When Which? assessed the nutritional content of items targeted at children’s lunchboxes and found that the healthy impression they gave was far from reality.
“Parents should be able to pick out healthy products for their kids’ lunchboxes, but what you see isn’t always what you get,” said Martyn Hocking, editor of Which? magazine. “Some
products give the impression of being healthy but are full of salt and sugar.
“The best way to beat the lunchbox 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.”
Here is a snapshot of some lunchbox baddies:
- Dairylea Lunchables Ham ?n’ Cheese Crackers – one pack contains 1.8g of salt, more than half the daily allowance of a four to six-year old.
- Fruit Shoot Orange Juice Drink, each 200ml bottle is made up of 23g of sugar – almost five teaspoons.
- Frosties Cereal Milk Bars – made up of seven different sugars, the 25g bar is almost a third (8g) sugar.
- Munch Bunch Double Up Fromage Frais contains more than two teaspoons (12.4g) of sugar but only 2.25g of fruit pur?e.
To help families to pick out healthier food, Which? wants robust rules on when products can make health and nutrition claims. This
would stop manufacturers from making items that contain high amounts sugar, fat and salt from appearing healthier than they are.
