July 21, 2015 (Toronto) – Responding to today’s release of “Consumption of sugar sweetened beverages, artificially sweetened beverages, and fruit juice and incidence of type 2 diabetes; systematic review, meta-analysis, and estimation of population attributable fraction,” Canadian Beverage Association (CBA) issued the following statement:
The authors state in their paper that they are assuming causality, and admit that no definitive conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect. They also acknowledge that current evidence is limited however they attempt to use the data to draw new conclusions nonetheless.
Drawing unsubstantiated conclusions is neither helpful to consumers nor based on evidence. In addition, the persistent focus on a single ingredient or product as the cause, while acknowledging that cause is assumed, limits the integrity of studies like these.
Diabetes is a serious public health challenge. Experts worldwide agree that diabetes is the result of many factors including family history, lifestyle and weight, but those risk factors do not include beverage consumption.
The Canadian beverage industry supports consumers balancing their calorie and sugars intake by providing Canadians with a wide range of beverage options – including many zero-calorie options – along with clear, easy-to-read nutritional information that helps people make the choice that’s right for them.
CBA and its members are committed to providing Canadians, government, private and social sectors fact-based information on which to base both personal decisions and public policy.