Press release -

Sugar's Equivalent of the Fairtrade Marque with the Potential to be as Big

EMBARGOED UNTIL 15 FEBRUARY

Inside Out on Monday 15th February follows a Cambridge mum and sugar labelling campaigner who is on a mission to launch a certification scheme, like Fairtrade, for truly no added sugar products. There's new guidance on the different types of sugar we should and shouldn't eat but nothing on our food labels. Rend finds products that satisfy that guidance, sets up her scheme, teams up with Cambridge University and gets Tesco on board to develop her quality mark. The program features Tesco Group Quality Director Tim Smith, the new brand Tesco developed and products going onto shelves with it.

Joyce Frankland Academy, Newport which was Jamie Oliver and Jimmy's old school is also featured on the show with children sampling no added sugar products, including the JimJams Sugarwise certified chocolate spread available at Ocado, WheyHey Icecream, Sainsbury's Milk and Plain chocolates and Sainsbury's No Added Sugar marshmallows.

Simon Brady, who was brand leader at Tesco but left the big retailer in January, told the Cambridge mum: “This is a really strong mark and we would be happy to put this on our packaging as appropriate in order to support your objectives.” Coming from the person leading the $2bn Finest Brand, Health Brands and Tesco's entire Christmas marketing Campaign him saying this means a lot to Rend.

"Simon is a marketing genius. He delivered amazing results for Tesco over Christmas. I am so grateful he directed development of this logo within Tesco, I feel so lucky to have met him, especially as I caught him in the nick of time. He has shown great interest in this project and we are staying in touch"

Caroline Abel, Design Manager for all the major Tesco brands including Free From, Goodness, and Healthy Living, says the logo: “communicates the balanced sugars message really simply.” Adding “The combination of the strong colours with the soft curves makes it impactful and trusted yet approachable.”

"The development work that the Tesco team has put into the logo and feedback on how the certification might fit into the many regulatory and legal requirements of EU food labelling is not something we could have afforded to buy, had it even been on sale."

"I am glad that Tim Smith has been leading the way in making his support known for increasing the availability of lower sugar options across not just soft drinks but other food categories. We would like all retailers to sign up to the Sugarwise guarantee and stock products within the guidelines in at least 8 of the 12 categories children normally consume sugar. We hope to be seeing products appear on Tesco shelves in the forthcoming months that either are certified Sugarwise or could be accredited."

Rend Platings also teamed up with Cambridge University. She received training and support from Judge Business School which helped her to develop her proposal to the Food Industry. She secured a place in the Social Incubator East program that provide her team with fully funded offices and business support. She teamed up with Cambridge University researchers to further refine her scheme and they created the world's first free sugars standards.

The mark was developed for Rend using Tesco's best in house marketers and brand managers along with two award winning design houses.

Watch it at 7.30pm BBC1 Cambridgeshire on 15th February


Sugarwise is a certification scheme, like Fairtrade, but for truly no added sugar products. There's new guidance on the different types of sugar we should and shouldn't eat but nothing on our food labels.

The scheme works with manufacturers to promote lower sugar products, and similar to Fairtrade certification, help customers quickly identify them.

Contacts

Rend Platings

Press contact Founder The passion. Nothing would have happened, and there'd be no Sugarwise if I had been sensible. 07472086692