A new report from the British Action on Sugar campaign group reports that flavored drinks offered by coffee chains such as Starbucks may contain as much as 25 teaspoons of sugar each. That is three times as much sugar as in a can of coke, and more than three times the maximum daily intake recommended for adults by the American Heart Association. The research, which focused on drinks sold in the UK, showed that sugar levels are similar in the U.S. and other locations where the drinks are sold.
Action on Sugar analyzed 131 hot drinks, including chai teas, flavored lattes and mocha coffees from nine major coffee chains in the UK, including Costa, Pret a Manger and Starbucks. The “worst offender” was found to be Starbucks, and the worst drink on the menu is hot mulled fruit grape with orange, chai and cinnamon, which weighed in at 25 teaspoons of sugar per serving, equal to 99 grams. The Starbucks venti Chai Latte, promoted as a healthy drink option, had 13 teaspoons.
Starbucks was not the only chain in the campaigners’ line of fire. KFC’s mocha was listed with 15 teaspoons of sugar, the same as Starbucks’ Signature hot chocolate. This is twice the recommended daily dose. A medium Dunkin’ Donuts vanilla chai has more than 11 teaspoons of sugar, and their hot macchiato has seven teaspoons. McDonald’s large mocha has 11 teaspoons.
The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests 25 grams, or about 6 teaspoons, of sugar daily for a normal weight adult.
Kawther Hashem one of the researchers for Action on Sugar, says these flavored drinks should be an “occasional treat” rather than consumed every day. “They are laden with an unbelievable amount (of) sugar and calories and are often accompanied by a high sugar and fat snack.”
Starbucks has promised to take action to reduce the added sugar in their “indulgent drinks.” They have committed to reducing sugar by 25 percent by the end of 2020, according to a Starbucks spokesperson.
However, Action on Sugar says the UK need to start taxing the sugar in food, and that the reduction in fat and sugar in processed drinks and food needs to be monitored by an independent agency.
Action on Sugar describes itself as a group of specialists who are concerned with the effects of sugar on health, and includes doctors, nutritionists and public health specialists.