Are you a slave to your cup of joe and struggle to function unless you've picked up a takeaway coffee? Well, this recent piece of research may have you reaching for the tea caddy before too long if you value your health and cognitive wellbeing.
According to campaign group, Action on Sugar, the sugar content in our favourite takeaway coffees are currently at "dangerous high" levels, with Starbucks, Costa and KFC coming in for major criticism in the campaign group's report.
Analysing 131 hot flavoured drinks across a number of popular coffee chains, researchers established that a whopping 98% of the drinks tested would receive a red nutritional value label for high sugar content.
While many of us may feel we are making a more informed decision by vetoing a soft drink in favour of a hot beverage, findings indicate that this assumption has no grounding in reality, with one-third of the hot drinks tested containing the same amount or more sugar than Coca Cola.
According to findings, Starbucks’ venti White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream contained 18 spoons of sugar while the chain's venti Grape with Chai, Orange and Cinnamon Hot Mulled Fruit contained a whopping 25 teaspoons of sugar per serving.
Commenting on the results of the study which is bound to stun millions, Prof Graham MacGregor, chairman of Action on Sugar, said: "This is yet again another example of scandalous amount of sugar added to our food and drink. No wonder we have the highest rates of obesity in Europe."
"Coffee shop chains must immediately reduce the amount of sugar in these hot drinks, improve their labelling and stop selling the extra-large serving sizes," added Action on Sugar researcher Kawther Hashem.
Offering an insight into Starbucks' take on the shocking findings, a spokewoman for the world-famous chain assured the public they are currently in the process of reformulating their produce.
"Earlier this year we committed to reduce added sugar in our indulgent drinks by 25 per cent by the end of 2020, she said. "We also offer a wide variety of lighter options, sugar-free syrups and sugar-free natural sweetener and we display all nutritional information in-store and online.”
Echoing these sentiments, Kerry Parkin, head of communications at Costa asserted: "Costa takes the nutritional balance of our food and drink very seriously and we have already taken significant steps to reduce the sugar content of our ranges."
"We intend to continue improving the balance of our product offerings while maintaining the high quality and great taste our customers expect," she concluded while revealing that the company intends to set salt and sugar targets for 202 this April.
Offering advice to the public with regards their coffee consumption, Kawther Hashem said: "Our advice to consumers is to have a plain hot drink or ask for your drink to contain a minimal amount of syrup, preferably sugar free, in the smallest serving size available."
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