released updated nutritional guidelines that explicitly define the permissible percentage of daily caloric intake derived from added sugars, as well as those naturally present in honey, syrups, and fruit juices. While the primary objective of these stringent recommendations is to curb global sugar consumption as a means of combating the obesity epidemic and dental caries, critics argue that the imposed limits may prove impractical for the majority of populations to adhere to, particularly given contemporary dietary habits and the pervasive availability of ultra-processed foods.
What are the standards for carbohydrate intake?
According to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, only 5% of daily calorie intake should come from sugar intake (about 26 grams per day on a 2,000-calorie diet). Where did the decision to cut the recommended daily intake of sugar by half (by 10%) come from? It is not known that sugar is a white death from now on.
Share of sugar in food:
One tablespoon of ketchup 4 g Frozen pizza- up to 26 g Glass of pepsi- 27, 5 g Chocolate cereals (100 g) - 33, 8 g Meanwhile, the current law does not require food manufacturers to provide information on the nutritional value and the proportion of individual nutrients (carbohydrates, fats and proteins). The exception is when the manufacturer applies a nutrition and health statement to a given product. This applies only to a product whose nutrition properties are shown in a television advertisement.