Some popular frozen drinks contain almost 50 teaspoons of sugar — the equivalent of more than eight times the recommended daily sugar intake — a new Cancer Council study has revealed.7-Eleven’s Slurpee Sour Orange Mega has been exposed as the frozen drink on sale in Australia with the highest sugar content.It contains a whopping 49 teaspoons of sugar, or 195.5 grams.
The daily added sugar intake recommended for an adult by the World Health Organisation is six teaspoons — meaning the slurpee has more than eight days worth of sugar.7-Eleven’s Slurpee Creamy Soda Mega came in as the second most sugary frozen drink, with 37 teaspoons.It was followed by 7-Eleven’s Slurpee Sour Lime Mega at 35 teaspoons, and Slurpee Mystery Purple Mega at 21 teaspoons.Meanwhile, at major fast-food chain outlets, Hungry Jack’s’ large Frozen Fanta Sour Watermelon Spider was found to contain 18 teaspoons of sugar.The sugar in a KFC Mountain Dew Freeze clocked in at 13 teaspoons, while a McDonald’s Large Frozen Coke contains at least 11 teaspoons.
Craig Sinclair, the director of prevention at Cancer Council Victoria, has hit out at brands for using sophisticated promotional techniques to encourage young people to buy the sugar-laden drinks.”During summer, young people are being bombarded with these incredibly cheap deals, creative new flavours, competitions and social media challenges and, of course, it makes it hard to resist,” he said.Mr Sinclair pointed out slurpees are cheaper than bottled water, with a mega-sized slurpee at 7-Eleven costing just $3, and a small costs 80 cents.He said high sugar intake could have serious health repercussions.”Consuming too much sugar is bad for us and regularly drinking these drinks can lead to unhealthy weight gain, increasing the risk of serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart and kidney disease, stroke and some cancers.”
Meanwhile, Dr Mikaela Chinotti from the Australian Dental Association has warned sugar contributes to tooth decay and erosion.”The excessive sugar content in frozen drinks can harm your oral health, leading to tooth decay. They also contain high levels of acid, which can dissolve the outer surface of tooth enamel and lead to further tooth erosion and cavities.”A 7-Eleven spokesperson pointed out that there were “healthier” iced slurpee options available.”7-Eleven offers low sugar options in all of our stores, to give customers choice.”Meanwhile, a McDonald’s Large Frozen Coke Zero is said to contain just 15 calories.
– “Slurpees found to contain more sugar than a week’s recommended intake” – 7News