Revealed: The high street iced frappes with the most sugar

Some contain more sugar than a Mars bar (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a sweet treat when you fancy it – but it’s also a good idea to know just how much not-so-great stuff you’re putting into your body.

And it turns out, if you’re a fan of a frappe, you might be a little surprised by just how much sugar is in your favourite iced drink.

Which? research has revealed that many ‘regular-sized’ or medium drinks are easily exceeding the maximum recommended daily sugar intake for adults.

Some even have higher levels of sugar than a Mars bar or can of regular Coke.

The consumer champion compared frappès and frappuccinos from three of the biggest coffee chains – Caffe Nero, Costa and Starbucks.

One of the unhealthiest options was the Starbucks caramel frappuccino with semi-skimmed milk, containing 48.5g of sugar, which accounts to around 12 teaspoons’ worth.

‌This is almost double the NHS health advice, which suggests a maximum of 30g, or around seven teaspoons, of free sugar per day.

A Caffe Nero Belgian chocolate & hazelnut frappè crème contained a staggering 44.5g of sugar – equivalent to 11 teaspoons. While Costa’s chocolate fudge brownie frappè mocha with oat milk had 42.6g of sugar, or 10.5 teaspoons.

When you compare that to a Mars bar with seven-and-a-half teaspoons of sugar, or a can of Coca-Cola with eight-and-a-half, it’s clear you’re not making a healthier choice by going for a frappè.

Even the plain coffee versions still aren’t great – with a Costa frappè made using skimmed milk containing 21.3g of sugar.

‌Consumers would likely think plain coffee flavour frappès and frappuccinos would be healthier, but alas, while they do contain less sugar, levels are still relatively high. For example, a Costa Coffee frappè with skimmed milk contains 21.3g of sugar.

If your teeth are getting cavities just reading this, don’t panic – there’s still hope. If you want to cut your sugar intake but still enjoy an iced drink, opting for iced versions of standard coffee with milk contains much less sugar.

While in coffee shops it is legally required to display calorie content, they don’t need to display nutritional info – that’s only for drinks purchased in stores. Drinks made on site in open cups are also exempt from the government’s Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL), known as the ‘sugar tax’ – even though they contain more sugar than other drinks that are subject to it.

Shefalee Loth, Which? nutritionist, said: ‘Our analysis of sugar content in iced coffee blends shows people could unwittingly be consuming much more sugar than they realise, with potentially damaging implications for their health.

‌’High street chains need to take more responsibility and reduce the excessive sugar content of some of their drinks to protect people’s health.

‌’When buying an iced drink, there are alternative, healthier options to choose, such as a standard iced coffee, which contains far less sugar.’

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A Starbucks spokesperson told Which?: ‘We are committed to helping customers make informed and improved choices that work for them, offering a range of customisation options such as choosing our smallest size (Tall) and our oat dairy alternative with no added sugar.

‘Sugar content for an Iced Latte with Semi Skimmed Milk, one of our most popular beverages, starts from 8.7g for a Tall size. Customers can find all nutritional information available on our mobile app, online and our menu boards.’

‌Costa and Caffé Nero responded to Which? ‘s request for comment to confirm that their drinks aren’t subject to the sugar tax.

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You may as well have a Mars bar.