2014-15 POST fellow, Daniel McDowell, has published his POSTnote on sugar and health, which marks the culmination of three months research while working at the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST).

Each year, IFST provides funding of £5,000 for a PhD student to spend three months at POST working on a food related POSTnote. These are then dispersed amongst parliamentarians to provide digests on a topical subject within science and technology.

With a great deal of interest surrounding sugar and health, this POSTnote provides much needed background information, trends in sugar consumption in the UK, public health implications, scientific advice and policy options for those in government who need to understand the reliable science behind this subject.

McDowell says, "Sugar and Health was chosen as a POSTnote topic because it is has generated a huge amount of public interest over the past few years. It is also a subject which is scientifically complex and it is therefore essential that MPs and peers have access to impartial, clear and concise information.

"The process of writing the POSTnote was a unique experience for me, as I was fortunate enough to communicate daily with many experts from the health sector, the food industry and politics. The experience has been incredibly beneficial for me and I consider myself very fortunate to have had such a challenging and rewarding three-month fellowship."