Cafes’ hot chocs with 11 spoonfuls of sugar

COSTA Coffee has been accused of using “limited edition” seasonal ranges to ramp up the sugar content in its drinks and boost sales.

Researchers for the Sunday Express have discovered the chain’s latest Easter specials contain over a day-and-a-half’s suggested sugar intake.

According to nutritional information online, the £3.90-a-time Hot Cross Bun Hot Chocolate & Light Dairy Swirl contains 11 teaspoons of sugar (45.5g) per medium takeaway serving. It also contains 373 calories and 6.6g of saturated fats.

The NHS recommends an adult consumes no more than seven teaspoons of sugar (30g) a day.

High-sugar diets are linked to weight gain and excess body fat. Being obese is known to double the risk of falling ill with coronavirus and increase the chance of dying by 50 per cent.

Other high street chains use similar seasonal approaches. Mcdonald’s introduces the Cadbury Creme Egg Mcflurry, containing 11 teaspoons of sugar every spring holiday. And in December it was discovered festive drinks at chains including Caffe Nero, Starbucks, Greggs and Pret A Manger were also packing their specials with high levels of sugar.

Caffe Nero’s mint choc chip hot chocolate contained 15 teaspoons (63g) of sugar, plus 414 calories in each 473ml serving.

And Costa’s Terry’s Chocolate Orange winter warmer had 45g of sugar per 340ml medium serving and 379 calories.

Greggs’s large mint hot chocolate had 43g of sugar and 350 calories per 479ml cup, while Pret’s 360ml hot chocolate contained 35g of sugar and 256 calories. And the Starbucks fudge brownie hot chocolate contained 10 teaspoons of sugar and 364 calories per 354ml drink.

Paul Evans, of the British Obesity Society and School Health UK, said: “This investigation nails the lie that these drinks are safe when consumed as some kind of occasional treat, be it Easter or another celebration.”

Costa said: “We have made significant changes to our drinks. All nutritional information is available in our stores and online.”

Starbucks said it is “committed to helping customers make informed and improved choices”.

Caffe Nero said its summer special drinks are “an occasional treat”, while Mcdonald’s did not respond to requests for comment.