Lunchboxes 'too sugary'
- 00:01:16
- ITN
Lunchboxes 'too sugary'
Parents could be packing more than 12 teaspoons of sugar into their children's lunch-boxes by giving them snacks designed for kids, a consumer campaign group has claimed. Which? assessed the nutritional content of items that fit into children's lunchboxes and found some were "full of salt and sugar". The report found that one pack of Dairylea Lunchables Ham 'n' Cheese Crackers contained 1.8g of salt - more than half the recommended daily allowance of a four to six-year-old; a 200ml Robinsons Fruit Shoot orange juice drink contained 23g of sugar, which equals almost five teaspoons; Kellogg's Frosties Cereal & Milk Bars contained seven different sugars, with sugar making up almost a third (8g) of a 25g bar; and a Munch Bunch Double Up Fromage Frais contained more than two teaspoons (12.4g) of sugar and only 2.25g of fruit puree. The group is calling for robust rules on when products can make health and nutrition claims to help families pick out healthier food. Which? magazine editor Martyn Hocking said: "The best way to beat the lunch-box baddies is by checking the nutrition and ingredient information. We'd also like to see the rules on health and nutrition claims made tougher so that there's less confusion on the supermarket shelves." The food and drink manufacturing industry has hit back at the report, saying it seemed to be based on "flawed thinking".
ITN | November 16, 2009
