A new nationwide survey, carried out by campaign group Action on Salt and Sugar at Queen Mary University of Research in London, has exposed just how misleading many so-called ‘healthy’ snack bars are.
More than a third (37%) are high in sugars - even under the UK’s already generous and outdated traffic-light labelling system, it said.
Published to coincide with Sugar Awareness Week, which began on Monday, the research examined 458 snack bars sold across ten of the UK’s leading supermarkets.
Despite being promoted as ‘convenient’ and ‘nutritious’, Action on Salt and Sugar’s analysis revealed wide variations in nutritional quality - with products ranging from 62 to 378kcal in just one serving.
Using the UK’s traffic light nutrition labelling system, the survey found while some bars (28%) were considered low in total sugars, on average, each serving contained 7g of sugar - nearly two teaspoons of sugar and equivalent to almost one-third (29%) of a 7-10-year-old child’s maximum daily limit of free sugars.
Over half (55%) were high in saturated fat. In addition, the findings reveal how misleading marketing and weak policy oversight are fuelling excess sugar intake, particularly among children and young people, through claims such as ‘source of protein’, ‘source of fibre’, ‘no added sugar’ and ‘made with whole grains’.
Among those carrying “high in fibre”, nearly one-third (31%) were also high in sugars. To put this into context, M&S Dark Chocolate Date Bar contained 26.5g of sugar per serving - almost seven teaspoons – while Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Squares Caramel & Chocolate Snack Bars contained 14g per serving.
“Consumers should be aware these are snack products, contain free sugars and should be consumed occasionally…”
“Consumers should be aware these are snack products, contain free sugars and should be consumed occasionally and in small amounts,” a spokesperson from the group added.
By comparison, the bar with the lowest sugars content was Grenade’s Dark Chocolate Mint Flavour 60g at 0.4g per serving.
Government guidance advises snacks and drinks should make up no more than 20% of our daily calories - roughly equating to two 200kcal snacks for a moderately active woman. Yet nearly a third (32%) of the products surveyed exceeded this limit, pushing excess calories well beyond what’s recommended.
In response to the findings, Action on Salt and Sugar is urging the Government to act urgently to protect children’s health, with a clear set of policy measures to drive meaningful change. The organisation is urging ministers to make front-of-pack labelling mandatory, stop misleading claims and use taxes after the success of the soft drinks levy.
Dr Kawther Hashem, senior lecturer in public health nutrition and head of research and impact at Action on Salt and Sugar, said: “Parents and young people are being misled into believing these products are healthy when many contain excess sugar and calories. The Government must take more assertive action by mandating clear front-of-pack labelling and tightening the sugar thresholds, introducing levies on unhealthy foods, and setting ambitious healthy sales targets to truly protect children’s health.”
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