Do Some Kids Vitamin Gummies Contain More Sugar Than Sweets?

A recent Daily Mail investigation into kids' vitamin gummies has sparked concern among parents, raising a simple but important question, are some kids’ vitamins actually closer to sweets than supplements?

What the Daily Mail investigation found

According to the Daily Mail’s report  some popular kid’s vitamin gummies contain more sugar than Haribo sweets, despite being marketed as a health product.

In some cases, the paper highlighted that a typical serving of two gummies can contain around 2.2g of sugar, roughly double that of a single jelly sweet.

That’s not what most parents expect when they pick up a ‘vitamin.’

Why this matters more than it seems

The Daily Mail article puts this into context with UK sugar guidelines.

Kids aged 4-6 should have no more than 19g of sugar per day and gummies are often taken daily, on top of other sugary foods.

So while a couple of grams might sound small, the concern raised in the Daily Mail investigation is about cumulative intake, and hidden sugar in ‘health’ products.

Why are some vitamin gummies so sugary?

As the Daily Mail report suggests, the answer is simple: taste.

Gummies are designed to be:

• Sweet
• Chewable
• Enjoyable for kids

But to achieve that, manufacturers often add sugars or syrups, making them more like sweets in both taste and composition.

This is exactly why the Daily Mail compares them directly to Haribo. It’s not just about sugar The Daily Mail investigation didn’t just highlight sugar levels.

It also raised concerns that some kid’s vitamin products may:

• Lack sufficient levels of key nutrients
• Give a misleading impression of health benefits

In other words, parents may be getting more sugar than nutrition.

The “health halo” problem

One of the key takeaways from the Daily Mail article is how easy it is for products to benefit from a health halo.

If something is labelled as:

• “Vitamin”
• “Immune support”
• “For kids”

…it’s often assumed to be healthy by default. But as this investigation shows, that’s not always the case.

What parents should look for instead

The Daily Mail story is a useful reminder to check what’s actually inside kids supplements.

Here’s what to look for:

Sugar content
If it tastes like a sweet, check whether it’s also acting like one.

Meaningful nutrient levels
Make sure key vitamins (like vitamin D) are present in effective amounts not just token doses.

Clear labelling
You should be able to easily understand what your kid is consuming.

The bottom line

The Daily Mail investigation highlights a growing issue:

• Some kids vitamin gummies have more sugar than sweets 
• They can contain unexpected amounts of sugar
• And they don’t always deliver the nutrition parents expect

Vitamins should support health, not quietly add to sugar intake.

What makes Tonic Kids Vitamin Gummies different?

The Daily Mail investigation highlights a clear issue: many kids' vitamin gummies rely on sugar to make them appealing.

At Tonic, we take a different approach. Tonic Kids Vitamin Gummies are designed to deliver real nutrition, without the unnecessary extras.

That means:

• No added sugar
• No artificial sweeteners
• No junk or unnecessary fillers

Instead, we use natural, functional ingredients to sweeten our gummies like Beetroot fibre and Chicory root fibre. We’ll also always include the optimal doses of essential vitamins, minerals and plants to ensure your little one is getting just what they need.

Because for us, a kids supplement shouldn’t need to behave like a sweet to be taken daily.

It should be something parents can trust, and something kids can take without adding to their sugar intake.