Calls to ban ‘freakshake’ in the UK

CAMPAIGN group Action on Sugar is calling for a ban on ‘freakshakes’ and milkshakes that contain over 300 calories.

It surveyed milkshakes sold in restaurants and fast food shops in the UK and found they contained “grotesque levels of sugar and calories”. Freakshakes are milkshakes that also contain chocolates, sweets, cake, cream and sauce.

Top of the survey list was The Toby Carvery Unicorn Freakshake with 39 teaspoons of sugar or 1,280 calories. This is more than the daily recommended amount of calories for an adult and over six times the amount of sugar recommended for seven to 10-year-olds.

The researchers found that many other shakes contain more than half the daily recommended amount of calories for an adult.

They say that of the 46 products included in the survey with nutrition labeling available online, all would receive a red/high label for excessive levels of sugar per serving.

Action on Sugar, which is made up of specialists concerned with sugar and its effects on health, are calling for mandatory traffic light-coloured nutrition labeling across all menus.

The government is currently consulting on menu calorie labeling.