Multivitamim chews for children are often higher in sugar than Haribo sweets and lacking vital vitamins, a Mail investigation reveals today.
Parents have no way of knowing the sugar content of many popular supplements aimed at children as young as three because manufacturers do not legally have to declare it on the packaging.
And of the seven leading brands we analysed, seven did not contain 10micrograms of vitamin D – the level the NHS says is essential for children and recommends they take daily, alongside vitamins A and C.
In the worst example, a single serving contained no vitamin D and more than a tenth of a child’s total daily recommend sugar limit.
‘Parents’ best intentions are being exploited,’ said Dr Vicky Sibson of children’s charity First Steps Nutrition. ‘[They] are unlikely to give their child a sweet for breakfast, yet they may be unaware gummies contain similar ingredients.’
Some of the brands we analysed – which included Haliborange, Holland & Barrett and Wellkid –claim to provide ‘expert nutritional support’ or boost ‘immune support’. Although they did contain added vitamins, they were largely made of sugars and gelling agents, as with jellied sweets. Sambucol’s Black Elderberry Kids + Vit C Immune Support Gummies were found to be 62.9 per cent sugar – the highest of all the brands we compared.
The instructions recommend children aged four and over take two gummies per day (containing 2.2g of sugar, twice the amount in a Haribo jelly bear), rising to four a day for ‘extra support’. The NHS recommends no more than 19g of sugar for children aged four to six.
For the investigation, a reporter who is a parent to a young child contacted each brand as a customer, asking for the sugar content and percentage.
Multivitamim chews for children are often higher in sugar than Haribo sweets
Vitabiotic’s Wellkid Peppa Pig Multi-Vits were found to have more sugar than a Haribo starmix jelly bear
Haliboorange softies contained 1.46 sugar per serving and only contained 2.5 micrograms of vitamin D
While most provided information, Holland & Barrett refused. After the Mail contacted its press office, it revealed its Strawberry Flavour Gummies are 60.1 per cent sugar. One contained 1.8g, compared to 1.4g in a Haribo jelly ring.
Haliborange Softies Multivitamins contained 1.46g per serving. And Vitabiotics Wellkid Peppa Pig Multi-Vits had more than the 0.9g in a Haribo jelly bear.
The NHS’s Healthy Start sugar-free children’s vitamin drops contain the recommended levels of vitamins D, A and C, and are free for low-income families or cost £3 to £4 from pharmacies.
A Holland & Barrett spokesman said: ‘Sugar and glucose are standard ingredients, providing structure, stability and an appealing taste.’ They said they were committed to providing ‘transparent nutritional information’. All other brands declined to comment.
