Chocolate spread study exposes UK nutrition policy gap

New research from Action on Salt & Sugar has found that 99% of chocolate spreads assessed in major UK supermarkets are classified as less healthy under the Government’s nutrient profiling model, despite the category falling outside existing restrictions on less healthy food advertising and promotions.

The organisation examined 78 chocolate spreads as part of a wider investigation into 834 sweet and savoury spreads. Its analysis found that 86% of the chocolate spreads were high in sugars, 91% were high in saturated fat, and 92% were classified as ultra-processed under the methodology applied by the researchers.

The investigation, titled Spreading the Problem, was published during Sugar Awareness Week 2026. It assessed products sold by major supermarkets, including chocolate spreads, jams, honey, syrups, and nut butters, comparing their nutritional composition against established classification methods and relevant sugar reduction guidance.

Across the complete sample, 78% of products were high in sugars and 86% were classified as less healthy. The results also revealed considerable variation between products within individual categories, including differences in the quantity of sugars present in chocolate spreads.

A standard 15g serving of chocolate spread contained an average of 6.3g of sugars. Applying the same quantity to two slices of bread would provide more than 12g of sugars from the spread alone, before taking account of any sugar present in the bread.

Some products contained substantially greater quantities. M&S Whipped Chocolate Spread was reported to contain 9.2g of sugars per 15g serving, equivalent to more than two teaspoons. Other products identified among those with higher sugar concentrations included Hazella Choco Swirl Spread and Nutella Hazelnut Spread with Cocoa.

The findings have renewed scrutiny of the way the UK regulates the advertising and promotion of foods high in fat, sugar, or salt. The restrictions do not apply automatically to every product receiving a less healthy score under the nutrient profiling model. A product must also fall within a category specified by the relevant legislation.

Those categories include confectionery, breakfast cereals, ice cream, cakes, sweet biscuits, and several other food groups. Chocolate and other sweet spreads are not included within the specified categories, even where their nutritional composition produces a less healthy classification.

The distinction allows sweet spreads to be marketed outside restrictions that apply to certain confectionery products with comparable nutritional characteristics. Action on Salt & Sugar has called for the scope of the regulations to be extended to address that difference.

The regulatory position should not be confused with an exemption from all food legislation. Chocolate spreads remain subject to relevant food safety, composition, labelling, and advertising requirements. The identified gap concerns the specified categories covered by particular less healthy food advertising and promotion measures.

The rules governing advertising and those controlling retail promotions also have different legal arrangements and responsibilities. UK advertising restrictions include measures affecting television advertising before the 9pm watershed and paid online advertising of identifiable products within the regulated categories. Retail promotion controls address specified activities such as placement and volume-price offers.

Extending the specified categories would require further Government action. No additional restriction covering sweet spreads has been introduced as a consequence of the research, and the campaign’s recommendations should not be interpreted as existing legal obligations.

Beyond the regulatory classification, the nutritional findings provide a basis for examining the technical constraints associated with chocolate spread reformulation. Sugar and fat contribute to the physical characteristics of many products, influencing texture, mouthfeel, consistency, and the way ingredients behave during manufacturing.

Chocolate spreads commonly contain a combination of sugars, fats, cocoa ingredients, and other components dispersed or incorporated into a structure designed to remain spreadable during storage and use. The proportions and properties of those ingredients determine how the finished product responds to changes in temperature and mechanical handling.

Reducing the quantity of sugar may affect more than sweetness. Sugar contributes solid material to the formulation and can influence the distribution of particles within the fat phase. Substituting alternative sweeteners or bulking ingredients can change particle characteristics, viscosity, and the sensory properties of the product.

Where the structure of a spread depends on dispersed solids suspended in fat, the relationship between particle size and fat content is particularly important. Changes to the quantity or surface characteristics of the solids can alter the amount of fat needed to achieve the required consistency.

Fat reformulation presents different constraints. The melting characteristics and crystallisation behaviour of fats influence how a spread behaves at filling, storage, and consumption temperatures. Replacing a fat ingredient with an alternative containing less saturated fat may require assessment of texture, physical stability, and the risk of oil separation.

The appropriate processing conditions also depend on the revised formulation. Mixing, refining, temperature control, and filling operations must produce a consistent distribution of ingredients while maintaining the characteristics required for the intended product and package.

Sugar reduction strategies can involve replacing part of the sugar with alternative ingredients, but a lower sugar concentration does not establish that the finished product will automatically achieve the same viscosity, flavour, shelf life, or nutritional classification. The remaining ingredients and the overall recipe determine the result.

The effect of sugar on product stability also varies between food systems. In products containing appreciable quantities of water, sugar can influence water activity and therefore the conditions relevant to microbial stability. Lower-moisture, fat-based spreads have different physical and microbiological characteristics that require product-specific evaluation.

Industrial manufacturers considering reformulation consequently need to assess the finished recipe against measurable specifications. These may include particle size, rheological properties, sensory performance, ingredient distribution, physical stability, and the suitability of the product for existing filling equipment.

The research identified substantial variation between commercial chocolate spreads, including products with comparatively low sugar concentrations. These differences establish that the market already contains alternative nutritional profiles, although they do not prove that every established formulation can be modified without changes to its other characteristics.

Action on Salt & Sugar also assessed products against voluntary sugar reduction guidance. It reported that 84% of products covered by the relevant guidance exceeded recommended levels, including 60% of the chocolate spreads assessed against applicable benchmarks.

The organisation’s proposed policy changes include extending advertising and promotion restrictions to sweet spreads, applying the updated nutrient profiling model, establishing stronger reporting requirements for healthier food sales, and introducing clearer front-of-pack nutrition information.

The Government has published an updated 2018 nutrient profiling model and consulted on its application to advertising and promotion restrictions. However, the existing regulatory framework continues to rely on the established model and specified product categories until the relevant rules are changed.

Dr Jizhao Niu, a researcher at Queen Mary University of London involved in the analysis, identified considerable variation in sugar concentrations across products within the same category. The findings provide evidence that lower-sugar commercial alternatives exist, while leaving the technical feasibility of individual reformulation projects to be assessed separately.

Manufacturers also face commercial considerations when altering established spreads. Ingredients must remain available at suitable quality and cost, finished products must meet consumer expectations, and any changes to nutritional claims or mandatory labelling must be supported by the revised composition.

The 2026 analysis establishes a substantial difference between the nutritional characteristics of many chocolate spreads and their treatment under existing advertising and promotion restrictions. Any subsequent policy extension would create additional commercial incentives for reformulation, while the manufacturing work would remain dependent on the functional properties of each recipe.