Children's Drinks

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The Food Detectives investigated drinks nominated by you, and have apprehended carbonated fruit juices as an entire category of Worst Offenders, for being heavy on spin and light on good nutrition.

You could be forgiven for thinking that carbonated juices are a low-kilojoule, perhaps even diluted, version of ordinary fruit juice and a healthier alternative to soft drinks. But the truth is they are a hybrid of soft drink and fruit juice which are high in sugar, and they retain little, if any, of the fruit's original vitamins and nutrients or fibre.

Even though the sugar comes from fruit, just one serve (250ml) of each of these drinks can contain over 480 kilojoules, or the equivalent of more than 6 teaspoons of sugar.

Carbonated Fruit Juice

Fuze (P&N Beverages) is one such product which makes the following claims to imply the product's healthiness:

    "The soft drink alternative that the whole family can enjoy"
    "No artificial colours or flavours"
    "No artificial sweeteners and no added sugar

However just one glass of Fuze contains the equivalent of over six teaspoons of sugar - more than a glass of Coca-Cola!

LOL (Golden Circle) is another carbonated juice on the market, which make the following claims, among others:

    "1 serve of fruit"
    "Extra Vitamin C"
    "No bad stuff"

But, much like Fuze, LOL is high in sugar and is more of a soft drink than a fruit juice, as it lacks the fibre and many of the original nutrients that are found in fruit.

Not only are fruit juices often high in kilojoules, but the sugar and food acids found in carbonated drinks can damage children's teeth enamel and lead to dental caries (cavities). Regular consumption of sweet drinks can displace water as the preferred beverage in a child's diet which leads to extra energy intake, and possible weight gain. Children can also acquire a preference for sweet tastes, which can lead to unhealthy food and drink choices later in life.

Water is the ultimate thirst quencher for school-aged children. While a good quality fruit juice with pulp can be enjoyed in moderation, there is no substitute for the fibre and nutrients found in fresh, tasty fruit.

Campaign for Change

To combat misleading food and beverage marketing, The Parents' Jury continues to lobby the federal government to implement a front-of-pack traffic light food labelling system that colour codes levels of fat, saturated fat, sugar and sodium on packaged foods. This system will better enable consumers to make informed choices at a glance. You can find more information on traffic light food labelling at CHOICE.