A health group warned people to be careful about the sugar in drinks in coffee shops. Many cafes in the UK are adding extra sugar and syrup to drinks in the run-up to Christmas. The health group, Action on Sugar (AOS), carried out research on sugar in hot drinks in coffee chains around the country. It found that some drinks had as much as 23 spoons of sugar. It checked over 200 different drinks. AOS said it found "shockingly" high levels of sugar in many drinks. An AOS spokesperson said people with obesity, diabetes and other health problems should check what they are drinking.
Action On Sugar went to nine different coffee shop chains. It said the unhealthiest drink was the Starbucks "Venti" caramel hot chocolate. It contained 93.7g of sugar and 758 calories. It has as much sugar as three cans of Coca-Cola. Starbucks said: "We are committed to reducing sugar in all our beverages." It has cut sugar content by 9 per cent since 2015. AOS said: "The hospitality industry has a key role to play in being transparent. It must help to reduce the amount of sugar we consume. Sugar is one of the biggest causes of obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay."