Why does Diabetes UK ban companies from calling foods Diabetic

[Lucyr]

Recently a friend diagnosed a few years ago with unusual family situation was using Wiltshire Farm foods, eating D foods. His DN was delighted with his progress. Thats all gone as the D marking has been removed. His position has deteriorated. No he cant cook his own

He can choose the Wiltshire farm foods meals that meet his dietary needs

 

[AndBreathe]

@Jenny105 - I have been diagnosed long enough to have been around during the times when Diabetic chocolate, jam and so on were around.

Retailers such as Thorntons did a small range of "diabetic chocolate", but it was both sold at a premium (because it was "diabetic", and therefore a niche market, but also sweetened by Sorbitol, meaning for lots of folks it not only fed their sweet tooth, but solved any notion of constipation.

Personally, I have never sought "diabetic" foods, unless you are talking about naturally occurring foodstuffs in the mainstream.

I do consume a modest amount of sweeteners, in squash, but that's about it.

I feel for your friend who has found it more difficult to manage his diabetes since the change in the rules. I hope he manages to navigate a way forwards.

 

[Drummer]

A problem I have with low carb manufactured foods is that they are sickeningly over sweetened - if I do any baking these days I often leave out all the sweetener.
The world in general seems to have a real problem with how things ought to taste.
I make ice cream with eggs and cream - it doesn't need a shovel full of sweetener in it to taste wonderful. It is the same with chocolate. If I do add sweetener it is a small amount, so small that it often doesn't register on the weighing scales.
It would help to have the option of low carb foods, but again, the concept is just too much for some to consider it even safe to eat.

 

[Satan’s little helper]

It’s on the website. It’s perfectly possible to choose meals with lower carbs or have them chosen for you.

I’ve just looked. And yes you are correct. I’m a little confused regarding the nature of this topic. It seems more about the concern of categorisation with ready meals for diabetics removed, than the dodgy developed “treats?” which since the wise removal from the centre shelving display of chemists have left more shelf room for incontinence pants.

 

[Inka]

I read it as a continuation of Jenny’s other thread about foods being labelled for people with diabetes like they are for vegans. It only moved on to Wiltshire Farm Foods later. Worryingly, I thought this thread was in the last 4 or so months but it appears to have been more than a year ago 😱

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/board...e-is-no-such-thing-as-a-diabetic-diet.100597/

Treat items or everyday foods, the point still stands that there’s no one diet for diabetes and that people with diabetes should eat normal foods not a special range - because ‘diabetic’ foods aren’t necessary and can mislead. Well done, Diabetes U.K. for all their work in persuading the government to ban meaningless label.

 

[Satan’s little helper]

I read it as a continuation of Jenny’s other thread about foods being labelled for people with diabetes like they are for vegans. It only moved on to Wiltshire Farm Foods later. Worryingly, I thought this thread was in the last 4 or so months but it appears to have been more than a year ago 😱

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/board...e-is-no-such-thing-as-a-diabetic-diet.100597/

Treat items or everyday foods, the point still stands that there’s no one diet for diabetes and that people with diabetes should eat normal foods not a special range - because ‘diabetic’ foods aren’t necessary and can mislead. Well done, Diabetes U.K. for all their work in persuading the government to ban meaningless label.

Thanks for the clarity. The other topic this span off? I don’t feel the need to “go there.”
Clear allergen labelling (the type that could restrict breathing.) I’m all for regarding a clear safe choice for a consumer.
The “special stuff.” It probably started as a “well meaning range” for a minority on restricted insulin treatment, way, way back. Thus labeled “appropriately” as a means for ill judged inclusivity at Christmas for “poor little SLH.” I haven’t missed it at all.
It begs the question. Did the “master chocolatier” actually try this stuff?

 

[rebrascora]

There is another much more ecent one @Inka

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/my-mp-and-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-diabetic-diet.107842/

Jenny, I appreciate you feel strongly about this but you are not grasping the full facts of the situation. It is much more complex than you seem to think. Are you reading and understanding people's replies to these threads?
The fact that all the more experienced people with diabetes here on the forum are arguing against you on this must indicate that you are not seeing the full picture.
You have mentioned several different issues over the 3 threads including "diabetic treats" and "suitable" ready meals and have been given reasons why this sort of labelling is just not helpful.

Diabetes is mostly about carbs, and most ready meals are high in carbs because they are cheap and therefore provide the biggest profit margin to the manufacturer. Looking at the nutritional info for the carb content is what we all do. The only thing that would make life easier is if that total carb info was in larger print on the front of packets instead of tiny print on the back!
As has been said, we all need different things from our diet even as diabetics, but knowing the carb content easily so that we can make an informed decision about each product would be the most important thing.
@Inca has hit the nail on the head about it being like saying certain foods are suitable for women or people with wavy hair... We as diabetics are all different and our needs are different and our tastes are different and what suits one of us will not suit another.

We here on the forum are all experts at living with diabetes probably more so than any doctors or nurses or government officials and we would be unable to agree ton a definition of "diabetic friendly" food, so I really do not want some government body trying to do so and thankfully DUK have the knowledge to realize that it is impossible and senseless and therefore do not support it's return.

 

[nonethewiser]

Good move to ban food labelled as diabetic, some of that stuff would seriously give you runs so was best to be near toilet when consuming.

DUK campaigned for years to have them banned & rightly so.

 

[Leadinglights]

There is another much more ecent one @Inka

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/my-mp-and-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-diabetic-diet.107842/

Jenny, I appreciate you feel strongly about this but you are not grasping the full facts of the situation. It is much more complex than you seem to think. Are you reading and understanding people's replies to these threads?
The fact that all the more experienced people with diabetes here on the forum are arguing against you on this must indicate that you are not seeing the full picture.
You have mentioned several different issues over the 3 threads including "diabetic treats" and "suitable" ready meals and have been given reasons why this sort of labelling is just not helpful.

Diabetes is mostly about carbs, and most ready meals are high in carbs because they are cheap and therefore provide the biggest profit margin to the manufacturer. Looking at the nutritional info for the carb content is what we all do. The only thing that would make life easier is if that total carb info was in larger print on the front of packets instead of tiny print on the back!
As has been said, we all need different things from our diet even as diabetics, but knowing the carb content easily so that we can make an informed decision about each product would be the most important thing.
@Inca has hit the nail on the head about it being like saying certain foods are suitable for women or people with wavy hair... We as diabetics are all different and our needs are different and our tastes are different and what suits one of us will not suit another.

We here on the forum are all experts at living with diabetes probably more so than any doctors or nurses or government officials and we would be unable to agree ton a definition of "diabetic friendly" food, so I really do not want some government body trying to do so and thankfully DUK have the knowledge to realize that it is impossible and senseless and therefore do not support it's return.

The next thing to press for is for manufactures to do just that, put the carbs on the front of the packet not just the sugar.

 

[Inka]

Thanks @rebrascora That explains it! I was worried that time was going even faster than usual!

 

[Inka]

@Jenny105 You can think of yourself to disprove the idea that Diabetic foods are good. You’re eating more carbs to put on weight, so imagine if you went shopping and tossed a load of Diabetic food in your trolley - then got home and found out it was all low carb and low calorie. That wouldn’t suit your needs at all, would it?

This is why it’s a bad idea. It’s misleading - and potentially dangerously so too (if an older person was on a mixed insulin regime and some helpful relative bought them Diabetic meals that contained less carbs than they usually ate - they could have a massive hypo).

 

[Sally71]

Another example - when my daughter hadn’t been diagnosed very long, some relatives bought her some diabetic chocolates for Christmas, thinking they were being helpful. We looked at the carb count to give her the correct insulin amount, and it was almost the same as normal chocolates would have been. So you might as well have normal ones, which taste better and don‘t make you need to sit on the loo for ages afterwards. It doesn’t matter whether it‘s treats or ready meals or whatever, the problem is the same.

Jenny - could your friend not just keep ordering the same meals that he had before that were working for him? Even though they aren’t labelled diabetic friendly any more, they are presumably the same. Or has the company changed the whole menu? My grandmother had Wiltshire Farm Foods the last couple of years of her life, they do look much healthier than a lot of ready meals, and I’m sure the company could give you a nutritional breakdown if you ask them. Then sit with your friend and work out which are the lowest carb ones so he can make his own ”safe” list of which ones to order.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

If Jenny looks on the website at any meal and clicks on it the nutritional values are displayed so can not see a problem.

 

[Jenny105]

@Lucr Hi Ive never heard of such items nor am I looking to items of that nature So it looks as if tonight will be spent going through my click and click order , searching out the nutritional values on flour, baked beans , spreads, cheeses, yoghurt, tinned fish , frozen fruit, non dairy milks, chocolate (low low sugar per mini block) ice cream if it can be found, whey powder, milled nuts, checking out strawbs, bananas, pears, tomatoes etc , for occasional use and cooking -bottles , packets, etc m, maybe any suitable once week ready made meal or dessert.
My MP was interested in sugar content being in with the carb count on the FRONT of items.
I will probably be another going thru old favorites
My MP was interested in having the traffic lights on the front of all but to include sugar
Obviously this post has hit a soft spot and some misunderstandings in the diabetes world

 

[Inka]

My MP was interested in sugar content being in with the carb count on the FRONT of items.

It already is. Sugar is included on the front with calories, fat, saturates and salt in the Traffic Light information.

 

[Lucyr]

@Lucr Hi Ive never heard of such items nor am I looking to items of that nature So it looks as if tonight will be spent going through my click and click order , searching out the nutritional values on flour, baked beans , spreads, cheeses, yoghurt, tinned fish , frozen fruit, non dairy milks, chocolate (low low sugar per mini block) ice cream if it can be found, whey powder, milled nuts, checking out strawbs, bananas, pears, tomatoes etc , for occasional use and cooking -bottles , packets, etc m, maybe any suitable once week ready made meal or dessert.
My MP was interested in sugar content being in with the carb count on the FRONT of items.
I will probably be another going thru old favorites
My MP was interested in having the traffic lights on the front of all but to include sugar
Obviously this post has hit a soft spot and some misunderstandings in the diabetes world

You aren’t really making any sense. Of course you should read nutritional labels on everything when you first buy it but presumably you’ve bought these regular items before or have common sense to know that eg tinned fish doesn’t contain carbs. If this is your first time shopping then yes read labels on everything but next time you can just buy the same things again.

 

[Martin.A]

Of course you should read nutritional labels on everything when you first buy it but presumably you’ve bought these regular items before or have common sense to know that eg tinned fish doesn’t contain carbs. If this is your first time shopping then yes read labels on everything but next time you can just buy the same things again.

I've built up a spreadsheet containing the nutrition information for everything that I regularly eat. It now contains 129 items. I update it during the day with what I've eaten, or even with what I plan to eat later. That's how I manage to stay within ranges. I can see at a glance that so far today, for example, I've had 117g carbs and am well within my daily 'low carb' target of 130g. Likewise calories, fats, protein, fibre and salt.

My wife uses a lot of BBC Good Food recipes and they very helpfully include nutrition information per portion, so thankfully I don't have to work that out for all the ingredients separately.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

My MP was interested in sugar content being in with the carb count on the FRONT of items.

It already is. Sugar is included on the front with calories, fat, saturates and salt in the Traffic Light information.

Yes the sugar is, but importantly (for us pancreatically challenged types) the cwrbohydrate content is not.

Which means we don’t get an easy carbs-per-portion measure either

 

[Inka]

I should maybe have quoted this:

My MP was interested in having the traffic lights on the front of all but to include sugar

Sugar is already included, which the MP should know. Having the carb count (in a useful form not per 100g) on the front would be nice but that’s quite different from wanting foods to be labelled Diabetic.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Having the carb count (in a useful form not per 100g) on the front would be nice but that’s quite different from wanting foods to be labelled Diabetic.

Completely agree!