A major analysis of supermarket sweet snacks has revealed that some biscuits and mini cakes contain more than the recommended daily limit of sugar for Brits and a quarter of our total calorie count.
Experts from campaign group Action On Sugar studied the nutritional value of more than 600 popular products that many of us might consume between meals.
They found that sugary, calorie-laden snacks were “unavoidable”: for example, almost a quarter of an adult woman’s 2,000-calorie daily ration was found in just two 40g cookies.
Three of the most harmful sweets were gluten-free products, which many consumers opt for under the impression that protein-free foods are healthier.
Campaigners said the findings are particularly worrying for children’s health, given that these types of snacks are often given to children to recover between meals.
Nourhan Barakat, a 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 make sugar intake of a child triple the daily limit.
‘If the sugar in these snacks were reduced by 20 percent, they would still be sweet, but almost 20 grams less sugar would be consumed.
“It’s time for food companies to prioritize children’s health and reduce sugar in everyday snacks.”
A major analysis of supermarket sweets has revealed that some snacks consumed by children can contain the 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 problems such as heart disease, some cancers, and type 2 diabetes.
Sweet is also bad for oral health and can lead to serious tooth decay and even tooth loss.
It is for these reasons that the NHS recommends that adults consume no more than 30g of free sugars per day (roughly the equivalent of seven teaspoons).
Children from seven to 10 years old should not consume more than six teaspoons, while for younger children the recommendation is five.
Free sugar is the type of sweet substance that is added to foods rather than incorporated into them. For example, sugar in cakes, sweets, chocolate and some yogurts.
The group discovered that the cake that offended the most was Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Free From Gluten Blueberry Muffins.
A single serving was found to contain 361 calories (about the same as two Krispy Kreme donuts) and seven teaspoons of sugar.
For chocolate bars, Ritter Sport’s White Whole Hazelnut bar came out worst, containing 583 calories and a whopping 11 teaspoons of sugar per 100g packet.
Even if a child ate half a bar, they would have consumed at least 90 percent of their daily sugar ration.
Aldi’s Specially Selected Orkney Caramel Shortbread Cookies were the cookies with the highest sugar and calorie content, with 382 calories and five teaspoons of sugar in two cookies.
If all three were consumed over one day, for example the muffin at lunch, Ritter’s chocolate in the afternoon and shortbread after dinner, Action on Sugar said this would equate to a whopping 1,326 calories and 92, 5 grams of sugar in a day.
In second place for cakes was Genius Deliciously Gluten Free Double Chocolate Muffins with 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 Large Jam Coconut Rings contain 342 calories and 34g of sugar.
Overall, the Action of Sugar audit, led by experts at Queen Mary University of London, found that 61 percent of cakes, 63 percent of chocolates and 44 percent of cookies had more than 10 grams. of sugar per serving.
But the group discovered there were healthier options 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 problems such as heart disease, some cancers, and type 2 diabetes.
A combination of cakes, chocolate and biscuits in one day would cause people to consume only a total of 182 calories and 18.4g (four and a half teaspoons) of sugar.
This would involve a 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 caloric and had five times less sugar than the most fattening combination.
Researchers said not enough is being done to steer British consumers towards these low-sugar options.
Following its analysis, Action on Sugar called on the Government to impose a tax on sugary foods similar to the tax on soft drinks in 2018.
The soft drinks tax added 24p per liter to the price of the most sugary drinks, while diet and sugar-free options were unaffected.
This led to several 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 Queen Mary’s-based Action on Sugar, said sugary foods were “unavoidable” for most British children.
“We are simply not doing enough to help children keep their sugar intake within recommended guidelines,” she said.
“We have a duty to all children to make school a sanctuary from unnecessary sugar, so they can grow up healthier, stronger and free from the risks of diet-related diseases.”
Responding to Action of Sugar’s investigation, 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 good start by restricting junk food advertising on television and online and limiting schoolchildren’s access to fast food,” they said.
“In addition to this, the government is reviewing the tax on the soft drinks industry to ensure it remains effective in combating obesity and other harms caused by high sugar consumption.”
The data, published earlier this month, suggested that almost a third of children in some parts of England are obese by the time they start secondary school.
Nationally, the childhood obesity rate is more than a fifth, a slight drop from last year but still higher than before the pandemic.
Adults fare no better: around two in three in the UK are now obese or overweight.
Sugar’s audit examined 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 that products without a recommended serving size, such as Ritter Sport products, would be one serving and chocolate products that contain multiple bars, but are sold among single-serving chocolate bars, as one serving.
The researchers also set a cookie serving size of two across all brands.