How that summer coffee shop frappe could be worse for you than eating FIVE KitKats: Eye-popping levels of sugar in drinks sold by Costa, Starbucks, Caffe Nero and McDonald’s revealed
- EXCLUSIVE: Campaigners warn the drinks will add to Britain’s obesity epidemic
High street coffee giants pack their summer drinks with up to five KitKat bars of sugar, a study shows.
A MailOnline audit may reveal that many of the chains offer seasonal drinks well above the NHS’s recommended daily sugar limit.
Campaigners have warned that the drinks, which are particularly popular with children and teenagers, will only increase Britain’s obesity epidemic.
At its worst, Costa Coffee’s Blueberry Bubble Frappe Light Whip contains an astonishing 49.3g of sugar – the same amount as 12 teaspoons of sugar.
NHS guidelines state that the average adult should have no more than 30g or seven teaspoons of added sugar per day.
A MailOnline audit may reveal that many of the chains offer seasonal drinks well above the NHS’s recommended daily sugar limit
Sugar naturally found in milk, fruits and vegetables does not count towards the limit.
Caffe Nero’s new Tropical Fro-Yo Frappe, served with semi-skimmed milk, contains 24.6 g or six teaspoons.
A McDonalds Strawberry and Cream Frappe also contains about six teaspoons, while a Starbucks Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew contains 17.6 g — about four and a half.
Zoe Davies – nutritionist at Action on Sugar said: ‘Year after year we see major coffee shop chains selling these drinks – many of which are loaded with sugar and calories.
These “seasonal” drinks aren’t an occasional treat — they’re sold year-round and heavily advertised, but with different flavors.
‘As obesity costs the NHS around £6.5 billion a year and is the second leading cause of cancer, coffee shops need to do more and do more to reduce the amount of sugar in these drinks and be more transparent about the amount of sugar in them. their products. at the point of sale.
“Our advice to customers if they want to enjoy one of these drinks is to ask for less syrup and go for the smallest size.”
The findings come as the government announced that tens of thousands of NHS patients could be given a ‘groundbreaking’ weight-loss drug in a desperate bid to tackle obesity.
Nearly one in three Britons are classified as obese, making the UK one of the worst countries in Europe for obesity, after Malta and Turkey.
An estimated five million people are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Tam Fry from the National Obesity Forum said: ‘If obesity is ever to be eradicated in the UK, the government needs to legislate or set limits on the amount of sugar in a single product.
“The manufacturers of these drinks are irresponsible and deserve to have the book thrown at them.”
Paul Evans, from the British Obesity Society and School Health UK, said: ‘You see adults and children sipping these drinks, inevitably contributing to rising obesity rates across the board.
“It’s amazing that there is so little talk about the irresponsible sugar content in these drinks.”
A spokesman for Costa Coffee said: ‘We know our customers enjoy visiting us for their daily favorites or a summertime treat with friends and family.
‘We are proud to offer a balanced range of drinks, which also includes a fruity range of Refreshers as part of our summer menu, all of which you can enjoy for less than 40 calories.’
Starbucks said, “We are committed to helping customers make informed and enhanced choices that work for them by offering a range of customization options, such as choosing our smallest size, Tall.
“Customers can find all available nutritional information on our mobile app, online and our menu boards.”
Caffe Nero said: ‘The Tropical FroYo Frappe Crème is a treat and only makes up one percent of our summer drink range.’
McDonald’s did not respond to requests for comment.