Experts issue warning over ‘healthy’ snack bars that contain MORE sugar than a Krispy Kreme doughnut

Oat, nut and fruit bars, branded as healthy snacks, can contain more sugar than a Krispy Kreme doughnut, a damning audit has revealed. 

The probe, by campaign group Action on Salt and Sugar, looked at the nutritional content of more than 450 bars sold across ten supermarkets in the UK.

Results showed the sweetest ‘healthy’ options contain more than 26g of sugar per serving — just under seven teaspoons — or over two doughnuts from one of Britain’s best loved chains. 

By comparison, NHS guidance sets the maximum daily intake at 30g of free sugars a day, or 210g per week.

Eating too much sugar over time can lead to weight gain and tooth decay. 

Over half of the ‘healthy’ snack bars for sale in Britain were also high in saturated fat, Action on Salt and Sugar found. 

Among those carrying ‘high in fibre’ and ‘source of fibre’ claims, nearly a third were high in sugars. 

Experts today labelled the probe’s findings ‘unacceptable’, arguing that misleading marketing and ‘weak’ Government policy was fuelling a sugar crisis.

Despite seeming to be healthier, the snacks should be treated with caution, they added because they can be high in fat, sugar or salt, while also being packed with fruit and nuts.

Dr Kawther Hashem, a senior lecturer in public health nutrition and head of research and impact at Action on Salt & Sugar based at Queen Mary University of London 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.’

Nourhan Barakat, a nutritionist at Action on Salt & Sugar, added: ‘We, as consumers, deserve honesty from food businesses and shouldn’t have to decode confusing or misleading claims. 

‘Phrases like ‘natural ingredients’, ‘high in fibre’ and ‘high protein’, can be deceptive as many of these bars can be high in sugar and saturated fat. 

‘It’s unacceptable that an average serving provides nearly one-third of a child’s recommended daily sugar intake, putting young children at risk of diet-related health conditions that they could carry with them for life.’

Action on Salt and Sugar’s investigation into the 458 bars found that more than a third (37 per cent) are classed as high in sugars under the UK’s ‘already generous’ and ‘outdated’ traffic-light labelling system. 

When judged against the tougher Chilean warning label criteria, which classes products as high in sugar when they contain over 10g of added sugar, 68 per cent would carry the warning.

Marks and Spencers’ Dark Chocolate Date Bar was among the worst offenders, with 26.5g of sugar per serving. 

For comparison, a Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnut has 12g.

Nakd’s Raw Fruit & Nut Salted Caramel bar and its Raw Fruit & Nut Blueberry Muffin bar, meanwhile, both contained 17g. 

Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Squares Caramel & Chocolate Snack Bars, contained 14g per serving.

Among the snack bars claiming to be high in protein, Deliciously Ella’s Roasted Peanut Protein Ball contained 16g of sugar per serving. 

Nakd’s Peanut Butter Protein Bar also comprised of 13g of sugar. 

Grenade’s Dark Chocolate Mint Flavour bar, however, contained just 0.4g per serving.  

Given adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars per day, this means only sugar added to products — rather than those found naturally in milk, fruit and vegetables. 

Some of the sugar content of the bars will be from natural sources.

As well as the 30g of free sugars per day limit, the government recommends snacks and drinks should make up for no more than 20 per cent of our daily calories. 

Yet, nearly a third (32 per cent) of the products surveyed exceeded this limit, pushing excess calories well beyond what’s recommended.

The highest-calorie product was Chia Charge Chia Seed Flapjack With Sea Salt Flakes at 378 kcal per serving, followed by Chia Charge Chia Seed Flapjack With Banana at 357 kcal. 

In response to the findings, Action on Salt and Sugar has urged the Government to act by making front-of-pack labelling mandatory, meaning products all require clear, consistent colour-coded or warning labels, so consumers can spot unhealthy options easily.

It has also warned that health and nutrition claims should be restricted to products ‘genuinely low in salt, sugar and saturated fat’ and targeted levies on foods high in salt and sugar should be taxed, shifting shoppers towards healthier choices.   

Across the UK, average calorie intake continues to exceed recommended levels, contributing to high rates of overweight and obesity.

It also increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and preventable dental decay — the leading cause of hospital admissions among children in the UK. 

Sugar intake remains above recommended limits across all age groups, with children aged 4–18 years consuming almost twice the maximum limit for free sugars.