Kelloggs Special K is sold as a healthy option for women trying to lose weight but contains 17g of sugar per 100g.
That is equivalent to more than four teaspoons of white sugar and is 30 per cent more than the 13g of sugar per 100g in Special K sold in America.
Manufacturers claim that the level of sugar consumed in breakfast cereals is still low compared to what most people eat throughout the day The British version of Cheerios, made by Nestle, has 21.5g of sugar per 100g, more than five times the amount of sugar as the American version (4g per 100g).
The findings come on the back of Government moves to regulate sugar content in products available to children.
A recent report by the Organisation for the Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that English children were the third fattest in Europe, after Italy and Greece – but almost twice as obese as the French. Almost 27% of girls in England were overweight and 23% of boys.
The OECD estimated that a comprehensive anti-obesity strategy in England would cost less than £12 per person and save 70,000 lives per year.
The Government has responded to the obesity problem by drafting a public health responsibility deal that will require manufacturers to meet a series of commitments.
Nestle has already signed up to all commitments, including reducing calories. However, Kellogg’s have only committed to a reduction in salt content.