Charlie Smith
THE heatwave hitting Spain and the rest of Europe may have you desperately grabbing for something cold.
If that cheeky caña or two doesn’t quite cut it, then you may have to opt for something a bit more frozen – enter ice cream.
From the cone variety, to those on a stick, or even from the tub, we are all aware of the high fat and sugar content in the frozen treat.
But Spain’s Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) has now revealed the worst offenders, after analysing the nutritional information of 106 supermarket helados.
Read on to see if your favourite made it into the top five:
5. Carrefour Mini
The fifth worst on the list is the French supermarket’s own brand chocolate ice creams.
These Magnum-inspired lollies come in smaller proportions, at around just 107 calories each, but do carry 334 calories per 100g.
In addition, the high fat (22g per 100g), saturated fat (15g per 100g) and sugar (29g per 100g) contents ensure the Mini makes the top five.
4. Magnum After Dinner Frac
Branded as an after-dinner treat, the Frac, by popular manufacturer Magnum, is small, but packs a big punch of 339 calories per 100g.
In this little ice cream, it is the ratio of fat (23g per 100g) and sugar (29g per 100g) that most appauls the OCU and earns it fourth place.
3. Magnum Mini Double Chocolate
Next up is Magnum again, with its famous chocolate-coated ice cream lolly.
This global classic has taken on many forms down the years, but is now ‘doubled up’ in its latest incarnation, with a layer of chocolate or caramel sauce found beneath its exterior chocolate surface.
Unsurprisingly, it is the saturated fat content (16g per 100g) of this ice cream that earns it bronze position on the list.
Its fat (22g per 100g) and sugar (30g per 100g) levels are not much better either.
2. Kalise Soul
Titled ‘Soul’, this sensual-sounding, almond-encrusted cone ice cream may not sound too bad.
But a look at its ingredients list reveals refined coconut and palm oils lurk within, putting Kalise’s product a close second on this list of frozen shame.
While its 331 calories per 100g is not the very worst, its fat (19g per 100g) and sugar (25g per 100g) levels are excessive.
1. Auchan Pulgar Minicones
And finally, the moment we’ve all been waiting for – or not.
Auchan’s ‘Pulgar’ – which literally translates as thumb – is the most unhealthy ice cream of any Spanish supermarket, according to the OCU.
The French retailer’s frozen dessert gets a thorough thumbs down from the consumer group thanks to a long list of deadly ingredients including palm oil, wheat starch, cocoa butter, refined coconut oil and vegetable oils.
The lack of milk fats here is what makes the ice cream so deadly for the OCU, as well as it being one of the sugariest on the list (31g per 100g).
So there you have it, the top five ice creams to avoid this summer.
Ah well, there’s always that caña…
