ONE in three drinks from takeaway coffee shops contain more sugar than an adult should have in an entire day, research shows.
A third of coffees, frappuccinos and sweet treats sold at shops like Starbucks and Costa exceed the 30g maximum, according to Action on Sugar.
One milkshake and cake combination at Coffee Republic contained a shocking 157g of “free sugars” — five times the recommended amount.
Hundreds of products sold across nine leading stores are not labelled as “high” in sugar despite being in that threshold, the campaign group said.
Professor Graham MacGregor, of Action on Sugar, said: “It is scandalous that companies get away with providing so little nutrition information.
“It is even more outrageous that the government hasn’t taken decisive action to incentivise sugar reduction.”
Read more on health
POSTCODE LOTTERY
Map reveals areas with highest life expectancy – how long could you live?
SCRATCH UP
What your itch reveals about your health – from ancient Egyptian ills to cancer
The NHS recommends Brits don’t eat or drink more than 90g of sugar a day, including 30g of “free sugars” — added sugars that are found in drinks, biscuits, chocolates and more.
Having too much sugar can increase your risk of diabetes, obesity, cancer and heart disease.
The Action on Sugar research looked at products at nine high street coffee chains to see how much sugar they contained and if they provided nutritional information.
While some companies are required to display calorie information at the point of sale, they do not have to reveal products’ sugar content.
Most read in Health
DIET WARNING
Urgent warning as bowel cancer surges to become UK’s third most common cancer
POSTCODE LOTTERY
Map reveals areas with highest life expectancy – how long could you live?
HOME TRUTHS
The 4 little-known signs your child is dangerously ill from damp and mould
HIGH HOPES
‘Game-changing’ jab ‘turns off’ high blood pressure and could end daily pills
The report found 782 sweet food and drink products at the shops were “insufficiently labelled”.
Zoe Davies, of Action on Sugar, said: “It’s incredible how easy it is to unknowingly consume 39 teaspoons of sugar and over 1,300 calories with a simple drink and cake purchase.
“What’s more, it’s unacceptable that consumers are often left in the dark as product information about sugar content is not displayed at the point of sale.
“This is why clearer labelling should be a must, so people know exactly what they are buying.”
A Starbucks spokesperson said: "We are committed to helping customers make informed and improved choices that work for them.
"Since 2012, we have worked to reduce sugar content across our product range, resulting in the development of sugar-free syrups.
"We have evolved our recipes to bring down the sugar content of drinks, such as reducing sugar by 34 per cent in our Frappuccino Coffee base syrup, and by 14 per cent across our baked goods since 2018.
"We provide nutritional information online and on our menu boards, and offer customers a range of customisation options so that they can enjoy a drink that works for them."
What food and drink has the highest sugar at nine UK coffee shops?
Coffee Republic
Drink: Thick Shake Toffee Apple Crumble (74g)
Food: Salted Caramel Fudge Cake (83g)
Total sugar: 157g
Soho Coffee Co.
Drink: Billionaire’s Hot Chocolate (71g)
Food: Salted Sticky Toffee Muffin (62g)
Total sugar: 157g
Puccino's
Drink: Strawberry and Banana Smoothie (112g)
Food: Pain Au Raisin (18g)
Total sugar: 130g
Costa
Drink: Red Summer Berries (53g)
Food: MacMillan Carrot & Walnut Cake (51g)
Total sugar: 104g
Coffee#1
Drink: Strawberry Frappe (41g)
Food: Mince Pie (60g)
Total sugar: 101g
Caffe Nero
Drink: Millionaires Hot Chocolate (47g)
Food: Carrot Cake (45g)
Total sugar: 91g
Starbucks
Drink: Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino (51g)
Food: Luxury Fruit Bread (38g)
Total sugar: 89g
Pret A Manger
Drink: Chocolate Chai (50g)
Food: Melvin the Gingerbread Snowman (40g)
Total sugar: 89g
Greggs
Drink: Iced Chocolate (34g)
Food: Belgian Bun (46g)
Total sugar: 80g
Source: Read Full Article
