A major analysis of sweet supermarket snacks has revealed some biscuits and mini-cakes contain more than the entire recommended daily sugar limit for Brits, and a quarter of our total calorie allowance.
Experts from campaign group Action On Sugar studied the nutritional value of more than 600 popular products many of us may pick up in between meals.
They found that sugary, calorie-laden snacks were ‘inescapable’ — for instance, almost a quarter of an adult woman’s 2,000 daily calorie allowance was packed into just two 40g biscuits.
Three of the worst offending sweet treats were gluten free products, which many consumers opt for under the impression food without the protein is healthier.
The campaigners said the findings are particularly concerning for child health, given these types of snacks are often given to youngsters to tide them over in between meals.
Nourhan Barakat, nutritionist at Action on Sugar based at Queen Mary University said: ‘A cake for dessert at school, a chocolate bar on the way home, and a few biscuits after dinner can push a child’s sugar intake to triple the daily limit.
‘If sugar in these snacks were reduced by 20 per cent, they would still be sweet, but with nearly 20 grams less sugar being consumed.
‘It’s time food companies prioritise children’s health and cut sugar in everyday snacks.’
Major analysis of supermarket treats has revealed that some snacks consumed by children can contain their entire recommended limit of sugar in a single serving
Eating too much sugar, which is packed with energy, can contribute to potentially harmful weight gain which in turn increases the risk of serious issues like heart disease, some cancers as well as type 2 diabetes.
The sweet stuff is also bad for oral health and can trigger severe dental decay and even tooth loss.
It’s for these reasons the NHS recommends adults have no more than 30g of free sugars a day, (roughly equivalent to seven teaspoons).
Children aged seven to 10 should have no more than six teaspoons, while for younger kids, the recommendation is five.
Free sugar is the type of sweet stuff that’s added to food rather than bound up within it. For example the sugar in cakes, sweets, chocolate and some yoghurts.
The group found the worst offending cake was Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Free From Gluten Blueberry Muffins.
A single serving was found to contain 361 calories (roughly the same as two Krispy Kreme doughnuts) and seven teaspoons of sugar.
For chocolate bars, Ritter Sport’s White Whole Hazelnut bar came out the worst, containing 583 calories and a whopping 11 teaspoons of sugar per 100g pack.
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Even if a child were to eat half a bar, they’d still have used up at least 90 per cent of their sugar allowance for the day.
Aldi’s Specially Selected Orkney Caramel Shortbread biscuits was the most sugar and calorie laden biscuit with 382 calories and five teaspoons of sugar in two biscuits.
If all three were consumed over a day, for example, the muffin at lunch, Ritter chocolate in the afternoon and shortbread biscuits after dinner, Action on Sugar said this would equal a whopping 1326 calories and 92.5 grams of sugar in a day.
Coming in second for cakes was Genius Deliciously Gluten Free Double Chocolate Muffins at 349 calories and 25g of sugar.
For chocolate it was Ritter Sport Dark Whole Hazelnuts, which contains 577 calories and 37g of sugar.
Two of Mrs. Crimble’s Gloriously Gluten Free Big Jam Coconut Rings pack in 342 calories and 34g of sugar.
Overall the Action of Sugar audit, led by experts at Queen Mary University of London, found 61 per cent of cakes, 63 per cent of chocolates and 44 per cent of biscuits had over 10g of sugar per serving.
But the group found healthier options were available.
Eating too much sugar, which is packed with energy, can contribute to potentially harmful weight gain which in turn increases the risk of serious issues like heart disease, some cancers as well as type 2 diabetes
One combination of cakes, chocolate and biscuits in a day would lead people only consuming a total of 182 calories and 18.4g (four and a half teaspoons) of sugar.
This would involve one Sainsbury’s Stamford Street Co. Raspberry & Vanilla Mini Roll an Aldi Dairyfine Dreemy Bar, and two Sainsbury’s Rich Tea Fingers.
This was about seven times less calorific, and had five times less sugar, than the most fattening combination.
The researchers said not enough is being done to steer British consumers to these lower sugar options.
On the back of their analysis, Action on Sugar called for the Government to impose a tax on sugary foods similar to the one imposed on soft drinks in 2018.
The Soft Drinks Industry Levy added 24p per litre to the price of the most sugary drinks, whilst diet and zero-sugar options were unaffected.
It led to a number of brands reformulating their drinks and was credited with reducing the daily amount of sugar consumed by British children by almost 5g per day.
Dr Kawther Hashem, head of research and impact at Action on Sugar based at Queen Mary’s said sugary foods were ‘inescapable’ for most British children.
‘We’re simply not doing enough to support children in keeping their sugar intake within recommended guidelines,’ she said.
‘We have a duty to every child to make school a sanctuary from unnecessary sugar, so they can grow up healthier, stronger, and free from the risks of diet-related disease.’
Responding to Action of Sugar’s research a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson insisted the Government was committed to tackling the obesity crisis ‘head-on’.
‘We have already made a strong start by restricting junk food advertising on TV and online and limiting school children’s access to fast food,’ they said,
‘On top of this, the government is reviewing the Soft Drinks Industry Levy to ensure it remains effective in tackling obesity and other harms caused by a high sugar intake.’
Data, published earlier this month, suggested almost a third of children in parts of England are obese by the time they start secondary school.
Nationally, the childhood obesity rate stands at over a fifth, a slight drop on last year but still higher than pre-pandemic.
Adults don’t fare better, about two in three in the UK are now obese or overweight.
Action in Sugar’s audit looked at 185 cakes, 92 chocolates, and 360 biscuits sold in four British supermarkets, Asda, Aldi, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, sold between April and June this year.
They assumed products with no recommended serving size, like Ritter Sport products, would be one serving and chocolate products that containing multiple bars, but which are sold among single-serve chocolate bars, as one portion.
Researchers also set a serving size for biscuits of two across brands.
