An Irish Court has ruled that the bread used in Subway’s heated sandwiches doesn’t fit the legal definition of bread in Ireland due to its high sugar content.
The Country’s Supreme Court ruled in Dublin that with a high sugar content, the sandwich could not be deemed a staple food which attracts a zero Value Added Tax (VAT) rate.
The Court rejected arguments by a Subway franchisee that it was not liable for VAT on some of its takeaway products, including teas, coffees, and heated filled sandwiches. Full story here: https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/irish-court-rules-subway-bread-too-sugary-to-be-called-bread/
Advocacy Action: Understanding food ingredients is important for people with diabetes who ‘carb count’ in order to keep their condition under control. How transparent are the ingredients of foods where you are? Can you raise this important issue in your Parliament and argue for full disclosures on all food labelling?
Type 1 Good News in French JUBILE Study
Findings from the French JUBILE study found that many people still have an excellent quality of life after 40 or 50 years of living with type 1 diabetes.
Over 800 people were surveyed ranged in age from 41 to 90 years, with a median of 63 years and median diabetes duration of 49 years. The vast majority (82%) were fully autonomous in everyday life, with “many difficulties” reported by just 4.9%, mostly those with diabetes of more than 50 years’ duration.
Researchers in Diabetic Medicine cautioned that the study focused on people who remained alive after several decades with the condition, and therefore missed those who struggled with glucose control, had complications, and died young.
Retinopathy was the most common complication, with 54% of respondents having at least moderate retinopathy. But just 27% had albuminuria, with 3% requiring renal transplant or dialysis, and just 32% had a history of cardiac, cerebral, or vascular peripheral disease complications. 21% of study participants had no complications.
The researchers concluded that the study provides a message of hope for the patients, their family and relatives and the medical teams involved in their care.
Advocacy Action: Is there data in your country for the number of people with Type 1 and their life expectancy? How does this compare with people who are Type 2?