Most people in the Netherlands seriously under-estimate the amount of sugar they are consuming on a daily basis, according to research by diabetes charity Diabetes Fonds.

On average, people consume the equivalent of 30 sugar cubes a day, but most consider they eat around 10, the charity said on Monday. The World Health Organisation recommends no more than 12.5 cubes for women and 15 for men.

‘It is not surprising that people think they are eating a third of the sugar they actually do, because there is an unnecessary amount of sugar in many different products,’ director Hanneke Dessing told broadcaster RTL Nieuws.

In particular, breakfast cereals, dairy drinks, sauces and dressings and snacks contain high amounts of added sugar, she said.

More than 1.1 million people in the Netherlands are suffering from type 2 diabetes and their number is growing by 1,000 a week, the charity says. Sugar is one of the main causes.

Last year, the public health institute RIVM slammed the food industry for not doing enough to reduce the amount of sugar, salt and fats in food.

In 2014 the health ministry and food producers agreed to lower content of sugar, salt and fats in processed foods.