Cafes Criticized for Loading Sugar into Cakes

06 Dec 2016 --- Campaign group Action on Sugar has revealed new research showing so-called ‘fruity cakes’ on sale in popular coffee shops like Starbucks and Pret a Manger are loaded with sugar - in some cases three times the daily recommended intake for a child in just one slice. 

Action on Sugar’s study, at Queen Mary University of London, details high levels of sugar and calories in lemon, blueberry and carrot cakes and is again urging food manufacturers and cafes to get behind Public Health England’s voluntary sugar reduction program to help tackle two of the biggest public health concerns facing Britain, obesity and type 2 diabetes. 

Some of the examples include, Pret a Manger’s Lemon Drizzle slice which contains 18 teaspoons of sugar per slice (698kcal). That’s three times a child’s entire daily-recommended maximum sugar intake and more sugar than 10 Krispy Kremes. A lemon slice, blueberry muffin and a carrot cake are the worst offenders, sold in Starbucks and Pret a Manger – each with 10 or more teaspoons of sugar per serving.

A total of 67 fruity cakes were surveyed. Starbucks’ Christmas carrot cake with 15 teaspoons of sugar (616kcal) per serving, followed by Pret a Manger’s double berry muffins loaded with 10 teaspoons of sugar (512kcal) per serving.

Action on Sugar points out that compared to cafes, supermarkets are leading the way when it comes to offering customers lower calories and sugar per serving and although they should be eaten as a treat, they are in fact one of the main contributors of sugar intake in children. 

Across each of the three cake varieties supermarkets offered lower calories and sugar per serving, compared to those sold in cafes – demonstrating that manufacturers can make cakes with less calories and sugar, partly due to smaller portion sizes. Therefore, more immediate action is needed from cafes.

Even within cafes, there was a big difference in sugar and calorie content per serving. A Caffé Nero lemon poppyseed muffin (8 tsp sugar, 461kcal) contains three teaspoons less sugar than the same choice in Starbucks (11 tsp sugar, 470kcal) per serving. 

Industry now has a limited window of opportunity to prove that PHE’s voluntary program can work. However, if they do not, we will need to have mandatory targets, as called for by the supermarkets, says Action on Sugar which will be closely monitoring the work of all food companies to ensure they are committed to preventing obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay in future generations. 

“It’s ludicrous that popular coffee shops are serving slices of cake containing over 600 calories and 18 teaspoons of sugar. To burn off this many calories you’d need to walk for over two hours. Cakes, biscuits and puddings should be an occasional food but people are consuming these products regularly without realizing the amount of energy required to burn off this many calories. Both supermarkets and cafés must help us eat better by offering products with fewer calories and less sugar in smaller portion sizes, says registered nutritionist Kawther Hashem, researcher at Action on Sugar. 

Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary University of London and Chairman of Action on Sugar adds: “Gradual reduction in sugar and calories are by the most effective way of reducing calorie intake and thereby helping to prevent both obesity and type 2 diabetes. “This survey clearly demonstrates the shocking amounts of sugar and calories in cakes. Both retailers and cafes must immediately start reducing the huge and unnecessary amounts of sugar and calories in these products.”