Chocolates, syrup (糖浆) ,cream on top, many of the hot drinks we consume even more at this time of year certainly sound sugary, but just how much sugar they contain might come as a shock.
The health campaign group Action on Sugar has found that Starbucks hot chocolate made with milk has almost 94 grams of sugar. That equals 23 teaspoons. At Caffe Nero, the salted hot chocolate packs in almost 60 grams of sugar, about 15 teaspoons. And Casta's cream latte (拿铁) has 32 grams of sugar, that's 8 teaspoons.
The drink makers won't have those details listed next to the price. If known, it would be quite alarming. That's how capitalism works. The capitalists have to get people addicted to certain things to keep selling it more. If told the amount of sugar contained, many would take hot drinks just as a treat not on a daily basis. Some drinks have actually reduced in sugar over the past few years, but many more haven't. The most sugary seasonal drink was from Starbucks with more than 14 teaspoons of sugar. Other companies like breakfast cereal manufacturers and yogurt manufacturers are reducing sugar. And so is soft drinks, yet the milk based drinks, milk shakes, hot chocolates and lattes just don't seem to have changed in the same way.
And while some companies are actually being really responsible reducing their sugar, some have actually increased that in the last two years which just seems ridiculous. Coffee chains do offer low- calorie alternatives. But Action on Sugar are still calling for more tax on hot coffee drinks. Not much of a Christmas present for the coffee chains, but maybe a gift in the long term for our health.
