The sugar content in Coca-Cola products produced in Iceland will be reduced 10% by 2020, Vísir reports. According to Per Hynne, the director of corporate social responsibility for Coca- Cola’s European Partners, the company recognizes its role in obesity problems and wants to “be part of the solution.” It bears noting that Icelanders are often said to drink more Coca-Cola per capita than any other nation in the world.
Hynne announced the company’s sugar reduction plan during the annual conference held by Festa, the Icelandic Center for Corporate Responsibility, on Thursday. This year’s conference theme was “Ábyrgð er arðsöm,” or ‘Responsibility is Profitable.’
“We are part of the problem,” said Hynne, “but there are many ways to approach sugar and more factors that cause obesity. But we need to be part of the solution, and for this reason, we’re making this pledge.”
Coca-Cola has, in fact, reduced the amount of sugar in its products by 15% since 2010. However, going forward, Coca-Cola Classic is not one of the beverages that will see a reduction in sugar content. Rather, in order to meet the 10% reduction goal, the company will be placing emphasis on the healthier options in its product line.
“We’ll be preserving the original products, so people can still buy them. But in addition to changing recipes to reduce sugar levels, we will be investing more in the promotion of sugar-free products and giving them more weight,” said Hynne.
