Drinks at Starbucks and Dunkin' outlets not sufficiently regulated for sugar content

Jakarta — Fast food outlets such as Dunkin’ and Starbucks, which serve extremely sweet beverage menus, are expected to serve sugar levels that are safe for health. “We will ask Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks to provide safety data proving that a teenage girl can safely drink iced coffee containing 115 grammes of sugar,” said United States Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at an event themed Eat Real Food in Texas, according to reports from Boston on Tuesday 10 March local time.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey responded to the request from the US health minister with a meme on social media.

“No one is banning your Dunkin’, but isn’t it reasonable to ask whether a drink with 180 grammes of sugar is safe?” Kennedy wrote.

Internal nutritional data from Dunkin’, according to the report, became the basis for the health minister to question the actual sugar content. As many as 40 types of beverages on the menu also meet Kennedy’s initial benchmark of 115 grammes of sugar. All of these beverages fall into the category of frozen drinks or blended beverages.

The American Heart Association recommends very strict additional sugar consumption limits for health. Men are advised not to consume more than 36 grammes or nine teaspoons of added sugar per day. By comparison, a large cup of coffee with added cream and sugar already contains 36 grammes of sugar.

Nutritional guidance in that US state even addresses zero added sugar consumption for children under 11 years of age in order to reduce obesity rates and improve the quality of life for society more broadly.