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Werther's Original nutrition: sugar, calories and salt per sweet
How much sugar is in Werther's Original? Each sweet weighs approximately 5.5g and contains 3.9g of free sugar. Hard caramel sweets dissolve slowly, meaning teeth are in contact with sugar for longer than with chew or gummy sweets.
Try it: interactive nutrition calculator
Use the calculator to see how any quantity of these sweets compares to NHS daily limits for your child's age and gender. The calculator defaults to this sweet but you can switch to any brand or type.
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How much sugar in different portion sizes
The figures below show total free sugar, calories and salt for four realistic portion sizes, from a small amount to a full bag or tube.
Small portion
2 sweets
2 sweets (11g)
7.8g
sugar
46
kcal
0.04g
salt
7.8g free sugar. 33% of the daily limit for a 7-year-old and 41% for a 4-year-old.
Standard portion
5 sweets
5 sweets (27.5g)
19.5g
sugar
115
kcal
0.1g
salt
19.5g free sugar. Exceeds the daily limit for children aged 4 to 6 and is 81% of the limit for ages 7 to 10.
Larger portion
10 sweets
10 sweets (55g)
39g
sugar
230
kcal
0.2g
salt
39g free sugar. Exceeds the daily limit for all age groups including adults.
Full bag
Full 135g bag (approx 24)
Entire bag
93.6g
sugar
552
kcal
0.48g
salt
93.6g free sugar. More than three times the adult daily limit of 30g.
Sugar
Werther's Originals are hard caramel sweets with a distinctive butter and cream flavour. Each sweet weighs approximately 5.5g and contains 3.9g of free sugar. At 71 percent sugar by weight, they are among the more sugar-dense hard sweets available.
All sugar in Werther's Original counts as free sugar under NHS guidelines. The product contains sugar, glucose syrup, cream, butter and skimmed milk. The dairy components do not significantly offset the free sugar content. Five sweets deliver 19.5g of free sugar, which exceeds the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 6.
Werther's Originals are often perceived as an adult or older generation sweet, and frequently given to children as treats. The hard format means each sweet can take several minutes to dissolve, creating prolonged sugar exposure to teeth. Dental health guidance considers this a significant risk factor beyond the absolute sugar quantity.
Hard sweets mean longer sugar contact time with teeth
Werther's Originals dissolve slowly in the mouth. A single sweet can take several minutes to eat completely. During this time teeth are in continuous contact with free sugar. The NHS and dental health organisations consider prolonged sugar contact a significant contributor to tooth decay, over and above the total sugar consumed. Each Werther's Original combines meaningful sugar content with high oral contact time.
NHS recommended daily free sugar limits
Age 4 to 6No more than 19g per day
Age 7 to 10No more than 24g per day
Age 11 and overNo more than 30g per day
Source: NHS. Free sugars include all added sugars and do not include sugars naturally present in whole fruit, vegetables, or milk.
The table below shows 5 sweets as a percentage of the daily free sugar limit for each age group.
Free sugar as % of daily NHS limit: 5 Werther's Original nutrition (19.5g sugar)
Age
Daily limit
5 sweets
Age 4 to 6
19g
102%
Age 7 to 10
24g
81%
Age 11 and over
30g
65%
Adult
30g
65%
Source: NHS/SACN free sugar guidelines (2015). Red = High (over 75% of daily limit). Amber = Moderate (20 to 74%).
Calories
Each Werther's Original contains 23 calories. A standard 135g bag of approximately 24 sweets contains 552 calories.
The calorie count is higher per gram than most gummy sweets because of the butter and cream content. While calories are not the primary concern, the calorie density is worth noting for larger bags.
Calories: Werther's Original nutrition by quantity
1 sweets
23 kcal
5 sweets
115 kcal
10 sweets
230 kcal
20 sweets
460 kcal
Nutrition from UK product labels. 23 kcal per sweet.
Salt
Each Werther's Original contains 0.02g of salt from the dairy components. Very low. Salt is not a nutritional concern with this product.
NHS recommended daily maximum salt intake
Age 4 to 6No more than 3g per day
Age 7 to 10No more than 5g per day
Age 11 and overNo more than 6g per day
Frequently asked questions
Each sweet weighs approximately 5.5g and contains 3.9g of free sugar. A 135g bag contains around 24 sweets and 93.6g of free sugar, more than three times the adult daily limit.
Per sweet: 3.9g sugar, 23 kcal, 0.02g salt, 5.5g weight. Per 5 sweets: 19.5g sugar, 115 kcal. Per full 135g bag: 93.6g sugar, 552 kcal. All sugar counts as free sugar.
Yes. At 3.9g of free sugar per sweet and 71 percent sugar by weight, Werther's Originals are higher in sugar per gram than many gummy sweets. Five sweets exceed the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 6.
A child aged 4 to 6 (19g daily limit) would reach their limit at 5 sweets. A child aged 7 to 10 (24g limit) would reach their limit at 6 sweets.
Hard sweets like Werther's Originals dissolve slowly in the mouth, creating prolonged contact between free sugar and teeth. This extended exposure time is considered a significant contributor to tooth decay by dental health professionals, regardless of the absolute sugar quantity.
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Nutrition data from UK product labels. Daily limits: NHS/SACN free sugar guidelines (2015); SACN Dietary Reference Values for calories; NHS salt targets by age. For guidance only, not medical advice.
