Crunchie Bars and Dairy Milk have been included food parcels being sent to the UK's most vulnerable who are staying inside amid the Covid-19 pandemic, a council leader has claimed.
Over the weekend the first 4,000 packages of essentials were sent out to those being shielded from the coronavirus.
A total of 1.5million people are entitled to the packages, including those suffering from serious health conditions such as cystic fibrosis and leukaemia.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick joined a delivery in Paddock Wood, Kent, where care packages included toilet roll, pasta, fruit and tinned goods.
A box of chocolate cereal was also included.
Packages later arrived in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, containing just tea bags, cordial, solitary apples, chocolate bars and dry noodles.
But the government deny these packages are the food parcels being sent to the UK's most vulnerable - instead claiming they are 'extra' supplies.
Leaders claim only 44 were delivered - despite there being 129 people in the borough who had requested an emergency parcel.
Once they realised the parcels sent to Rochdale were not of the quality as those received elsewhere, the council began adding extra items, including bread, milk and tinned meat and fruit to improve them, Manchester Evening News reported.
However a government spokesman denied that the parcels were the food boxes being sent to the homes of extremely vulnerable people.
They added that the parcels containing chocolate are believed to be 'extra supplies' sent out to councils to help kickstart their wider efforts.
Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council leader Allen Brett called on the government to improve the standard of the packages being sent to the borough.
He said: “Everyone appreciates that this is an unprecedented situation, but the parcels that have been provided were not of the quality we were expecting.
“Thankfully our council officers are able to source food locally and add them to the packs to ensure that those receiving them have a better choice of items.”
He added: "The people receiving these parcels are likely to be alone and quite possibly afraid so there must be a greater effort to provide them with everything they need to get through this."
Labour's shadow communities and local government secretary Andrew Gwynne said; "Food parcels are being distributed to some of the most at-risk and vulnerable in society: they must contain adequate food types to permit a balanced and healthy diet throughout this crisis.
"This Government food parcel clearly falls well below that expectation and it’s just not good enough."
A government spokesperson said: “This picture is misleading, it is not one of the food boxes we are delivering directly to the homes of extremely medically vulnerable people.
“Our food boxes are of a standard that is consistent and include cereal, fruit and vegetables and pasta.
"As much as possible, this is a package that is universally suitable, and will provide enough food for one person for one week.
“Councils have been issued with some additional supplies to help kickstart their wider efforts – but these should not be confused for a food box.”
A total of 1.5 million extremely vulnerable people are being asked to shield themselves across the UK.
Officials say 900,000 have been written to so far to inform them of the steps.
But GPs must contact 600,000 more who are not on a national register, a Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokeswoman said.
Mr Jenrick said: "This weekend sees the start of extraordinary steps to support the most clinically vulnerable, while they shield from coronavirus.
"We will support these people at this difficult time, and the scale of an operation like that has not been seen since the Second World War.
"This is an unprecedented package of support and I want to thank the food suppliers, local councils and everyone who has come together to create this essential service in just a matter of days."
