Our issues on Nutrition and Health
STARCH
Starch is the most common digestible carbohydrate in the human diet. Digestible carbohydrates are the most important fuel for our brains and provide our bodies with the energy our organs need to function. In order to function correctly, our body needs carbohydrates, protein, fat, water, minerals and vitamins. In terms of energy intake, EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority, recommends that 45-60% of our daily energy intake comes from carbohydrates (4 kilocalories of energy per gram) which includes dietary fibres (on average 2 kilocalories of energy per gram), 20-35% from fats (9 kilocalories of energy per gram) and 10-15% from proteins (7 kilocalories of energy per gram).
The maintenance of a stable body weight requires the right balance between the total amount of energy consumed and the total amount of energy expended. However, increases in body weight occur when energy intake exceeds expenditure. Carbohydrates, like starch, form an essential part of the human diet, however, if they are consumed in excess, this can lead to problems of obesity.
Starch Europe follows closely the ongoing debate on nutrition and health and fully supports the EU’s programme of action in the field of public health, which focuses on life-style determinants such as adequate nutrition and physical activity

STARCH SWEETENERS/GLUCOSE SYRUPS
The popular belief that sugars, because of their innate sweetness and hedonic properties, may over take the regulatory controls on food intake and promote excessive consumption is not supported by robust scientific evidence. Further information on Glucose-Fructose Syrups can be found on the website ot the European Food Information council – EUFIC.  http://www.eufic.org/page/fr/page/FAQ/faqid/glucose-fructose-syrup/
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