SWEET DISCOVERY IN POPULAR COFFEE CHAINS

Many of us may be unaware that we are already consuming an entire day’s limit on sugar or
saturated fats in just a single trip to coffee chains. According to a study by the Cancer Council
of New South Wales (NSW), which appeared in the Nutrition & Dietetics journal, some drinks
and sweet snacks offered in cafes are unhealthy, especially if they are consumed regularly. The
findings highlight that apart from a caffeine fix, people also take in high levels of sugar,
saturated fats and kilojoules in every cup of coffee.

In investigating sugar levels, the research team from the Cancer Council NSW
also examined more than 500 menu items across five popular chains including Gloria Jeans,
The Coffee Club, Mc Café, Muffin Break and Michel’s Patisserie. They assessed the energy,
saturated fats, and sugar content of beverages and snacks, comparing them to the average daily
allowance recommended by health authorities. The researchers found that 54 percent of cold
beverages, such as iced coffees and chocolate drinks, contain more than half of the daily sugar
allowance in one serving.

Consumers who order fancy coffee beverages and sweet snacks on the side could also be
consuming too many kilojoules each day, which over time may lead to weight gain. For
example, foods and drinks consumed between meals as morning or afternoon snacks can
contain up to 4000 kilojoules, which is almost half of the kilojoule allowance for an adult, the
team revealed. Even snacks touted by the coffee chains as healthier were found to be filled
with sugar and saturated fats, the researchers claimed. They also revealed that coffee labelled
as skimmed or low fat also does not necessarily mean low in sugar or kilojoules.

High sugar intake correlates with today’s busy lifestyle. People have been noted to have a
strong culture of eating on the go and catching up with friends, family and colleagues over a
quick coffee and cake. Clare Hughes, a member of the Cancer Council NSW research team as
well as the manager of Nutrition Programs at Cancer Council NSW claims that the food and
drinks that people consume outside home contribute significantly to their nutrient intake. It is
becoming evident that these choices may be a significant factor in rising obesity cases in adults,
she opines.

In the UK, a campaign group, Action on Sugar, is calling for new legally binding targets
requiring supermarkets and manufacturers to reduce the sugar content in food and drinks. The
idea has the support of supermarkets through 35 the British Retail Consortium. Action on Sugar
revealed that coffee shops have an overwhelming influence because there are more than 18,000
outlets selling an estimated 1.7 billion hot drinks a year. However, there are doubts as to
whether the government will back the measure in the soon to be published Childhood Obesity
Strategy report which proposes the government introduce a sugar tax.

Action on Sugar mentioned that an analysis was carried out on 131 hot flavoured drinks,
including coffees, mochas, lattes, hot fruit drinks and hot chocolates among other drinks that
are widely bought from some of the UK’s best-known coffee shops and fast-food chains. The
campaign group found that one third of hot drinks served in popular chains contained the same
amount or more sugar than Coca-Cola which contained nine teaspoons of sugar per can. Calling
the findings alarming, a spokesman for the group said that 98 per cent of the drinks tested
would receive a red nutritional-value label for high-sugar content.

The chairman for Action on Sugar, Professor Graham MacGregor, stated that it was “another
example of the scandalous amount of sugar added to our food and drinks resulting in us having
the highest rates of obesity in Europe”. The campaign group found that the worst offender was
Starbucks’ venti grape drink which is a hot mulled fruit drink with grape, chai, orange and
cinnamon, as well as a shocking total of 25 teaspoons of sugar per serving.

Costa’s Massimo eat-in chai latte was found to contain 20 teaspoons of sugar, while Starbucks’
venti white chocolate mocha with whipped cream was found to have 18. The campaign group
disclosed that KFC’s mocha and Starbucks’ signature hot chocolate both had 15 teaspoons of
sugar per serving, while 60 Caffe Nero’s drink-in caramel latte had. A Starbucks spokeswoman
admitted that the company had committed earlier this year to reducing excessive sugar in its
indulgent drinks by 25 per cent by the end of 2020. She added it also offered “a wide variety
of lighter options” and displayed all nutritional information in-store and online.

With all this increase in sugar consumption, there has been an increase in the number of health
problems, particularly diabetes. Does consuming too much sugar really cause diabetes? Eating
too much of any food, including sugar, can cause you to gain weight; it is the resulting obesity
that predisposes people to diabetes. The results of a large epidemiological study, in fact,
suggested sugar may have a direct, independent link to diabetes. Researchers from the Stanford
University School of Medicine, the University of California-Berkeley and the University of
California-San Francisco have examined data on sugar availability and diabetes rates from 175
countries over the past decade. After accounting for obesity and a large array of other factors,
they found that increased sugar in a population's food supply was directly linked to higher
diabetes rates. The increase in diabetic rates is independent of obesity rates.

A 12-ounce can of soda contains about 150 calories of sugar. For every additional 150 calories
of sugar available per person per day, the prevalence of diabetes in the population rose by 1
percent, even after controlling for obesity, physical activity, other types of calories and a
number of economic and social variables. Research indicated that sugar availability correlated
to diabetes risk. The longer a population is exposed to excessive sugar consumption, the higher
its diabetes rates even after controlling for obesity and other factors. In addition, diabetes rates
dropped over time when sugar availability dropped. This condition is independent of changes
to consumption of other calories and physical activity or obesity rates.

Kerry Parkin, the head of communications at Costa, indicated that the company had “already
taken significant steps to reduce the sugar content of our ranges”. She added, “This April, we
will be setting salt and sugar reduction targets for 2020”. However, a researcher from Action
on Sugar, Kawther Hashem, argued that coffee shop chains should immediately reduce the
unacceptable amount of sugar in these hot drinks, improve their labelling and stop selling the
ridiculously large serving sizes. She added these drinks should be an occasional treat as they
are laden with an unbelievable amount of sugar and calories. Besides, they are often
accompanied by a high sugar-and-fat snack.

The research by Action on Sugar precedes the government’s Childhood Obesity Strategy
report, which is due to be unveiled in the coming weeks. It will reportedly recommend that
junk-food advertisements be banned from being screened in between “family programmes”
such as The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent. A feasibility study is also likely to be launched
to establish how a compulsory sugar tax could work if firms do not take adequate measures.
Proposals for a sugar tax of up to 20 per cent and the threat of a levy to pressure companies
into reformulating their products to reduce sugar content have been championed by several
celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver. The government, in fact, has been urged to be bold in order
to shift Britain away from an obesity crisis.

Adapted from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/18/