Kids could get ALL of daily sugar limit from pasta sauce
- Research found parents often give children twice recommended portion size
- For own-brand sauces, that can equal up to 96% of a child’s daily sugar limit
- Tesco Bolognese Pasta Sauce (16p/100g) carries the highest sugar content of supermarket sauces tested – at 7.3g sugar per 100g
- Homemade tomato-based sauces contain significantly less sugar
Jo Tweedy For Mailonline
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It’s an Italian family staple long considered a healthy option by mums looking to prepare something quick and easy for dinner.
However, new research suggests that a serving of pasta with a supermarket-bought tomato sauce could actually contain almost all of a child’s recommended daily sugar allowance in one go – if it’s a hearty portion.
The investigation, carried out by a fitness chain, claims that some children may be consuming up to 96 per cent of their daily limit in just one meal.
New research by DW Fitness Clubs found that parents are often giving their children half a 500gram jar of tomato-based pasta sauce per serving, meaning they could be eating almost all of their RDA for sugar in one sitting
Among the pasta sauces with the highest sugar content was Tesco’s 79 pence Bolognese pasta sauce, which has 9.13g sugar per 125g serving
How did other brands fare? Loyd Grossman’s Tomato and basil sauce carries 6 grams of sugar per recommended portion. Meanwhile Morrison’s Bolognese sauce has 7 grams per 125 gram serving and Dolmio’s original bolognese contains 7.25 grams of sugar per serving
The research, by DW Fitness Clubs, looks at levels of sugar in 13 own-brand pasta sauces and found that supermarket goliath Tesco came out both best and worst, with its 79p Tesco Bolognese Pasta Sauce (16p/100g) carrying the highest sugar content – at 7.3g sugar per 100g – of all the supermarket sauces tested.
Conversely, the lowest level of sugar was also found in a Tesco sauce, with the Everyday Value Pasta Sauce (10p/100g) containing 2.3g sugar per 100g.
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Elsewhere, Pasta giant Dolmio’s ‘healthiest’ sauce; the Dolmio Original Light Bolognese Sauce still managed to carry 4.2g of sugar per 100g (35% of RDA).
Manufacturers list portion size as 125g/person, which is a quarter of a typical jar.
A Tesco spokesperson told MailOnline it’s working to reduce sugar levels: ‘We are continuously working with our suppliers to review our ranges and we’re pleased that soon, the sugar content of this pasta sauce will be reduced to 5.6 grams per 100grams.
‘We’re committed to helping our customers live healthier lives with initiatives such as free fruit for kids in our stores, reducing the sugar content of our soft drinks by at least 5 per cent every year and removing sweets from our checkout areas.’
The lowest in sugar? Tesco’s cheapest offering; a 500 gram Everyday Value pasta sauce has 2.88 grams of sugar per recommended portion
WAR ON SUGAR: JUST HOW MUCH DO PASTA SAUCES CONTAIN?
BRANDED SAUCE
Tesco Bolognese Pasta Sauce Jar £0.79
Ragu Smooth Bolognese Pasta Sauce £1.00
Sainsbury’s Pasta Sauce, Tomato Herb £0.95
Dolmio Original Bolognese Sauce 500G £1.79
Morrisons Bolognese Sauce 500g £0.83
Tesco Chunky Vegetable Pasta Sauce £0.75
Loyd Grossman Tomato And Basil Sauce £1.00
Tesco Tomato And Mascarpone Sauce £1.35
Dolmio Original Light Bolognese Sauce 500G £1.79
ASDA Italian Bolognese Sauce £1.35
Tesco Everyday Value Chopped Tomatoes £0.31
Waitrose beef bolognese sauce £2.60
Tesco Everyday Value Pasta Sauce £0.45
SUGAR PER RECOMMENDED 125g PORTION
9.13
9.00
8.75
7.25
7.00
6.63
6.00
5.25
5.25
3.75
3.50
3.38
2.88
% of RDA FOR CHILDREN IN 125g PORTION
48%
47%
46%
38%
37%
35%
32%
28%
28%
20%
18%
18%
15%
% of RDA FOR CHILDREN IN 250g PORTION
96%
95%
92%
76%
74%
70%
63%
55%
55%
39%
37%
36%
30%
Carly Yue, a DW Fitness Clubs nutritionist and personal trainer said the people considered pasta sauce healthy at their peril:
She explained: ‘It’s so easy to overeat pasta sauces, a jar between two adults really is the norm for a lot of people.
I’d always recommend cooking pasta sauce from scratch, or if you’re in a hurry, at least use tinned tomatoes which are far lower in sugar.’
The war on sugar has been the health story of the year so far, with the government set to push through a sugar tax on high-calorie drinks through from April next year.
Earlier this year, drinks company Coca-Cola was accused of ‘diversionary tactics’ after funding a study into obesity.
The resulting research diverted the blame for obesity away from sugar, suggesting too much screen time, lack of exercise and sleep were highlighted as key factors.
Alex and Anna also shared their tips on what to look out for on packaged foods when doing the grocery shop
The study insisted that ‘more work needed to be done’ to confirm the role of diet.
However, health experts poured scorn on the study, suggesting the soft-drinks giant had influenced the outcome in a series of emails.
Professor Simon Capewell of Liverpool University said the correspondance showed ‘clear evidence of Coca-Cola being involved in the development and design of the study’.
Dr Aseem Malhotra, a consultant cardiologist in London, said: ‘You can see Coca-Cola pulling the strings – the studies tend to be positive for them. When the studies are independent they are not.
‘This is the tip of the iceberg. Commercial corruption of science and medicine is endemic. Science institutions collude with industry for financial gain at the expense of public health.’
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