On the role and fate of sugars in human nutrition and health. Introduction

The recently implemented European Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods is fuelling scientific research efforts in the food and health arena. Essentially, it is now established that only claims that are scientifically substantiated will be allowed. Because this new legislation covers the idea that foods with health or nutritional claims might be perceived by consumers as having a health advantage over products without claims, it introduces a further requirement (enclosing the new concept of 'nutrient profile') to avoid a situation where claims could mislead consumers when trying to make healthy choices in the context of a balanced diet. Thus, only those foods having an appropriate nutrition profile (composition of different nutrients such as sugars and other substances with particularly relevant nutritional or physiological effects) will be allowed to bear claims. A scientific expert workshop was organized to critically review the available evidence behind current intake recommendations for sugars, focusing on the strength/gaps of the scientific evidence available and the identification of those fields where further research is needed. Work was distributed in the following topics covering potential effects of dietary sugars on (i) body weight control; (ii) diabetes-insulin resistance; (iii) dental health and (iv) micronutrient dilution. New approaches, including intervention studies and the application of nutrigenomic technologies, should be undertaken and interpreted bearing in mind that foods, food components and their combinations can have both positive and negative effects on health, thus requiring benefit-risk analysis.