It's in the news as much as it's in our cakes, orange juice, sweets and fizzy drinks.

Thankfully no-one is campaigning for sugar to be removed from the news agenda. In fact, the Health Select Committee, the government and Public Health England have all helped to drip feed us news on sugar in the exact quantities experts have labelled as unhealthy.

Here a timeline in quotes of the major news concerning sugar...

First of all, Graham MacGregor, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Queen Mary University of London and Chairman of Action on Sugar, said: 'It is absolutely scandalous that the health secretary and NHS officials have refused to publish the scientific review by Public Health England (PHE) on how best to reduce sugar, which includes a proposed sugar tax. Why has this 'hidden secrecy' been allowed to happen?

'For too long, this government has allowed an unregulated food & drink industry to peddle poor nutrition and high calorie products targeting the most vulnerable members of our society, our children. We now need to fully understand who's determining the country's obesity strategy – is it the food & drink industry or the government?

'PHE is meant to be an independent body but is clearly taking instruction from Jeremy Hunt, which makes a complete shambles of the organisation.

'What we eat is now the major cause of strokes and heart attacks, obesity and type 2 diabetes and is therefore the biggest cause of death and ill health in the UK. If the issue of imposing a sugar tax is not addressed now, both the government and food & drink industry will be to blame for bankrupting the NHS. It's as simple as that.'

PHE then published their scientific report, and the British Dental Association (BDA) responded.

Chair of the BDA, Mick Armstrong, said: 'Public health policy must be guided by evidence, not by personal prejudice or commercial interests. Somehow we have allowed tooth decay, an entirely preventable disease, to become the leading cause of hospital admissions among our children. Health professionals expect real leadership here, and no option can be left off the table.

'Britain is addicted to sugar, and inaction can no longer be justified, either morally or financially. Public health and the NHS balance sheet are where we will continue seeing the real cost of political intransigence.'

In the report PHE proposed a sugar tax, and Professor Nigel Hunt, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery responded by saying: 'We are pleased this long awaited report has finally been published and that it considers how we can reduce the impact of sugar on oral health as well as obesity.

'Action to improve diet must happen alongside encouraging visits to the dentist. Almost half of adults and a third of children still do not attend regular dental check-ups. Routine visits are vital to providing diagnosis and treatment.'