Still too much Sugar In Those Green Branded Soda's ?

Libby at 'Ditch The Carbs'  Blog has just written this very interesting and informative article. Here is what she says: 

" So I was approached by an agency to write a post for Pepsi Life. I understand how Pepsi may think I was a good match for writing a glowing sponsored post on a lower sugar alternative to regular Pepsi. But take a look below. There is still a staggering amount of sugar in Pepsi True and Coke Life. Don’t be fooled by green branding!

DON’T BE FOOLED BY GREEN BRANDING

For comparison the above values were calculated using a standard 355ml/12 fl oz bottle from pepsico and Coke.
Pepsi regular = 41g sugar (water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel colour, sugar, phosphoric acid, caffeine, citric acid, natural flavour)
Pepsi True = 26g sugar (water, sugar, caramel colour, phosphoric acid, natural flavour, caffeine, purified stevia leaf extract)
Coke Regular = 37.6g (water, sugar, caramel colour, phosphoric acid, flavour, caffeine)
Coke Life = 24 g sugar (water, sugar, caramel colour, natural flavours, phosphoric acid, caffeine, stevia leaf extract)

So yes these may contain 1/3 less sugar, but to contain 6 teaspoons or more is not exactly healthy and not exactly what I would recommend. This is not a radical overhaul of their soda. It is not healthy, just less unhealthy.

What really doesn’t sit well, is that all the old advertising and marketing tricks are coming out in these products and consumers are being fooled. If this is the picture of things to come, we need to be well aware and well informed so we don’t fall for their marketing tricks, sculduggery, fluff and wonder. Advertisers will try to confuse the consumer so we can’t make easy comparisons.

We need to read and truly understand labels. Remember to look at the serving size, if a nutrition label states a serving size is 250ml but the can is 355ml, no one will stop and throw away the remaining 105ml. Again, more confusion.

‘Green branding’ appears to give it a healthy, natural, ethical, environmentally friendly credentials. Imagine it with a brown, red, purple, pink label. What would your immediate thought be then?
Clearly labelling it has having ….% less sugar just means it has less than the high sugar regular version. Read what is IN your food and drink, not what they claim to be taken out.

All the food/drink manufacturers know what is on the horizon. They are well aware this anti sugar movement is on it’s way and by crikey they are getting ready for it. Do we want to see what happened when the low fat movement came into force? All the fats were removed and replaced with sugars, and look where that ended up. The world’s worst obesity and T2 diabetic crisis we have ever known.

I also don’t like their dirty tactics of selling their produce to poor and developing countries. Watch this video to be shocked. They pay for stalls to be set up just to sell their products. Have you ever noticed in our country corner shops are painted with either Pepsi or Coke branding logos? Corner stores and small restaurants are given incentives such as free equipment, fridges, branding through decor, umbrellas and awnings so they exclusively stock their product over another. And have you noticed that it is either coke or pepsi on sale in the supermaket? They are never on sale at the same time. There is fierce competition between all the soda companies.

Coca cola are even bringing out their own version of milk, “Milka-Cola”. It has twice the protein, half the sugar, contains no lactose and is twice the price. For crying out loud, what on earth is wrong with milk the cow gave us. Full fat, unadulterated milk.

The only thing we can do is vote with our wallets. Buy real food, food our grandmother would recognise and buy ingredients, not products. Pretty simple ideas to live by."

So is it time for you to re-think your drink ?

Visit Libby's great blog here

All the best Jan