Warning over children’s yogurts that contain up to five sugar cubes

 Children are able to eat almost their entire daily sugar allowance in certain brands of yogurt, health officials have warned. Analysis of major brands by Public Health Liverpool found some products contain the equivalent of almost five sugar cubes.

NHS guidelines say children aged between four and six should have no more than 19g, or five cubes, of so-called free sugar – sugar not “locked in” naturally to products – a day, while seven to 10-year-olds should have no more than six cubes.

Public Health Liverpool is to highlight its findings with a media campaign across health centres, dentists’ surgeries, children’s centres and hospitals over the coming months.

The drive, is aimed at tackling childhood obesity in the city, where around 12 per cent of school reception age children and more than 23 per cent of Year Six pupils are classed as obese. Almost a third of five-year-olds in Liverpool have decayed, missing or filled teeth, with two a day under the age of 10 having to get teeth removed.

Dr Sandra Davies, the city’s director of public health, said: “Tackling sugar in diets is a real priority for us because we know that people simply don’t realise how much they are consuming.”