Hot cross buns are being labelled an obesity risk. Photo / Carolyn Robertson
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Hot cross buns have become the latest target of the fun police.
The seasonal treat now comes with a health warning labelling it as fuel for the ever-growing obesity epidemic.
Diabetes New Zealand has warned that hot cross buns are equivalent to two to three slices of bread.
It advised readers of its magazine to chose a smaller bun or just eat half a bun.
But bakers are hitting back saying it's not what we're eating, it's how we're eating.
Jason Heaven of Heaven's Bakery in Hawkes Bay, the winning bakery in the 2006 Bakels Supreme Pie Awards, said people need to remember hot cross buns were a treat, not a meal.
"Hot cross buns are an indulgence food and not something you would eat a lot of," Mr Heaven said.
"As with all indulgence foods, you should eat them in moderation."
Hot cross buns are already available in supermarkets and bakeries, almost a month before Easter.
Mr Heaven said many of the buns found in bakeries were made using more traditional recipes including sultanas and spices, but market demand meant supermarkets tended to add more sugar, preservatives and sometimes chocolate chips, mostly to entice children.
While a hot cross bun from a bakery may sell for about $1.50 each, a six-pack on supermarket shelves can retail for as little as $2.29.
Packets offering two extra buns for free have also become a draw card.
Mr Heaven said for many New Zealanders, the obesity trap could be blamed on our need for convenience and value.
"That's just how society is these days. People like convenience, so it's easy to grab a bun for lunch and go," he said.
"Dieticians will always find something to blame and in 100 years' time they'll still find something to blame. The buns are not a problem as long as you eat one at a time, not five."
- HAWKE'S BAY TODAY
