29 November 2018

Our study on the sugar and calorie content of cakes and biscuits published in the BMJOpen caused quite a stir in the press and on social media with the title of a Battenberg being a ‘health risk’.  If you are wondering what is the truth behind the headlines, read on.

Of course, you know a Battenberg contains sugar, you know it is calorific, and you know you should not eat the whole log. However, what you may not know is manufacturers use different recipes. Manufacturing companies are perfectly able to make Battenberg with less sugar or energy (calories), and although lower-sugar and lower-calorie versions are available, companies need to be pressured to produce more varieties that are ‘healthier’ (but not necessarily healthy). This is why Action on Sugar at Queen Mary University of London carries out regular surveys of the sugar and calorie content of products.

There are three underlying principles to our work, which are to:

• understand the sugar and calorie content of products that are commonly consumed
• understand the variation in sugar and calorie content of similar products

Some may say it is obvious that cake contains sugar. Yes, it is obvious but what is less clear, and what we aim to understand, are the types of cakes with higher or lower levels of sugar. For instance, did you know that a blueberry muffin contains far less sugar than a Battenberg or that sometimes a lemonade contains more sugar than cola? Possibly not. This is where our surveys help the public, as well as doctors, nutritionists and dietitians who advise the public: they show what the least sugary or calorific varieties are and therefore help people choose accordingly, whenever they can. This is not going to be something that everyone will need or find helpful, but for many people trying to eat healthily, it will be.

Some suggest that it is impossible to know how much Battenberg cake is too much. Really? It is not impossible at all! The UK maximum daily allowance for free sugars (the type of sugars you commonly find in cakes) is 30g, but a typical slice of Battenberg (say 35g) can already contain as much as 20g of sugar, that is, two-thirds of an adult’s entire allowance of sugar for the day. This type of analysis helps consumers put nutrition labelling and nutrition guidelines into context.

You may be surprised to know there is no safely guarded Battenberg recipe. The kitchens (or should I say labs) of food and drink manufacturing companies are always experimenting and testing different formulations of products. The products you find on supermarket shelves are ever changing, for many reasons. It could, for example, be because the price of an ingredient has increased, so the manufacturer tweaks the recipe to reduce the content and therefore its cost. When we carry out surveys and find that the sugar and calorie content of the same product from different manufacturers or retailers vary, this suggests it is possible for all manufacturers to make this product with less sugar and calories. Highlighting those variations in sugar and calories helps us to push the food industry to make tweaks to their recipes to make them healthier.  Little changes can make a big difference!

• understand whether there are enough options for consumers to opt for healthier products

Retailers, fast food chains, restaurants and cafes know how to get you to buy certain products. The chances are that you are choosing more products on promotion, discounted, at the end of aisles or eye-level, which are usually higher in sugar and calories. We are nudged towards specific options through clever marketing.  You may avoid them if you stick to a shopping list 100% but its likely most of us are not. Walk around in the supermarket and notice the number of people holding a shopping list – they are a rarity!  

While our surveys show that some ‘choice’ exists– i.e. you can find a Battenberg with 62% sugar and another that is 46% sugar – often those options are not sold side by side in a supermarket. So unless you shop around at all the retailers to choose the healthier products from each one, the options are limited.

Our surveys help consumers understand their right to better, healthier products while making them aware of the excessive levels of fat, salt and sugar in their foods and drinks.  We send our surveys to hundreds of journalists and yes, sometimes the headlines they choose are misguided, but unfortunately, that is out of our hands.  However, informing consumers that they can find a Battenberg with less sugar and that manufacturing companies should be pressured to make healthier varieties of all foods is not scaremongering. This information instead increases consumers’ awareness and allows them to demand better products from multinational manufacturing companies, which often determine our choices using various tactics. We hope our surveys and the media publicity that follows pressure the industry to do better for the sake of healthier consumers that live longer, healthier lives and consuming the products they enjoy.