Denplan has warned that ‘hidden' sugar is making it hard for people to manage their sugar consumption, and encouraged people to go sugar-free for September.
The warning comes following a survey which found 54% of respondents wanted to reduce their sugar consumption while 20% could decipher if a product contained sugar from reading the ingredients label.
Of those surveyed 21% didn't believe chocolate contains sugar, the survey of 2000 UK adults was conducted for Denplan by Onepoll.
Almost half (47%) did not believe wine and beer contain sugar, 38% did not know fruit juice contained sugar and 20% did not know sweets contain sugar.
Over three quarters (80%) said they don't always check the list of ingredients before buying or eating food and 38% said they didn't know the difference between sugar-free and no added sugar.
Less than half of respondents had tried to quit sugar while less than 10% successfully did so for over a year, with 25% lasting less than a month.
Henry Clover, deputy chief dental officer at Denplan said "With sugar ‘hidden' in so many unexpected foods and drinks, managing our daily sugar consumption can be a challenge.
"Not only is this detrimental for the nation's general health, it can also significantly affect our oral health because the frequency at which we consume sugar is a huge factor in tooth decay.
"However, there are so many simple changes people can make on a daily basis to cut back on unwanted sugar and still enjoy a healthy and tasty diet, leaving them with healthy habits that their teeth will thank them for."
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