Out of home sweet snacks - report

Overall the findings revealed excessively high calorie densities in the products surveyed. The average calorie content of the sweet snacks was 465 which is over a fifth of the total recommended daily intake for a woman (2,000kcal). Furthermore, one in five products contained more than 600 calories, with others exceeding 1,000 in a single serving. Importantly, given the nature of the products analysed, many of these calories will be coming from low-nutrient ingredients such as free sugars.

Lorraine Tulloch, Programme Lead, said:

“Our poor diet is driving the unacceptably high levels of overweight and obesity in Scotland and we urgently need to change the food environment.  This data makes clear how quickly calories add up when we head out for a coffee and cake. The food industry has normalised and encouraged regular consumption of high calorie, sugar-laden snacks.

In Scotland, snacking is the most popular occasion for eating out.  It is therefore crucial that the out of home food sector recognise their role in protecting the health of the population.  There are lots of ways the industry could improve their offerings including increasing healthier options, reformulating, and reducing portion sizes.  Voluntary programmes have been tried and have not delivered the desired outcomes.  We would urge Food Standards Scotland and Scottish Government to take a mandatory, regulatory approach to deliver the change we urgently need.”