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'Healthy' Snacks Have More Sugar Than Haribo

'Healthy' Snacks Have More Sugar Than Haribo

Some fruit snacks aimed at children contain more sugar than Haribo sweets, according to a study.

Lobby group and charity Action On Sugar said it found 85% of the products it looked at had almost half as much again as the 100g of sugar found in Haribo Starmix.

For example, Tesco's Yogurt Coated Strawberry Fruit Bites and Fruit Bowl's Raspberry Fruit Flakes contained at least four teaspoons of sugar.

Other brands, such as Frootz Apple 100% Fruit Drops, had even higher levels of sugar in them.

Action on Sugar, which is calling for "punitive" taxes on products with high sugar content, said it was misleading to claim the fruit in the sweets could count as "one of your five" portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

Campaign director Katharine Jenner said: "Parents find it hard enough to know what is 'healthy' without food manufacturers confusing matters with misleading claims.

"Whole, unprocessed fruit is healthier than processed fruit snacks and fruit juice drinks, as it contains vitamins, minerals, water and fibre, and does not cause the devastating tooth decay we see in young children today."

A total of 94 products were surveyed from UK shops including Tesco, Waitrose and Asda, with several products being suggested as "suitable for lunchboxes".

Action on Sugar chairman and professor of cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary, University of London Graham MacGregor said: "Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt must set sugar reduction targets across the whole of the food industry to gradually reduce the amount of sugar they add to our food.

"If the food industry does not respond, then punitive taxes on these unhealthy products need to be imposed."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "Sugar can be very damaging for health and parents are advised to check packaging carefully so they can monitor their children's intake.

"We are the first European country to introduce a voluntary front-of-pack labelling scheme to help families see at a glance what is in the food they buy.

"Tackling obesity and reducing sugar intake is a major priority. We have already taken billions of calories out of the food and drink market over the past few years by working with industry and we continue to consider our next steps."

Levels of child obesity are beginning to stabilise after years of growth but experts and officials are still worried that trends are too high, leading to potential health complications in later years.