Have you ever heard of the freakshake? The BBC recently ran a story discussing an effort by Action On Sugar to have the high-calorie, high-sugar drinks banned in the UK. We want to discuss that campaign while also letting it be known that there are no freakshakes in our sport nutrition vending machines. Protein shakes, yes. Freakshakes, no.
A freakshake is a milkshake with an unusually high content of calories and sugar. Consider the Toby Carvery Unicorn Freakshake mentioned in the BBC piece. It offers a whopping 1,280 calories and the equivalent of 39 teaspoons of sugar. The BBC says you would need to drink in excess of five cans of cola to consume the calories and sugar found in one of these shakes.
The Campaign to Ban
Action On Sugar's perspective is that freakshakes are adding to the obesity problem by giving people too much sugar and calorie content in a single serving. They assert that milkshakes with more than 300 calories should be banned both in food service establishments and supermarkets.
Does Action On Sugar have a valid argument? That depends on your point of view. Some people believe that consumers should have the freedom to choose what they eat. Others believe consumers cannot be trusted to look out for their own health and best interests.
Regardless of the position you take, one thing that cannot be argued is the fact that freakshakes really put a dent on daily allowances for sugar and calories. Of 46 products examined by Action On Sugar, all are deserving of a red label for excessive sugar content.
A Labelling Alternative
Not everyone concerned about obesity and poor nutrition wants to ban freakshakes. Advocates of consumer freedom recommend a different solution: requiring food service establishments and manufacturers to apply factual and common-sense labelling to their milkshake products.
One proposal is to use a label that includes a graphic display of sugar and calorie content. The graphic could include different colours that warn consumers of sugar and calories in a visual way. It is believed that such labels could help people make wiser decisions about how often they consume freakshakes, if at all.
Protein Shakes Instead
Here at Nutrivend, we are all about consumer freedom. So we recommend that anyone concerned about freakshakes simply substitute with protein shakes. A good protein shake offers more nutritional benefits with fewer negatives. They taste pretty good too.
Our sport nutrition vending solutions can include protein shakes and other sports beverages as dictated by the customer. Not only that, we also offer a complete range of sport nutrition products sold as beverages and snacks. We can fill the machines on your premises with just about any kind of sport nutrition product you're looking for.
Nutrivend takes no official position on freakshakes as a consumer product. But we do suggest selling protein shakes instead. They are a much better option for gyms, leisure centres, and other sites where sport nutrition is appropriate.
Sources:
BBC – https://www.bbc.com/news/health-46179175
