Ms Maria Hickey:

We do significant work on the ground on energy drinks and protein bars, which are very popular nowadays. We go through the labels with students and point out that someone could probably eat a normal chocolate bar because protein bars also contain large amounts of sugar. We teach students that energy drinks give the amount of calories or sugar per 250 ml but the can might be 500 ml. Students do not realise the can will have twice the amount of sugar. We do a lot of work with junior certificate students that involves measuring out the sugar that a soft drink will contain to try show that labelling is not always true. We teach them that what they read is not always necessarily 100% true. Hopefully, when they look to buy well packaged and well marketed products, they will at least have some knowledge and skill background in interpreting what they read.