Health campaigners are calling on the government to help reduce the “dangerously high” levels of sugar in on-the-go sweet snacks.
A new snapshot product survey by Action on Sugar and Obesity Health Alliance has revealed a “huge variation in portion size and sugar content of popular on-the-go sweet snacks sold in both retail and out of home”, with one pack of cookies found to contain the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar per serving.
The cookies in question – Aldi’s Specially Selected Triple Chocolate Cookies – contained 39g sugar per 80g serve, which was “twice a child’s daily limit of sugar and the equivalent of eating 12 custard cream biscuits”, the report claimed.
It stated that portion size of cookies also varied “considerably… with no uniformity and limited access to nutrition information or front-of-pack colour-coded labelling on on-the-go products.
The report similarly zeroed in on Krispy Kreme’s Original Glazed Ring Doughnut and Greggs’ Glazed Ringed Doughnuts, with each containing three teaspoons of sugar per serving.
“We are committed to continuing to reduce the amount of sugar across our range, and all of our products have clear nutritional information to help customers make informed choices,” an Aldi spokesman said.
“Our Specially Selected Cookies are sold as an indulgent treat to be enjoyed in moderation.”
A spokeswoman for Krispy Kreme, meanwhile, said the brand was “examining ways to reduce the sugar content of our product portfolio for the long-term, without compromising the great taste of our unique recipes”.
“Clear nutritional labelling is available in all our stores and cabinets, as well as on our website, and we are absolutely committed to responsible advertising and marketing practices, both online and offline, and do not target any of our communications at under-18s.”
The Grocer has approached Greggs for comment.
The report stated that adults and children eating more calories from sugar than was recommended was “a key driver of rising obesity levels, exacerbated with the coronavirus pandemic”.
Reducing sugar consumption to recommended intakes could “save the NHS £500m annually, prevent 4,100 premature deaths and avert approximately 200,000 cases of tooth decay”, it claimed.
It therefore called for the government to publish its sugar reduction progress report and announce new comprehensive, regulatory measures to incentivise the industry to reduce sugar.
Action on Sugar director and registered nutritionist Katharine Jenner said the report was being “deliberately kept away from public scrutiny”.
It was “clear from our product survey that a voluntary approach to reformulation is not working, with most retailers and coffee shops failing to make any significant reductions”, she added.
Obesity Health Alliance lead Caroline Cerny said the government needed to “step in with new regulation that creates a level playing field and financially disincentivises companies from producing and marketing sugary products”.
“If the government is serious about improving our health, it needs to act now,” she said.
Action on Sugar nutrition manager and registered nutritionist Holly Gabriel added that measures such as the soft drinks industry levy, which had seen a “35% reduction in sugar within just four years”, demonstrated “the power of government to help reduce population sugar intakes and lower risks of associated health implications”.
It comes as 40 different health organisations – including Action on Sugar and Obesity Health Alliance – this week wrote to health secretary Sajid Javid demanding the government stops delaying publication of the report on the industry’s voluntary sugar reduction programme.
The Grocer revealed last month that the report looked set to be published a full year behind schedule, despite having been billed as one of the key strategies in tackling childhood obesity.
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