EXCLUSIVE: Revealed: How a tsp of Britain’s most popular pancake topping contains as much sugar as a donut

Nothing beats a batch of freshly made pancakes drenched in maple syrup.

But experts warn today that your Pancake Day celebration could blow your entire recommended sugar intake in a matter of bites.

Toppings sold in UK shops can contain as much sugar in a tablespoon as in an entire doughnut, MailOnline reveals.

Rowse Original Squeezy Honey was the worst offender in our research, with a whopping 12.1g of sugar in one serving.

Two and a half servings will put you over the NHS sugar guidelines.

Adults should not eat more than 30 grams of free sugar a day, which is around seven sugar cubes, according to the NHS.

The recommended daily sugar intake for children aged 7 to 10 is just 24g – which means that just one tablespoon of Rowse provides more than half of their daily requirement.

And for children aged four to six it is even lower, at just 19g per day.

Free sugar is any sugar added to food or drink and not naturally occurring sugars.

READ MORE: In 2018, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver won the battle to introduce a sugar tax…

MailOnline’s review revealed that many of the UK’s other most popular pancake toppings also contain watery-eyed sugar.

Our analysis looked at toppings sold online in various supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Ocado.

Lyle’s Squeezy Golden Syrup has 11.6g of sugar in each scoop, and the brand’s butterscotch syrup has the same amount.

Squeezy sauce favorite Askeys also has some of the highest levels at 11.3g of strawberry sauce per tablespoon.

And the fudge sauce is 10.9g while the chocolate sauce is 10g.

Another sugary sauce culprit is Jude’s Maple Sauce – which has 10.5g of sugar per tablespoon.

Other toppings that are high in sugar include Snickers Dessert Sauce (9.25g), Hartley’s Smooth Strawberry Jam (9.2g), Buckwud Maple Syrup (9.15g) and Nutella (8.4g).

Sugars also occur naturally in foods such as fruits, vegetables and milk, but officials are not telling people to limit those types of sugars.

This is because they are found in foods that are part of a healthy diet and are less likely to cause tooth decay than added sugar.

However, the NHS warns that all sugar is bad in high doses.

And natural sugar is included in the total sugar content on food packaging.

Professor Gunter Kuhnle, a nutritionist at the University of Reading, warned that around two or three tablespoons of topping should be enough for your daily ration.

But he said the question of whether sugar is “good” or not is actually difficult.

“Physiologically, it (sugar) is not really necessary and can have all sorts of side effects, from increasing the risk of tooth decay to blood sugar spikes and making it easier to overeat,” he said.

He said reducing sugar intake “isn’t that difficult” and suggested using a slightly lower amount of toppings “will already be helpful.”

“But replacing it completely becomes much more difficult because many foods contain sugar, not only for flavor but also as a preservative or to give it the right texture,” Professor Kuhnle added.

Dr. Duane Mellor, a registered dietitian and head of the Department of Nutrition and Evidence-Based Medicine at Aston University, said that while some toppings, such as honey or agave syrup, are said to have benefits, they “still contain a lot of sugar.”

He added that switching to fruits like blueberries and spices like cinnamon are good alternatives that won’t overload your pancakes with sugar.

Other companies whose MailOnline pancake spread was high in sugar included M&S, Waitrose, Tesco, Carnation and Bonne Maman.

A Waitrose spokesperson said: “While we’ve used the very best ingredients to ensure it (fudge sauce) tastes absolutely delicious, we clearly label the nutritional value – including calories and sugar – so customers have no doubt it’s a delight is not. ‘

An M&S spokesperson said: “We’re offering a range of Pancake Day making ideas, including Eat Well products with our floral health stamp – such as fresh fruit, natural pecans, Greek yoghurt and a Berry Boost topper – as well as treats for Pancake Day .like our flavored sauces.

“We have clear labels on the packaging so customers can make an informed purchasing decision.”

A Nestlé spokesperson for Carnation said: “Carnation rain is a treat for special occasions such as Pancake Day. We recommend a 15g serving of our Carnation Drizzle. Some of the sugar in the product comes from lactose, the sugar that occurs naturally in milk.”

A spokesperson for Groovy Food said: “Agave nectar is a natural sweetener extracted from the agave plant. It has the advantage of having a much lower glycemic index and higher fructose levels, giving it an average of 25% fewer calories than refined sugar.

“As with all sweeteners, it should be consumed in moderation, but agave nectar is also much sweeter in flavor than refined sugar, so less needs to be used to achieve the same flavor.”