Revealed: The popular breakfast spreads that contain dangerous amounts of sugar - with Morrisons' The Best Pure Canadian Maple Syrup at the top of the list

Whether they're smeared on toast or mixed into a yoghurt bowl, breakfast spreads are a staple for millions of Brits. But a new study might make you think twice before choosing certain varieties for your family.Experts from Action on Salt & Sugar have revealed the popular options that contain dangerous amounts of sugar. The worst offender is Morrisons' The Best Pure Canadian Maple Syrup, which contains a whopping 87.6g of sugar per 100g. In contrast, The Skinny Food Co. Zero Calorie Golden Syrup and Maple Syrup were the healthiest options, both containing 0g of sugar. Dr Jizhao Niu, Postdoctoral Research Associate at Queen Mary University of London, who conducted the analysis, said: 'What stood out most from our analysis was just how widespread high sugar levels were across everyday spreads. 'This was not limited to a handful of products or brands.' Experts from Action on Salt & Sugar have revealed the popular options that contain dangerous amounts of sugar. The worst offender is Morrisons' The Best Pure Canadian Maple Syrup, which contains a whopping 87.6g of sugar per 100g The Skinny Food Co. Zero Calorie Golden Syrup and Maple Syrup were the healthiest options, both containing 0g of sugar The spreads that contain the most sugar Morrisons The Best Pure Canadian Maple Syrup: 87.6gLidl Deluxe Manuka Honey MGO 100+: 85.9gM&S Collection New Zealand Manuka 100 MGO Honey: 85.9gM&S Collection New Zealand Manuka 250 MGO Honey: 85.9gLidl Deluxe Canadian Maple Syrup Grade A Dark Robust: 82gLyle's Golden Syrup: 79gDaylesford Organic Seville Orange Marmalade: 70.7gRadnor Preserves Hand-Cut Smoky Campfire Marmalade: 69gStokes Seville Orange Marmalade: 68gAldi Specially Selected Pistachio Crème: 62.3g*g of sugar per 100g For their analysis, the team analysed the contents of 834 spreads sold in UK supermarkets, including jams, honey, syrups, chocolate spreads, and nut butters. Chocolate spreads were among the worst category, with 86 per cent found to be high in sugars and 91 per cent high in saturated fat. M&S Whipped Chocolate Spread was the worst offender, containing a whopping 61g of sugars per 100g. Following close behind were Hazella Choco Swirl Spread (59g of sugar per 100g) and Nutella Hazelnut Spread with Cocoa (56.3g of sugar per 100g). In the 'biscuit flavoured' category, M&S Crunchy Milk & Cookies Chocolate Spread tops the list (53.8g of sugar per 100g), ahead of Morrisons Milk Cookies Chocolate Spread and Sainsbury's Cookies & Cream Spread, which both contain 46g of sugar per 100g. Somewhat unsurprisingly, confectionary–flavoured spreads are also very high in sugar. Maltesers Spread contains 55g of sugar per 100g, Cadbury Milk Chocolate Spread has 53g/100g, and Milky Way Spread has 50g/100g. Chocolate spreads were among the worst category, with 86 per cent found to be high in sugars and 91 per cent high in saturated fat. M&S Whipped Chocolate Spread was the worst offender, containing a whopping 61g of sugars per 100g In terms of chocolate spreads, JimJams Vegan No Added Sugar Hazelnut Chocolate Spread has just 0.6g of sugar per 100g The spreads that contain the least sugar The Skinny Food Co. Zero Calorie Golden Syrup: 0gThe Skinny Food Co. Zero Calorie Maple Syrup: 0gJimJams Vegan No Added Sugar Hazelnut Chocolate Spread: 0.6gBiona Organic Pumpkin Seed Butter: 1.4gM&S High Protein Chocolate Hazelnut Spread: 1.6gSUNFLY Sunflower Seed Butter: 1.7gMeridian Protein Smooth Peanut Butter: 2.1gStute No Sugar Added Fine Cut Orange Marmalade: 2.5gCarbZone LowCarb Belgian Hazelnut Spread: 3.5gWilkin & Sons Tiptree Reduced Sugar Marmalade Orange: 37g *g of sugar per 100g However, several other types of spread, often regarded as 'healthier' options, are actually very high in sugar.In the marmalades group, Daylesford Organic Seville Orange Marmalade was found to contain 70.7g of sugar per 100g, ahead of Radnor Preserves Hand–Cut Smoky Campfire Marmalade (69g/100g), and Stokes Seville Orange Marmalade (68g/100g). And looking at honeys, the experts found that three popular varieties – Lidl Deluxe Manuka Honey MGO 100+, M&S Collection New Zealand Manuka 100 MGO Honey, and M&S Collection New Zealand Manuka 250 MGO Honey – all contain a staggering 85.9g of sugar per 100g. If your favourite spread is on that list, you might want to consider swapping to one of the low-sugar options identified by the researchers. In terms of chocolate spreads, JimJams Vegan No Added Sugar Hazelnut Chocolate Spread has just 0.6g of sugar per 100g, ahead of M&S High Protein Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (1.6g/100g), and CarbZone LowCarb Belgian Hazelnut Spread (3.5g/100g). Looking at marmalades, your best options are Stute No Sugar Added Fine Cut Orange Marmalade (2.5g of sugar per 100g), Wilkin & Sons Ltd Tiptree Reduced Sugar Marmalade Orange (37g/100g), and Streamline Less Sugar Thick Cut Orange Marmalade (39g). Alternatively, if you're after a lower sugar nut butter, the researchers suggest Biona Organic Pumpkin Seed Butter (1.4g/100g), SUNFLY Sunflower Seed Butter (1.7g/100g), or Meridian Protein Smooth Peanut Butter (2.1g/100g). Despite the high sugar content, chocolate spread is one of several foods to have escaped the Government's ban on advertising unhealthy food and drinks to young people. Introduced as part of efforts to tackle childhood obesity, the rules restrict the promotion of foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS). But in reality products that are considered healthy like porridge and lentil crisps have come under fire, while those that pose a bigger threat to childhood obesity are promoted. Dr Kawther Hashem, Head of Research & Impact at Action on Salt & Sugar, based at Queen Mary University of London, said: 'This loophole is increasingly difficult to defend. 'You cannot have a system designed to restrict the advertising and promotion of less healthy food, then leave out a category where virtually every chocolate spread fails the Government's own healthiness assessment.'These products are overwhelmingly high in sugars and saturated fat, yet companies are still being given greater freedom to promote them. That is completely at odds with the direction of public health policy.'Victoria Mortimer, Parent Ambassador, Children's Food Campaign, added: 'As a parent, it's so frustrating that something as obviously sugary as chocolate spread can still fall outside these rules. 'That's exactly the kind of thing we talked about when developing the Citizens' Charter: parents want to do the best for their children, but we need Government and food companies to play their part too. Unhealthy products shouldn't be able to slip through the gaps.'