A shocking new audit has revealed that many oat, nut and fruit bars, widely marketed as healthy snacks, can contain more sugar than a Krispy Kreme doughnut.
The investigation, conducted by the campaign group Action on Salt and Sugar, analysed the nutritional content of more than 450 bars sold across ten major UK supermarkets.
Results showed that the sweetest so-called 'healthy' options contain over 26g of sugar per serving – the equivalent of nearly seven teaspoons of sugar, or more than two original glazed doughnuts from the popular chain.
Exceeding Daily Sugar Limits
This finding is particularly alarming when compared to NHS guidance, which sets the maximum daily intake for free sugars at just 30g per day for adults.
Consuming excessive sugar over time is a direct contributor to weight gain and tooth decay, with the latter being the leading cause of hospital admissions for children in the UK.
The probe also discovered that over half of the 'healthy' snack bars for sale in Britain were high in saturated fat, compounding the health risks.
Misleading Marketing Claims Exposed
Perhaps most concerning is the prevalence of misleading marketing. Among bars carrying 'high in fibre' or 'source of fibre' claims, nearly a third were also high in sugars.
Experts have labelled the findings 'unacceptable', pointing the finger at deceptive packaging and 'weak' Government policy for fuelling a national sugar crisis.
Dr Kawther Hashem, a senior lecturer in public health nutrition at Queen Mary University of London and head of research at Action on Salt & Sugar, stated: 'Parents and young people are being misled into believing these products are healthy when many contain excess sugar and calories.'
She called for assertive government action, including mandatory front-of-pack labelling and stricter sugar thresholds.
Nutritionist Nourhan Barakat from the same group added: '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.'
The Worst Offenders and a Call to Action
The audit identified specific products with alarmingly high sugar content. The Marks and Spencers' Dark Chocolate Date Bar was among the worst, containing 26.5g of sugar per serving.
For context, a Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnut has just 12g of sugar.
Other high-sugar bars included:
- Nakd's Raw Fruit & Nut Salted Caramel bar (17g)
- Kellogg's Rice Krispies Squares Caramel & Chocolate Snack Bars (14g)
- Deliciously Ella's Roasted Peanut Protein Ball (16g)
In light of these findings, Action on Salt and Sugar is urgently calling on the Government to make front-of-pack labelling mandatory and to restrict health claims to products that are genuinely low in salt, sugar, and saturated fat.
With sugar intake remaining above recommended limits across all age groups, and children consuming almost double their maximum limit, the group argues that immediate policy change is crucial to protect the nation's health.
