Childrens yoghurt still too sugary
Children’s yoghurt still contains high levels of sugar, about 8.2g per 100g, according to new research.
Children’s yoghurts still contain high levels of sugar, according to new research from Action on Salt & Sugar. The study, based at Queen Mary University of London, found an average of 8.2g of sugars per 100g of yoghurt.
The research surveyed 104 children’s yoghurts and found that levels of sugar ranged from 4.7g to 14.1g per 100g. The yoghurt with the highest sugar content was Nestlé Smarties Vanilla Split Pot, which contained 14.1g of sugars per 100g.
Sugar Content in Children’s Yoghurts
The lowest sugar content was found in The Collective Great Dairy Natural + Vitamin D and Yoplait Petits Filous No Added Sugar Strawberry & Banana, both of which contained 4.7g of sugars per 100g. Action on Salt & Sugar warned that much of the sugar in children’s yoghurts comes from free sugars, rather than naturally occurring sugars from milk.
Using an estimate that 3.8g of total sugars per 100g are naturally occurring from milk, the research found that one in five products would provide 25% or more of the recommended daily limit of free sugars for a child aged four to six years. Only two products were found to be low in total sugars.
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Manufacturer Comparison
Nestlé products had the highest average total sugars content per 100g at 10.7g, followed by Lidl at 9.4g and Aldi at 9.0g. Sainsbury’s products had the lowest average at 6.2g, followed by Yeo Valley at 6.8g.
Dr Kawther Hashem, head of research & impact at Action on Salt & Sugar, said that yoghurt can be a valuable source of nutrients for children, but should not come with unnecessary amounts of free sugars. Parents should not have to choose between providing nutritious foods and avoiding excessive sugar in products marketed for children.
The findings come despite progress made under the government’s voluntary sugar reduction programme, which saw yoghurts reduce sugars by 13.5% between 2015 and 2020. However, this fell short of the 20% reduction target. Some manufacturers, such as The Collective, have made significant reductions in sugar content, with a 32% reduction between 2021 and 2026.
