So-Called ‘Healthy’ Snack Bars Loaded with Hidden Sugars - New nationwide research from Action on Salt and Sugar reveals snack bars packed with hidden sugars – with levels equivalent to a third of a child’s daily sugar limit within just one bar.

Read the full report: Snack Bars Report 2025 [PDF 5,457KB]

 

The latest survey, launched to coincide with Sugar Awareness Week, reveals the worrying reality behind many so-called “healthy” snack bars. Despite their wholesome image, most remain high in sugars, saturated fat, and calories, yet continue to be marketed as nutritious, on-the-go options.  

Key Findings 

• Under the UK’s voluntary front-of-pack traffic-light labels, 37% of snack bars sold in supermarkets would be high in sugars and 55% high in saturated fat. 

• On average, one bar contained 175kcal and 7g of sugar per serving - almost one-third (29%) of a 7–10-year-old child’s maximum daily limit of free sugars. 

• 64% of products would be classed as ‘less healthy’ using the Government’s Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM), meaning they would not be allowed to be promoted in store or advertised on TV or online. 

• When compared against Chile’s gold-standard mandatory nutrient warning system, 68% of snack bars would carry a “high in sugar” warning label. 

And yet, more than half (53%) of all bars carried a “protein” claim, 18% a “high in fibre” claim, and one-quarter were labelled “low sugar” or “no added sugar”. Amongst those boasting a “high-fibre” claim, 31% were also high in sugars, illustrating how selective marketing can create a misleading “health halo”. 

Examples from the survey reveal some of these high sugar products: 

• M&S Dark Chocolate Date Bar – 26.5 g of sugar per serving (equivalent to over six teaspoons) 

• Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Squares Caramel & Chocolate – 14 g sugar per bar 

• Deliciously Ella Roasted Peanut Protein Ball – 16 g sugar per serving 

At the other end of the scale, some products (such as Grenade Dark Chocolate Mint Bar) contained less than 1 g sugars per serving, demonstrating that lower-sugar options are possible when companies choose to reformulate. 

 

Voluntary measures are clearly not doing enough  

The UK’s current reliance on voluntary action, both in product reformulation and front-of-pack labelling, is not delivering meaningful public-health benefits. The Government’s Sugar Reduction Programme, launched in 2016 with the goal of cutting sugar by 20% across categories by 2020, has produced only minimal results. At the same time, rapidly expanding categories, such as protein bars, sit outside the programme’s scope, leaving them without defined sugar or calorie targets and vulnerable to exploitation via nutrition claims. 

The voluntary traffic-light labelling system suffers from similar shortcomings. Introduced in 2013, it has yet to be updated and remains optional for manufacturers, meaning many products still omit front-of-pack nutrition information altogether, and current thresholds do not reflect the latest public-health guidance on free sugars. 

International evidence shows that stronger, mandatory measures work. Chile’s mandatory front-of-pack warning label system clearly alerts consumers when foods exceed limits for calories, sugars, saturated fat, or salt. This approach has driven widespread reformulation. When applying Chile’s thresholds to UK snack bars, our data revealed two-thirds of them would require a high-sugar warning label, highlighting the scale and potential impact a mandatory scheme could achieve.  

 

What's Next? 

To protect children’s health and drive genuine change, Action on Salt and Sugar are urging ministers to: 

1. Introduce fiscal levers to drive reformulation - Build on the success of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy by introducing targeted levies on salt and sugar in food, to incentivise reformulation and shift purchasing towards healthier options. 
2. Mandate transparent healthy-sales reporting - Require large food and drink companies publish data on the healthiness of their sales and set clear, time-bound reduction targets. 
3. Update and apply the Nutrient Profiling Model consistently - Modernise the 2004 model to reflect current guidelines on free sugars, account for portion size, and extend its use beyond advertising to include labelling and claims regulation. 
4. Mandate front-of-pack nutrition labelling - Introduce clear, consistent colour-coded or warning labels across all food and drink, including out-of-home products, so consumers can easily identify high-sugar and high-fat foods. 
5. Stop misleading claims - Restrict health and nutrition claims to products genuinely low in salt, sugar, and saturated fat, ending the “health-halo” effect that misleads consumers. 

 

Dr Kawther Hashem, Senior Lecturer in Public Health Nutrition and Head of Research and Impact at Action on Salt and Sugar, said: 

“Parents and young people are being misled into believing these products are healthy when many contain excess sugar and calories. The Government must take more assertive action by mandating clear front-of-pack labelling, tightening sugar thresholds, and introducing levies on unhealthy foods.” 

Nourhan Barakat, Nutritionist at Action on Salt and Sugar, added: 

“Consumers deserve honesty from food businesses. Claims like ‘natural ingredients’, ‘high-fibre’, and ‘high-protein’ can be deceptive when products are still high in sugar and saturated fat. It’s unacceptable that an average bar provides nearly one-third of a child’s daily sugar limit.” 

 

Further details and a full breakdown of methodology can be found within Snack Bars Report 2025 [PDF 5,457KB].  

For comments or media enquiries, please contact David Clarke at Rock PR: david@rock-pr.com