In summers, soft drinks are commonly used to kill the heat. The consumption of bottled water with all varieties of drinks increases remarkably in summers. Usually consumers are not aware of the meanings of labbeled claims like fruit drink, concentrate, energy drink, sports drinks etc in terms of fruit and sugar content. Here is the soultion of drinks shelf confusion that help you choosing right drink.
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According to British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA), the term Soft drinks include Carbonated drinks, still and dilutable drinks ( concentrates, squashes, crushes), fruit juices, smoothies and bottled waters, including sports and energy drinks.
BSDA states Carbonates are acidulated ready to drink including draught dispense; home dispense; regular including sparkling juice; low calorie and zero calorie; cola; lemon including lemonade; lemon-lime; mixers including tonic and bitter drinks; orange; shandy; others including other carbonated fruit ﬂavours, energy drinks, sparkling ﬂavoured water, health drinks and herbal drinks. They may be sweetened or unsweetened with salts, fruit and vegetable extracts or artifical flavour. Benzen, a carcinogen may form in very small amount in soft drinks having benzoic acid or benzoate salts and ascorbic acid. Except bottled water, FDA has no standred for benzene in beverages.
Dilutables are Squashes, cordials, powders and other concentrates for dilution to taste by consumers. 4 parts water to 1 part product is added normally. Concentrate has is minimum 40% fruit content. Regular including squashes and cordials have minimum 25% fruit. Term cordial is applied to any clear citrus crush or squash. Dilutables may be low sugar including no added sugar and sugar free.
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Drink labbeled with pure juice or 100% juice is 100% fruit content equivalent.
High juice drinks have 25-99% fruit content while juice drinks contain 5-25% fruit content. Other still drinks comprises of 0-5% fruit content for instance iced tea, sports drinks, still ﬂavoured water and non-fruit drinks. Ambient or long life juice is mainly from concentrate and pasturized (heat treated) with shelf life of up to 18 months.
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Sports drinks boost physical performance before, during or after physical/sporting activity. Fluids and electrolytes lost by sweating during sporting activity are replaced by sports drinks. They supply ample amount of carbohydrate. Isotonic sport drinks are ﬂuid, electrolytes and 6 to 8% carbohydrate. Hypotonic sport drinks are ﬂuids, electrolytes and a low level of carbohydrate and hypertonic are high level of carbohydrate. Best time to have a sport drink is after exercise to replace the depleated glycogen level.
Energy drinks are traditional glucose based drinks; functional or stimulation energy drinks which claim a particular energy boost from caffeine, guarana, taurine and ginseng or other herbs or some combination of mentioned ingredients.
In which category your favourite drink falls?