‘Healthy’ snack bars hide large amounts of sugar

The report says mandatory measures should replace ‘insufficient’ voluntary ones, with calls for targeted levies on salt and sugar to incentivise reformulation

Nationwide research just launched highlights how snack bars often presented as wholesome, on-the-go options remain high in hidden sugars, with levels equivalent to a third of a child’s daily sugar limit within just one bar. 

The findings from Action on Salt and Sugar, reveal how many products marketed as nutritious are actually high in sugars, saturated fat and calories, misleading shoppers.

Key findings from the research show that: 

• Under the UK’s voluntary front-of-pack traffic-light labels, 37% of snack bars sold in supermarkets would be high in sugars and 55% high in saturated fat. 
• On average, one bar contained 175kcal and 7g of sugar per serving - almost one-third (29%) of a 7–10-year-old child’s maximum daily limit of free sugars. 
• 64% of products would be classed as ‘less healthy’ using the government’s Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM), meaning they would not be allowed to be promoted in store or advertised on TV or online. 
• When compared against Chile’s gold-standard mandatory nutrient warning system, 68% of snack bars would carry a “high in sugar” warning label. 
• Despite this, more than half (53%) still carried a “protein” claim, 18% claimed to be “high in fibre”, and one quarter promoted themselves as “low sugar” or “no added sugar”. Among those with a “high-fibre” claim, 31% were also high in sugars.

Despite the findings, some products contained less than 1g of sugar per serving, showing reformulation is possible where companies choose to act.

The report concludes that voluntary action is not delivering significant improvements. The last government’s Sugar Reduction Programme, which launched in 2016 and challenged the food industry to voluntarily reduce the sugar content in key products by 20% by 2020, achieved an overall reduction of just 3.5% in total sugar per 100g. 

The Department of Health and Social Care states that the initiative has still resulted in positive changes, including sugar reductions of around 15% in breakfast cereals, over 13% in yogurts and around 7% in ice creams between 2015 and 2020. 

But growing product categories — including protein bars — sit outside the programme’s scope, while voluntary traffic-light labelling remains inconsistent, with many products still lacking clear front-of-pack nutrition information.

“The government must take more assertive action by mandating clear front-of-pack labelling, tightening sugar thresholds, and introducing levies on unhealthy foods."

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, tightening sugar thresholds, and introducing levies on unhealthy foods."

Action on Salt and Sugar is calling on ministers to protect children’s health and drive meaningful reform by introducing several measures, including introducing targeted levies on salt and sugar to incentivise reformulation and requiring major food and drink companies to report the healthiness of their sales and set measurable improvement targets.

Kate Howard, Children’s Food Campaign Coordinator at Sustain, said it strongly supports Action on Sugar’s recommendations, adding: “…we need the government to make sure companies are not only producing healthier food but are also being honest about what’s in their products.” 

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said, "As part of our mission to raise the healthiest generation of children ever, we have extended the soft drinks industry levy to cover more products, including sugary milk-based drinks. We are also restricting advertising of junk food on TV and online, limiting volume price promotions on less healthy foods and are introducing mandatory reporting on sales of healthy food.”

The government’s 10 Year Health Plan, launched in July this year, announced that all large food businesses will be mandated to report against standardised metrics on healthier food sales by the end of this Parliament.  This will promote transparency and accountability around the food and drink that businesses are selling and aims to encourage healthier products.