Energy Drinks Survey Highlights High Sugar Content, Calls For Ban

27 Feb 2015 --- A survey analysing the sugar content of energy drinks has sparked a furious debate about whether such drinks should be banned for children and teenagers. The UK’s Action on Sugar published the survey, which finds the average can of energy drink contains up to 20 teaspoons of sugar.

The survey, which tested 197 energy drinks, all available in UK shops and supermarkets, found that more than eight in ten of the drinks had worrying amounts of sugar, sometimes up to three times the recommended amount for an adult.

Perhaps more worrying is the amount of the drinks that children are consuming, sometimes under the impression that they will be more alert or perform better in sports.

Action On Sugar said that there should be strict limits on the amounts of added sugars in products and called for a ban on energy drinks for children. It said that the drinks serve no purpose whatsoever, other than to fuel the rising obesity epidemic.

Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary University of London and chairman of Action on Sugar, said: "Children are being deceived into drinking large cans of this stuff, thinking they are going to improve their performance at school, during sports, or even on a night out.

"In reality all they are doing is increasing their risk of developing obesity or type 2 diabetes which will have lifelong implications on their health.”

Dr Amelia Lake, Lecturer in Knowledge Exchange in Public Health, Durham University, said: “These survey findings are not surprising and highlight an issue of grave concern, not simply in terms of the large quantities of sugar present in these drinks but also in terms of the caffeine content, which is unsuitable for children and pregnant women, in large quantities.

The survey found that the worst offenders had up to 20 teaspoons of sugar, but 101 drinks, more than half, contained the same amount of sugar as the average 330ml can of Coke – nine teaspoons. Reports suggest that some children consume more than three cans of energy drinks per day.

Prof. Christine Williams, Professor of Human Nutrition, University of Reading, said: “I welcome this report on the sugar content of many of the energy drinks on the market. These drinks – and more particularly the way in which they are marketed – are very attractive to young people because they play on the idea that the drinks will boost performance – e.g. for sport and when studying. There has been insufficient attention paid to this worrying trend in teenagers and young adults – both from the point of the view of the very high sugar contents of the drinks – and the inclusion of caffeine at levels equivalent to two cups of coffee a day. Neither the sugar nor the caffeine are necessary, nor advisable additions to a balanced diet.”

The British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) responded to the report, saying that these products are not targeted directly at children and are clearly labelled. Gavin Partington, BSDA director general, said: “These products are called energy drinks for a reason – they deliver a caffeine or glucose-based energy boost

“They are now available in a variety of types, flavours and sizes, including a range of low and no calorie options, so that consumers have a much wider choice.

“BSDA members do not promote energy drinks to children under 16 and products are clearly labelled in compliance with EU regulations.”