Child-friendly packaging on sugary cereals and yoghurts should be banned, experts say

Breakfast cereals and yogurts that contain high amounts of sugar should remove any packaging that appeals to children, says a health group.

Action on Sugar warned that the products, which contain up to 4 teaspoons of sugar per serving, are designed to attract a child’s attention and exploit the ‘power to tease’.

He wants companies to remove cartoon characters, animations and vibrant colors from foods classified as high or medium in sugar, salt or saturated fat, according to the Health Department’s nutrition guidelines.

Research by the group, based at Queen Mary University of London, compared cereals and yoghurts offered by different companies in the UK.

It found that 47 percent of cereals and 65 percent of yogurts contained one-third of the recommended maximum daily sugar intake for a four to six-year-old child, excluding milk.

Of these, products from the supermarket chains Lidl and Aldi and the international brand Nestlé had the highest average sugar levels with packaging intended for children.

By contrast, the healthier products tended to be sold in simpler packages aimed at adults.

Only nine cereals and six yoghurts surveyed were found to be low in sugar and only four cereals were found to be low in sugar and salt.

Health officials recommend that children ages 4 to 6 consume no more than 19 g of sugar per day, which is equal to five teaspoons.

However, the Lidl Crownfield Choco Hazelnut Pillows cereal contained 28.5g of sugar per 100g, which equates to 8.6 grams of sugar or 2 teaspoons per serving.

And the Nestle Smarties Vanilla Yogurt contained 14.6g of sugars per 100g, which equates to 15.6g of sugars or 4 teaspoons of sugar per serving.

Graham MacGregor, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Queen Mary University of London and Chairman of Action on Sugar, said: “Obesity is estimated to cost the UK £58 billion each year, having a huge impact on productivity. economy and the NHS”.

“Drastic changes to the food system are needed and that includes responsible marketing of food and drink, especially to children.”

There are restrictions on advertising high-fat, high-salt, and high-sugar foods during peak television hours to children, but there are no specific rules governing visual appeal and packaging design that influences children’s preferences.

Action on Sugar said this marketing tactic, known as “nuisance power”, is “intentionally designed to attract children’s attention and influence their caregivers’ purchases”.

Lidl announced in 2020 that it would remove cartoon characters from all of its own-brand cereal packaging in Britain.

Breakfast cereals and yogurts experienced significant reductions in sugar levels between 2015 and 2020, of 14.9% and 13.5%, respectively.

But the Sugar Reduction Program announced in the Government’s obesity plan in 2016 set a goal of 20 percent in that period.

Dr Kawther Hashem, campaign leader for Action on Sugar, said: “It’s ludicrous that while breakfast cereals and yoghurts celebrate the biggest reductions in sugars during the Sugar Reduction Program, those very attractively packaged products for children still have excessive amounts of sugars, unsuitable for children’s regular intake.

“With the increasing number of children under 18 suffering from weight-related health problems and dental cavities being the leading cause of child hospitalization, now is the time for companies to be forced to phase out child-friendly packaging. of products that deceive parents and make our children unhealthy and sick.

Zoe Davies, Action on Sugar nutritionist, said: “There is no reason why products with high or medium levels of salt or sugar should be marketed as ‘suitable for children’.

“If we are to protect the health of our future generation, then bold action is required now from both government and business and this must include child-friendly packaging that is only placed on healthier products.”