In our segment Rosemary Stanton looked at a chocolate bar containing guarana. Guarana, an extract from the crushed seeds of a Brazilian vine (Paullinia cupana var. sorbilis), is very high in caffeine and has been used as a tonic and a stimulant in South America for thousands of years. Guarana is now included in soft drinks and products labelled confectionery.
Unsuitable for children and others
As they contain caffeine, products containing guarana are unsuitable for kids and can lead to problems. There have even been some reported deaths related to the consumption of guarana in people who are sensitive to caffeine.
Although guarana bars contain a warning about their caffeine content this warning is not easy to find. If you use two hands to lift a flap on the wrapping of the new guarana chocolate bar, you’ll see a warning that says the product is not recommended for children under 15 years, diabetics, pregnant women, nursing mothers or people sensitive to caffeine. It also says that it should only be used under medical or dietetic supervision. This is very important information.
The small print says “recommended daily dose of up to 3 bars per day”. Rosemary said this certainly is not an official recommendation, and that if you did eat 3 bars, as well as all the caffeine you’d get a lot of saturated fat and more than 100g of sugar.
Conclusion
Rosemary recommends steering clear of products with extra caffeine. Caffeine is not something the body needs, it’s addictive and it can be dangerous for some people. Warnings should not be hidden under a flap of packaging. They should be on the front of the packet and clearly visible. Guarana bars should not be displayed with confectionery.