Worst high street coffees for sugar content named, including Costa Coffee, Starbucks and Caffe Nero

Some iced coffee drinks from high street chains can contain more sugar than a Mars bar or can of Coca-Cola, a Which? survey has found.

The consumer champion compared frappes and frappuccinos from Caffe Nero, Costa and Starbucks and found many had “exceptionally high” amounts of sugar.

A Starbucks caramel frappuccino with semi-skimmed milk was found to be one of the worst offenders after it was revealed it contained 48.5g of sugar - a whopping 12 teaspoons’ worth.

A Caffe Nero Belgian chocolate and hazelnut frappe creme was almost as bad after being found to contain 44.5g of sugar, equivalent to 11 teaspoons.

And sugar levels were similarly high at Costa, with the chain’s chocolate fudge brownie frappe mocha with oat milk including 42.6g of sugar, or 10.5 teaspoons.

Even plain coffee flavoured frappes and frappuccinos contained “relatively high” amounts of sugar, according to Which?, with a Costa Coffee frappe with skimmed milk containing 21.3g.

NHS health advice suggests adults consume a maximum of 30g of sugar per day, or around seven teaspoons. 

To put this in context, a 51g Mars bar contains 31g of sugar, or 7.5 teaspoons, while a 330ml can of Coca-Cola contains 35g of sugar, or around eight and a half teaspoons.

Listed is the sugar content in high street iced coffees, according to Which?

• Starbucks caramel frappuccino, semi-skimmed milk (Grande 473ml) -  48.5g sugar (12 teaspoons)

• Starbucks java chip frappuccino soya milk (Grande 473ml) - 46g sugar (11.5 teaspoons) 

• Costa chocolate fudge brownie frappe mocha oat milk (medium, 499ml) 42.6g sugar (10.5 teaspoons) 

• Costa coffee frappe skimmed milk (medium 499ml) - 21.3g sugar (5.5 teaspoons) 

• Caffe Nero Belgian chocolate & hazelnut frappe creme oat milk (473ml) - 44.5g sugar (11 teaspoons) 

• Caffe Nero espresso & caramel frappe creme semi-skimmed milk (473 ml) - 44.3g sugar (11 teaspoons)

The calorie content of drinks must be displayed in stores but it is not a requirement for sugar content to be labelled, leaving consumers at risk of unwittingly exceeding the maximum recommended daily intake of free sugars.

Dairy-based drinks derive some “locked in” sugar from lactose, but all of the drinks assessed by Which? also contained high amounts of “free sugars” - those that have been added and contained via syrups, honey and fruit juice.

The health advice is to limit consumption of these sugars due to their potential to contribute to weight gain and tooth damage.

Which? suggested consumers wishing to cut their sugar intake switch to iced versions of a standard coffee instead.

It comes after the government introduced a Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) in 2018, known as the “sugar tax”, in an attempt to cut unhealthy levels of consumption.

Soft drinks containing more than 5g of sugar per 100ml are subject to the tax, yet some drinks are exempt, such as fruit juices and drinks made on-site and served in open cups. Syrups, often used in frappes, are also exempt.

Which? nutritionist Shefalee Loth 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.”

A Starbucks spokeswoman said: “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.”

Caffe Nero said its Belgian chocolate and hazelnut frappe creme was a “treat” and accounted for less than 5% of its sales of summer drinks, while “coffee over ice” drinks, which contained less than 8g of sugar, accounted for 50% of summer drink sales. The chain added that its iced latte, its highest seller, contained no added sugar.

Meanwhile, a Costa Coffee spokeswoman said: “We are proud to offer a balanced range of drinks which also includes, as part of our summer menu, a fruity range of refreshers which all contain less than 40 calories and two teaspoons of added sugar per serving.

“We only offer our limited-edition seasonal drinks, including our summer range of frappes, in small and medium sizes.

“All drinks can also be customised to reduce the calorie or sugar content, including requesting skimmed milk and removing toppings, or downsizing to a smaller cup size.”