Only 1 in 20 of children’s yogurts contain low sugar levels, new Action on Sugar study reveals

31 August 2021

SAFE member Action on Sugar recently conducted a study on children’s yoghurts and misleading health claims. 

Evaluating over 100 children’s yogurts, the study has shown that only 1 in 20 of yogurts with child-friendly designs contain low sugar levels, with over 63% of these products containing more than a third of the daily sugar intake per portion. 

The main issue identified by the study is that all these products’ featured misleading packaging with deceitful health claims, with front-of-packs promoting the dairy products as high in protein, and a “source of calcium and vitamin D”. However, no mention is ever made as to their high levels in added sugar, syrups or saturated fat. 

Action on Sugar emphasized how these marketing techniques could be misleading for parents and constitute a genuine health thread given growing level of overweight and obese children in countries children in countries like the United Kingdom (where the study was conducted). 

SAFE supports the call to stop such misleading practices, agreeing to the need for tighter labelling and marketing rules to limit children exposure to sugar. Click these links to read more about SAFE’s actions and positions on sugar and labelling.