‘Healthy’ snack bars packed with hidden sugar, new study warns

A major new survey by Action on Salt and Sugar has revealed that many snack bars marketed as “healthy” contain excessive levels of sugar, calories and fat, with the majority failing to meet modern standards for child health.

The analysis, published to coincide with Sugar Awareness Week, examined 458 products sold across ten leading UK supermarkets and found that almost seven in ten would carry a “high in sugar” warning label under Chile’s stricter front-of-pack rules.

Despite their wholesome image, the bars contained an average of 7g of sugar per serving – nearly two teaspoons – amounting to almost one-third of the maximum daily intake recommended for a 7–10-year-old child.

Some products contained far higher levels: the M&S Dark Chocolate Date Bar delivered 26.5g of sugar per serving, while Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Squares Caramel & Chocolate contained 14g. Even products positioned as high-protein options were not exempt, with the Deliciously Ella Roasted Peanut Protein Ball containing 16g of sugars per serving.

Energy content also varied widely, with products ranging from 62 to 378 kcal per serving. The average snack bar contained 175 kcal and 7.2g of total fat, with several flapjack-style bars approaching the calorie content of a small meal. Government guidance suggests that snacks and drinks should contribute no more than 20 percent of daily energy intake — equivalent to two 200-kcal snacks for a moderately active woman — yet almost a third of the products surveyed exceeded this threshold.

Using the UK’s current traffic-light labelling system, 37 per cent of bars were high in sugars and 55 per cent were high in saturated fat. When assessed against Chile’s widely recognised warning-label system, 68 per cent would require a high-sugar warning.

Action on Salt and Sugar says the findings demonstrate how outdated UK labelling rules fail to identify the true nutritional profile of products marketed with claims such as “high in fibre”, “source of protein”, “whole grain”, “natural ingredients” and “no added sugar”. Among bars carrying high-fibre claims, nearly one-third were still high in sugars.

The charity argues that weak regulation and misleading marketing are contributing to excessive sugar intake among children and young people. Many of the products identified as “less healthy” are already restricted from in-store promotion and will fall under new TV and online advertising limits before 9pm from January 2026.

Action on Salt and Sugar is urging the Government to introduce mandatory, colour-coded or warning-label front-of-pack nutrition information across all food and drink, including out-of-home products. The organisation also wants tighter controls on health and nutrition claims, and a new series of levies targeting foods high in salt and sugar, building on the success of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy.

The research also highlights shortcomings in the UK’s voluntary sugar-reduction programme. Launched in 2016 with the aim of cutting sugar by 20 percent across key categories by 2020, the initiative has delivered only modest progress, with sugar in biscuits — including cereal bars — falling by just 3.1 percent.

The rapid growth of the protein-bar market has further complicated matters, with energy and protein bars not clearly classified within the sugar-reduction framework. Action on Salt and Sugar found that while most protein bars met the calorie cap, more than a quarter exceeded the 20 percent sugar guideline for biscuits.

Dr Kawther Hashem, senior lecturer in Public Health Nutrition and Head of Research and Impact at Action on Salt and Sugar, said the findings expose a pattern of misleading marketing.

“Parents and young people are being misled into believing these products are healthy when many contain excess sugar and calories,” she said. “The Government must take more assertive action by mandating clear front-of-pack labelling and tightening the sugar thresholds, introducing levies on unhealthy foods, and setting ambitious healthy-sales targets to truly protect children’s health.”

Nourhan Barakat, nutritionist at Action on Salt and Sugar, said consumers should not have to interpret complicated claims to judge whether a product is healthy. “Phrases like ‘natural ingredients’, ‘high in fibre’ and ‘high protein’ can be deceptive, as many of these bars are high in sugar and saturated fat,” she said. “It’s unacceptable that an average serving provides nearly one-third of a child’s recommended daily sugar intake, putting young children at risk of diet-related health conditions that they could carry with them for life.”