Coffee shops snacks are as unhealthy as Mcdonald’s

Labelling is misleading and should show calorie content more clearly, says senior nutritionist

COFFEE shops are as unhealthy as fastfood chains such as Mcdonald’s and use misleading names to make their food seem less calorific, according to the Government’s top nutritionist.

Muffins with names such as “lemon and poppy seed” mislead customers into believing they are healthy, and should come with bigger calorie content signs, Dr Alison Tedstone has suggested.

She said that while consumers understand that the main products in fast food chains can be highly calorific, in coffee shops “often you’ve got no idea”.

Muffins in high street coffee shops, such as the “breakfast muffins” offered by Pret A Manger, which boast ingredients like pumpkin seeds, normally associated with a healthy diet, contain more than 420 calories per serving.

Coupled with milky coffees such as the Starbucks large latte with whole milk, this means customers can walk away with a coffee and a snack totalling more than 700 calories.

By contrast the Mcdonald’s Big Mac burger contains roughly 540 calories.

The fast food giant has included calorie labels in its restaurants since 2012.

“Coffee shops have got a long way to go,” said Dr Tedstone. “So often it’s, ‘Would you like a muffin with that coffee, madam’ and if the muffin’s got a lovely name that implies it’s healthy you don’t think about it in the same way you necessarily think about a burger,” she said.

Dr Tedstone, the chief nutritionist at Public Health England (PHE), recounted a recent visit to a prominent coffee shop chain outlet in London’s Euston Station where she had struggled to read the calorie labelling even wearing her glasses.

“Often it’s really hard to see how much you’re buying in total.”

So-called on-the-go food, including takeaways, now makes up between 25 and 35 per cent of calorie intake in the UK, according to PHE figures.

“It’s no longer a treat, it’s a fundamental part of what we do – part of the obesity problem is we get very big portions from out of home,” said Dr Tedstone.

The body announced yesterday that it would hold a consultation on introducing mandatory calorie labelling for takeaways, cafes and restaurants.

Dr Tedstone indicated that firms such as Deliveroo would come under increased scrutiny as the Government sought to reduce the calorie content of takeaway food.

She also warned that people in the UK were not sufficiently aware of the link between obesity and the development of cancer.

“People know that smoking is related to cancer, they don’t necessarily know that their weight is increasing the cancer risk,” she said.

Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, said: “Coffee chains and other food outlets clearly aren’t doing enough.

“What is desperately needed is calorie information at every outlet to allow the public to keep a running total as they go through the day.”

Chris Stemman, executive director of the British Coffee Association, said the body was “supportive of the principle that customers should have access to clear nutritional information in order to make informed food and drink choices”.