High-sugar kids’ snacks named and shamed: The full list revealed

Toddler snacks promoted as healthy options contain more sugar than junk food. And parents are being misled about the serious health risks. VIEW THE FULL LIST OF 57 SUGARY SNACKS

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EXCLUSIVE: Fruit-filled toddler snacks promoted as healthy options contain more sugar than many junk foods, a shocking new study has found.

And the Obesity Coalition says parents are being misled about the risk because there is no clear labelling of added sugars on packaging.

The coalition examined 57 toddler snacks for sale at major supermarkets and found nearly half contained over 25 per cent sugar, while one product, Kiddylicious Raspberry Crispie Tiddlers, had a staggering 63.4 per cent sugar.

Otis Wilby, 3, and May Ireland, 3, enjoying healthy snacks in Marrickville. Picture: Justin Lloyd

That is more sugar than is contained in Maltesers and Snickers bars and around the same level of sugar in M&Ms.

In many products the sugar content comes from fruit juice and fruit puree and that makes them seem healthy but Cancer Council Victoria Alison McAleese warns this fruit content is concentrated.

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A fresh whole apple is only 12 per cent sugar but toddler snacks have up to five times that amount of sugar, she said.

“What many people don’t realise is that sugar sourced from fruit in these products can be highly processed and should in fact be labelled as added sugar,” she said.

Toddler snacks have as much sugar as junk food. Picture: istock.

Health Ministers will meet on Friday to discuss whether it’s time to change Australia’s food labels to make it clear when foods contain added sugar including fruit concentrate.

Obesity Policy Coalition executive manager Jane Martin said food companies are taking advantage of busy parents, using sneaky marketing tactics to entice them into buying unhealthy products.

“You wouldn’t give your toddler lolly snakes, and yet many parents are being tricked into buying sugar-laden snacks dressed up as healthy. Given the amount of sugar, it’s virtually the same thing,” Ms Martin said.

She wants food ministers to adopt changes that would see food packets have to state whether the food contains added sugar.

“With 40 different names for sugar, even the ingredients list can’t always be relied upon to help parents make an informed choice,” she said.

Nutrition guidelines recommend limiting the consumption of added sugars in toddlers’ diets because of the associated health risks.

Toddlers develop important food habits in the first three years of life. Picture: istock.

Ms McAleese says toddlers fed a diet high in sugar will develop a taste for it and prefer sugary food later in life which could set them on a path to obesity.

The Early Life Nutrition Coalition warned two years ago the first 1000 days of a child’s life were crucial in determining long-term eating habits and health outcomes.

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Melbourne mum Megan Jung said she tried not to use processed food snacks but when she was on the run on a busy day they were handy.

“Most parents lack time to stand in a supermarket and read the packaging in detail,” she said.

“If there was a way to say on the packaging that sugar was added or not it would help.

“Something I noticed was you could get all age snack products not aimed at children which had less sugar than children’s popcorn.”

HOW MANY GRAMS OF SUGAR PER SERVING

Little Kids Chocolate Custard

Little Kids Vanilla Custard

Little Kids Chocolate Custard

Heinz

13.3

Little Kids Vanilla Custard

Heinz

13.3

Banana and mixed berry balls.

Little Bellies’ organic sultanas.

Banana & mixed berry balls

Keep it Cleaner

11.0

Sultanas

Little Bellies

10.5

Buckwheat and cacao balls.

Only Organic’s Goji Berries brekkie snack.

Buckwheat & cacao balls

Keep it Cleaner

9.3

Mango, goji berry & Greek yoghurt brekkie

Only Organic

9.2

This Little Rollies snack has a surprisingly high level of sugar.

Little Rollies Hazelnut and Vanilla Rice Snack

Bubs Organic

8.8

This Quinoa and millet snack sounds healthy but is high in sugar.

Little Rollies Quinoa and millet snack

Bubs Organic

8.6

Little Kids Banana, Mango Muesli with Greek style Yoghurt

Heinz

8.3

Crispie Tiddlers by Kiddylicious are also on the list.

Raspberry Crispie Tiddlers

Kiddylicious

7.6

Rafferty’s Garden freeze-dried fruit snacks are high in sugar.

Pear, Apple and Banana Freeze Dried Fruit

Rafferty’s Garden

6.8

Little Kids Berry and Pear Muesli with Greek style Yoghurt

Heinz

6.5

Heinz Little Kids yoghurt muesli fingers have been named on the list.

Little Kids Yoghurt muesli fingers Fruit Salad Flavoured

Heinz

6.4

Little Kids Wholegrain Cereal bars, Apple & Blueberry

Heinz

6.2

These Apple Fruit Snack bars from Aldi are high in sugar.

Fruit and Oat Bars: Apple and Raisin soft bars with yoghurt

Mamia

6.1

The Aldi range has surprisingly high levels of sugar.

Fruit and Oat Bars: Strawberry flavoured soft bars

Mamia

6.1

Aldi’s fruit and oat bars are also on the list.

Fruit and Oat Bars: Apricot flavoured soft bars

Mamia

5.8

The Rafferty’s Garden snack bar range.

Toddler snacks that have a surprisingly high level of sugar.

Kids snack bar - apple

Rafferty’s Garden

5.7

Apple fruit snack cereal bars

Mamia

5.4

Toddler snacks that have a surprisingly high level of sugar.

Pear and Banana fruit snack cereal bars

Mamia

5.2

Bellamy’s Organic apple snacks.

Rafferty’s Garden fruit snack bars are on the list.

Apple Snacks

Bellamy’s Organic

5.1

Kids snack bar - blueberry, banana & apple

Rafferty’s Garden

5.1

These toddler snacks have a surprisingly high level of sugar.

Kids snack bar - banana

Rafferty’s Garden

5.0

The Tiddly Bar by Bubs Organic.

Tiddly Bar: fruit cereal bar

Bubs Organic

4.9

The list contains several products from Rafferty’s Garden.

Kids snack bar - apple & raspberry

Rafferty’s Garden

4.5

These yoghurt buttons are high in sugar.

Yoghurt Buttons - Strawberry

Rafferty’s Garden

4.4

Smoothie melts are misleading for parents.

Strawberry & banana smoothie melts

Kiddylicious

4.0

These rice cakes are actually full of sugar.

Yoghurt Rice Cakes

Only Organic

3.5

Strawberry yoghurt rice cakes

Only Organic

3.2

The Little Bellies range has several products on the list.

Animal biscuits

Little Bellies

2.9

Little Bellies’ Organic Gingerbread Men.

Organic Gingerbread men

Little Bellies

2.8

Organic Wildlife Cocoa biscuits.

Organic wildlife cocoa biscuits

Byron Bay Cookie company

2.4

Organic farm animal biscuits.

Organic farm animal biscuits - cocoa

Whole kids

2.3

Organic farm animal biscuits - vanilla

Whole kids

2.3

Mini coconut rolls

Kiddylicious

1.4

They may contain vegies but they’re still high in sugar.

Wafer bites, Beetroot and Shallot

Rafferty’s Garden

1.3

These mini coconut rolls are anything but healthy.

Coconut Rice rolls

Little Quacker

1.1

Toddler snacks that have a surprisingly high level of sugar.

Rice biscuits - Strawberry flavour

Little Quacker

1.0

Carrot stix from Organix Goodies.

Carrot stix

Organix Goodies

1.0

The Organix Goodies range is also under fire.

Saucy tomato noughts & crosses

Organix Goodies

0.8

Little Bellies organic tomato snacks have a surprisingly high level of sugar.

Organic Cheese and Herb Fiddlesticks

Little Bellies

0.6

Organix Goodies cheese and herb puffs.

Cheese & Herb puffs

Organix Goodies

0.6

Little Bellies tomato fiddlesticks are also on the list.

Tomato fiddlesticks

Little Bellies

0.5

These lentil straws contain high amounts of sugar.

Sour cream & chive Lentil straws

Kiddylicious

0.5

Garden Cheese Chickpea Pops

Rafferty’s Garden

0.4

Organic Rice and Corn puffs Apple

Whole kids

0.2

The Heinz Little Kids range is high in sugar.

Heinz little kids: Mini corn cakes tomato

Heinz

0.2

Kiddylicious Cheesy Straws are marketed as finger food to encourage self-feeding.

Cheesy straws

Kiddylicious

0.2

These Whole Kids cheese and leek puffs are full of sugar.

Organic dinosaur puffs cheese and leek

Whole kids

0.1

Rafferty’s Garden water bites are high in sugar.

Wafer bites, cheese

Rafferty’s Garden

0.1

These baby teething rusks are high in sugar.

Organic Rice rusks - Sweet potato & carrot

Baby Mum-Mum

The Baby Mum-Mum rice rusks are aimed at teething babies.

Premium rice rusks - Banana

Baby Mum-Mum

Little Quacker Sprouted Brown Rice Puffs are high in sugar.

The snacks sound healthy but are full of sugar.

Sprouted brown rice puffs - mixed vegetables

Little Quacker

Sprouted brown rice puffs - banana

Little Quacker

Little fingers tomato floured mini breadsticks

Bubs Organic

Little Fingers mini breadsticks are on the list.

Little fingers mini breadsticks

Bubs Organic

Kiddylicious Veggie Straws are full of sugar.

Veggie Straws

Kiddylicious

Originally published as High-sugar kids’ snacks named and shamed: The full list revealed