Starbucks, Costa, KFC and Caffe Nero top list of worst offenders as research finds up to 25 teaspoons of sugar in hot drinks from coffee outlets

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Start your day with a coffee from one of the major chains? You could be drinking up to 25 teaspoons of sugar in one drink, according to new research. 

Campaign group Action on Sugar has studied hot drinks made by big name outlets including Starbucks, Costa and Caffe Nero and found that single drinks can contain as much as 99 grams of sugar. 

Starbucks' hot mulled grape with chai, orange and cinnamon was the worst offender, containing 25 teaspoons of sugar – more than three times the maximum adult daily intake of free sugars, which is seven teaspoons a day. 

Costa came next, with its chai latte containing 20 teaspoons, while Starbucks' white mocha was third with 18 sugars per drink. 

The group, which assessed 131 drinks, said 98 per cent of flavoured beverages would receive a ‘red’ (high) label for excessive levels of sugars per serving – with 35% containing the same amount or more sugar than a can of Coca Cola. 

Across all "out-of-home hot drinks" surveyed, 55 per cent contain the equivalent, or more than, the maximum daily recommended amount of sugars.

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Kawther Hashem, registered nutritionist and researcher for Action on Sugar, said: “Coffee shop chains must immediately reduce the amount of sugar in these hot drinks, improve their labelling and stop selling the extra-large serving sizes.

“These hot flavoured drinks should be an occasional treat, not an ‘everyday’ drink. They are laden with an unbelievable amount sugar and calories and are often accompanied by a high sugar and fat snack. It is not surprising that we have the highest rate of obesity in Europe. Our advice to consumers is to have a plain hot drink or ask for your drink to contain a minimal amount of syrup, preferably sugar free, in the smallest serving size available.”

A spokesperson for Starbucks said: "Earlier this year we committed to reduce added sugar in our indulgent drinks by 25% by the end of 2020. We also offer a wide variety of lighter options, sugar-free syrups and sugar-free natural sweetener and we display all nutritional information in-store and online."

The UK's 100 sugariest hot drinks

  Café Drink Sugars per serving (g) Teaspoons of sugar per serving
1 Starbucks Hot Mulled Fruit – Grape with Chai, Orange and Cinnamon Venti 99.0 25
2 Starbucks Hot Mulled Fruit – Apple with Chai, Dried Apple and Cinnamon Venti 88.0 22
3 Costa Coffee Chai Latte Massimo – Eat In 79.7 20
4 Starbucks Hot Mulled Fruit – Grape with Chai, Orange and Cinnamon Grande 76.0 19
5 Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream Venti 73.8 18
6 Starbucks Hot Mulled Fruit – Apple with Chai, Dried Apple and Cinnamon Grande 69.0 17
7 Starbucks Signature Hot Chocolate Venti 60.0 15
8 Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream Grande 59.1 15
9 KFC Mocha 58.8 15
10 Costa Coffee Mocha Latte Massimo – Eat Out 57.5 14
11 Costa Coffee Mocha Latte Massimo – Eat In 56.3 14
12 KFC Hot Chocolate with cream 54.3 14
13 Costa Coffee Hot Chocolate Massimo – Eat Out 54.0 14
14 Costa Coffee Hot Chocolate Massimo – Eat In 53.1 13
15 Costa Coffee Mocha Massimo – Eat Out 52.6 13
16 Starbucks Chai Tea Latte Venti 52.0 13
17 Starbucks Hot Mulled Fruit – Grape with Chai, Orange and Cinnamon Tall 52.0 13
18 Costa Coffee Mocha Massimo – Eat In 51.7 13
19 Caffe Nero Caramelatte – Drink In 50.6 13
20 Costa Coffee Chai Latte Medio – Eat In 49.3 12
21 Starbucks Signature Hot Chocolate Grande 47.4 12
22 Starbucks Hot Mulled Fruit – Apple with Chai, Dried Apple and Cinnamon Tall 47.0 12
23 Eat Matcha Latte Big 45.2 11
24 KFC Mocha 45.1 11
25 Greggs Mocha Large 45.0 11
26 Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream Tall 44.4 11
27 Starbucks Mocha with Whipped Cream Venti 43.2 11
28 McDonalds Mocha Large 43.0 11
29 Eat Chai Latte Big 42.8 11
30 Pret a Manger Orange Spiced Hot Chocolate 42.2 11
31 Starbucks Caramel Macchiatto Venti 42.1 11
32 KFC Hot Chocolate with cream 42.0 11
33 Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate Venti 41.8 10
34 Starbucks Chai Tea Latte Grande 41.5 10
35 Caffe Nero Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream – Drink In 41.0 10
36 Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte with Whip Venti 39.2 10
37 McDonalds Mocha Medium 38.0 10
38 Costa Coffee Mocha Latte Medio – Eat In 37.7 9
39 Costa Coffee Mocha Latte Medio – Eat Out 37.7 9
40 Starbucks Signature Hot Chocolate Tall 36.4 9
41 McDonalds Hot Chocolate Large 36.0 9
42 Costa Coffee Gingerbread Latte Massimo – Eat Out 36.0 9
43 Caffe Nero Hot Chocolate Milano with Whipped Cream Drink in 35.7 9
44 Costa Coffee Cinnamon Latte Massimo -Eat Out 35.4 9
45 Costa Coffee Vanilla Latte Massimo -Eat Out 35.3 9
46 Costa Coffee Roasted Hazelnut Latte Massimo -Eat Out 35.0 9
47 Eat Matcha Latte Small 34.9 9
48 Costa Coffee Gingerbread Latte Massimo – Eat In 34.9 9
49 Costa Coffee Hot Chocolate Medio – Eat In 34.8 9
50 Costa Coffee Vanilla Latte Massimo -Eat In 34.8 9
51 Costa Coffee Hot Chocolate Medio – Eat Out 34.8 9
52 Costa Coffee Hot Chocolate Primo – Eat Out 34.8 9
53 Costa Coffee Caramel Latte Massimo -Eat Out 34.6 9
54 Costa Coffee Mocha Medio – Eat In 34.4 9
55 Costa Coffee Mocha Medio – Eat Out 34.4 9
56 Costa Coffee Cinnamon Latte Massimo -Eat In 34.2 9
57 Greggs Mocha Regular 34.0 9
58 Costa Coffee Roasted Hazelnut Latte Massimo -Eat In 33.9 8
59 Costa Coffee Caramel Latte Massimo -Eat In 33.5 8
60 Caffe Nero Chai Latte – Drink In 33.2 8
61 KFC Caramel Latte – Large 33.2 8
62 Eat Chai Latte Small 33.0 8
63 Greggs Hot Chocolate Large 33.0 8
64 Starbucks Mocha with Whipped Cream Grande 32.9 8
65 Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate Grande 32.9 8
66 Eat Hot Chocolate Big 32.0 8
67 McDonalds Toffee Latte Large 32.0 8
68 Costa Coffee Chai Latte Primo – Eat In 31.9 8
69 Starbucks Chai Tea Latte Tall 31.3 8
70 Starbucks Caramel Macchiatto Grande 31.0 8
71 Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte with Whip Grande 30.6 8
72 Pret a Manger Hot Chocolate 30.3 8
73 Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream Short 29.9 7
74 Eat Mocha Big 29.2 7
75 McDonalds Vanilla Latte Large 28.0 7
76 Costa Coffee Mocha Latte Primo – Eat Out 27.5 7
77 Caffe Nero Luxury Hot Chocolate – Drink In 27.3 7
78 McDonalds Hot Chocolate 27.0 7
79 KFC Caramel Latte 26.8 7
80 Costa Coffee Gingerbread Latte Medio -Eat In 26.6 7
81 Costa Coffee Gingerbread Latte Medio -Eat Out 26.6 7
82 Starbucks Mocha with Whipped Cream Tall 26.3 7
83 Costa Coffee Cinnamon Latte Medio -Eat In 26.1 7
84 Costa Coffee Cinnamon Latte Medio -Eat Out 26.1 7
87 Costa Coffee Vanilla Latte Medio -Eat In 26.1 7
88 Costa Coffee Vanilla Latte Medio -Eat Out 26.1 7
89 Costa Coffee Roasted Hazelnut Latte Medio -Eat In 25.9 6
90 Costa Coffee Roasted Hazelnut Latte Medio -Eat Out 25.9 6
91 Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate Tall 25.8 6
92 Costa Coffee Caramel Latte Medio -Eat In 25.6 6
93 Costa Coffee Caramel Latte Medio -Eat Out 25.6 6
94 Starbucks Caramel Macchiatto Tall 25.5 6
95 KFC Vanilla Latte 25.4 6
96 Costa Coffee Mocha Latte Primo – Eat In 25.2 6
97 McDonalds Toffee Latte Medium 25.0 6
98 Greggs Hot Chocolate Regular 25.0 6
99 Eat Hot Chocolate Small 24.6 6
100 Caffe Nero White Chocolate Mocha – Drink In 24.5 6

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