The case in summary Sports profile Trine Mjåland expresses concern about the sugar content in snack bars. news has been in contact with several producers. Norgesgruppen, which makes Mellombar, believes the product is a better alternative to chocolate and sweets as it contains less sugar and more fibre. They specify that the intermediate bars are not marketed as healthy. Clinical nutritionist Eli Anne Myrvoll agrees with Mjåland’s concern and believes snack bars are in the same category as candies, snacks and biscuits. Maja Skogstad, nutritionist and operator of the account “nutritionmamma” on Instagram, believes that the industry exploits people’s focus on calories to fill food products with cheap, nutrient-poor ingredients. – I don’t give intermediate bars to my children, says Trine Mjåland (34) from Kristiansand. The mother of two reacts to how much sugar there is in much of the food we give to the children. She thinks the middle bars are among the worst. – I find it challenging when others offer them to my children. The children are offered far too much sugary food, she says. If you think sugar in food is an exciting topic, we can recommend this episode from news Folkeopplysningen. Producer: – A better alternative news has been in contact with several of the producers of the various bars. Few will state sales figures. Two boxes of Mellombar from Kiwi, the flavors are salted caramel and popcorn and chocolate. Urkraft oat bars with apple and currant. Urkraft oat bar with berries. Two boxes of Mellombar from Kiwi, the flavors are salted caramel and popcorn and chocolate. Norgesgruppen ASA makes the product Mellombar, which is sold, among other things, at Kiwi. The manufacturer states that they sold over 5 million packages during the last 12 months. – We consider Mellombar to be a better alternative than chocolate and sweets as you get less sugar and more fibre, says communications manager Kine Søyland. She clarifies that the intermediate bars are not communicated as healthy. Norgesgruppen plans to launch more products with less sugar in this category in the future. Read all the answers at the bottom of the case. Do the intermediate bars come down on a high edge at your home? Yes, we enjoy them every day. No, we drop those things in our household. The middle teeth are then just as healthy as fruit. Show result Fear of addiction Trine Mjåland believes that sugar addiction is as big a social problem as drug addiction. – Some parents probably believe quite sincerely, perhaps due to a lack of knowledge, that snack bars are good for us. Or a good alternative as a snack, she says. Clinical nutritionist Eli Anne Myrvoll explains that it is mostly the ingredient that is first on the ingredient list. – Oatmeal is listed last, there probably isn’t that much of that grain in the bar, she says. Photo: Kjetil Samuelsen / news Eli Anne Myrvol is a clinical nutritionist at the University of Agder. She says this about sugar addiction: – Some are strongly convinced that “sugar addiction” follows the same mechanisms as addiction to drugs, nicotine and alcohol, but there is little research to support this. Norwegian researchers are afraid that sugar is often portrayed as worse than it is. You can read more about that in this article. Compared to candy Nevertheless, she shares Trine Mjåland’s concern about sugar. – Intermediate bars are not healthy. They are in the same category as sweets, snacks and biscuits. It is worrisome that they are marketed as snacks, says Eli Anne Myrvoll. She explains that several of the bars contain a lot of sugar disguised as, among other things, glucose syrup. – It’s no wonder that children like sweets. And with the access we have to sweets around us, it is largely up to us parents to try to limit our children’s excessive sugar intake. – Some people think I’m special There are no intermediate bars in Trine Mjåland’s drawers at home. – I really feel that things have gone too far now in relation to the availability of products like this. Sweets, alternatives to chips and such. Such products abound, she says. – When my 8-year-old son tells me that today they got caramels at school because they finished the maths marathon. Then things turn around for me, says Trine Mjåland. In the picture, she became Norwegian champion in the 800 mi in 2013. Photo: Terje Bendiksby / NTB She thinks too much sugar is given on many occasions, whether it’s rewards and treats at school or from neighbours. – I fear that there will be too much sugar every day, she says. – Do the other parents think you are strict when you refuse the children snacks? – I have not received direct comments on this, but I can assume that some will think that I am “strange” or “hysterical”, she says. Maja Skogstad runs the company Barnematbyen. She believes that it is pure marketing that some of the bars are called Mellomåltid because it makes us think that this is appropriate as a mid-meal. Photo: Privat Another mother who shares the concern is Maja Skogstad. She is a nutritionist and runs the account “nutritionmamma” on Instagram. She gets involved in how the focus on calories will entice us to act. – The industry loves that we have gotten hung up on calories, because then they can fill food products with cheap, nutrient-poor ingredients and take out raw materials, says Skogstad. What do you mean? Discuss the case in the comment field at the bottom of the case. – Not marketed as healthy news has contacted several of the producers of the various bars to find out if the products are meant to be healthy. A box of Poppa Müslibar. Be-Kind intermediate bar. Corny Big middle bar. This is the nut bar Småsulten. Several shelves with Müslibar from Coop. – The muesli bars are not marketed as healthy, or as a snack, and we are clear about what the various variants contain, so that our customers understand what they are buying, replies category manager Halvor Eggen at Rema 1000. Sørlandschips offers the alternative Poppa. It should be aimed at an adult pulikum who wants snacks. – It should be easy to see how many kcal it contains for those concerned with portion control, therefore a maximum of 99 calories, says Sofie Oraug-Rygh, Director ESG Communication and Public Affairs. This is what the producers answer: Answer from communications manager Kine Søyland at NorgesGruppen ASA: – The idea with Mellombar is that it is a snack/bar that you eat occasionally between meals for some quick energy that is easy to carry with you. We have chosen to have small units with a low calorie content, so that there is a limited quantity. We believe that we do not communicate the products as healthy, it is clearly stated on the packaging what the products contain. We consider Mellombar to be a better alternative to chocolate and sweets as you get less sugar and more fibre. Mellombar is not intended as a substitute for regular food, but like so much else, Mellombar should be a product that you only eat occasionally. – We have plans to launch more products with less sugar within this category in the future, including single bars. NorgesGruppen has also said no to several brand launches due to high sugar content. This is answered by category manager Halvor Eggen at Rema 1000. – We at REMA 1000 are concerned with facilitating a varied and healthy diet, and reducing sugar is high on our agenda, both when it comes to the development of our products, but also other arenas, such as offering fruit to children at sporting events. – The muslibars we sell are not intended as a substitute for a meal. They are intended as a quick supplement of energy when you need it. The muesli bars are not marketed as healthy or as a snack, and we are clear about what the different variants contain, so that our customers understand what they are buying. Sørlandschips offers the alternative Poppa: – The Poppa bar is aimed at an adult audience. Poppa should be pure pleasure, but it should be easy to see how many kcal it contains for those concerned with portion control, therefore a maximum of 99 calories, says Sofie Oraug-Rygh, Director ESG Communication and Public Affairs. Orkla produces the Småsulten nut bar: – Småsulten is a nut bar and has a high content of nuts. It has no low-calorie label, says Communications Manager Trude Løw Hansen. Norgsmøllene makes Urkraft intermediate bars. – Urkraft oat bars are produced without added sugar. Having said that, there is sugar in the chocolate, and there are sugars in the berry and fruit ingredients, says John Ronny Dalheim, chain sales director for groceries. – We wanted to add healthier alternatives to the market. Among other things, without added sugar, rich in healthy fibre-rich oats, which provide long-lasting energy and a lower sugar content than other snacks and low in saturated fat. Now there are no keyholes in bars, but our two Urkraft oat bars came out best in a test with 10 out of 10 points by the Consumer Council in June 2023, which we are proud of and highlight on the packaging, says Dalheim. – When we were to develop and launch Urkraft oat bars, our goal was to go in the direction of healthier bars that could “tolerate” being in a lunch box. As in the name Havrebar, we have put the main emphasis on oats, they have no added sugar and still taste good and provide energy, says Dalheim. Do you give your child a snack bar? Hello! Welcome to dialogue at news. Since you are logged in to other news services, you do not have to log in again here, but we need your consent to our terms of use for online dialogue Published 02.07.2024, at 19.48 Updated 02.07.2024, at 20.15
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Comparing snacks with sweets: – Too much sugar is offered – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
