Holie’s Sugar-Score exposes hidden sugars

What looks like a healthy start often turns out to be a sugar-loaded disguise. On 25 June, cereal brand Holie’s introduced a new tool that cuts through misleading claims: the Sugar-Score. It gives consumers a clear picture of how much sugar is really in popular breakfast and snack products.

Clear scoring for everyday decisions

The Sugar-Score is an online tool designed to help consumers choose lower-sugar products in the supermarket. Based on Nielsen market data, Holie’s has assessed the five best-selling breakfast and snack items using a score from A to C:

A = 0–5% sugar
B = 5–10% sugar
C = more than 10% sugar

“Nowadays, you practically need to be a nutrition expert to make sense of food labels,” says co-founder Valentijn van Santvoort. “With the Sugar-Score, we want to make it easier for everyone to see through the smoke screen.”

Clever sugars and vague claims

Many products come with a healthy image thanks to claims like ‘no refined sugars’, ‘added fibre’ or ‘high in protein’, while their sugar content remains high. Sugar is often added under different names such as ‘agave syrup’ or ‘glucose’. The Sugar-Score highlights this with straightforward scores and product comparisons.

Educational campaign across the Benelux

The Sugar-Score is available at www.sugarscore.info. Around the launch, Holie’s is sharing educational content via social media, in collaboration with nutritionists and dietitians from across the Benelux. The aim is to provide clear guidance in a market full of sugar temptations.

Holiefoods.com