Press: How to read the ingredient list when purchasing various drinks?
As the temperature rises, so does the beverage business.
In the childhood memories of those born in the 1980s and 1990s, there were not many drinks to choose from. The three giants of Coke, Sprite, and Fanta were responsible for almost all summer drinks.
In the beverage market, the phenomenon of " rolling into " is very common. Nowadays, the types of beverages on the market are changing with each passing day and the prices vary. Many consumers are also very "layman" when purchasing.
Summer is here, what’s on your drink list? How to read the ingredient list and pay less "IQ tax"?
Picture source: Tuchong Creative
What is the ingredient list?
Food labels are the carrier for merchants to convey information to consumers. All pre-packaged foods are required to have labels.
According to GB 7718-2011 "General Principles for Prepackaged Food Labeling", food labels usually include food name, ingredient list, net content and specifications, name, address and contact information of the producer and/or distributor, production date and shelf life , storage conditions, food production license number, product standard code and other contents that need to be marked.
The ingredient list on a food label is the raw material composition of a product, including name and quantitative information. Food companies carry out correct labeling through ingredient lists, while also protecting consumers’ right to know. Therefore, will not have some ingredients added to food but not labeled. If so, it is illegal.
The same type of beverage has almost the same ingredients, but the order is different. Is there any difference between the two?
According to the above standards, various ingredients in prepackaged foods should be arranged in descending order according to the amount added during manufacturing or processing (ingredients with an amount of not more than 2% may not be arranged in descending order), which means that in the ingredients In the table, which ingredient is listed first, the higher its content.
For example, if you see a drink, the first ingredient in its ingredient list is "water", and the second ingredient is "white sugar". In fact, its essence is the same as a bottle of "sugar water."
This reminds us that when buying drinks, give priority to the raw and auxiliary ingredients ranked in the top two or three of the ingredient list. It can objectively reflect the main ingredients of the food we spend money to buy. Secondly, it is recommended to choose products with fewer types of food additives marked in the ingredient list.
In addition to the ingredient list, discovering key information from the humble nutritional label is also a life skill.
Except for some exempted foods, all nutritional information tables must be marked with five items: energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates and sodium. They are usually displayed in terms of content per 100g (mL) of food (there are also per serving).
Therefore, it is normal to not see the "calcium" content in the nutritional label of pure milk and the "dietary fiber" content in oatmeal , because this is voluntarily labeled by the manufacturer. .
The "Nutrient Reference Value % (NRV%)" is also listed on the right side of each nutrient ingredient, which refers to the percentage of nutrients contained in each 100g (mL) of food that the human body needs for a day. This value reflects the adult Recommended values for a person’s daily intake of nutrients.
Take Coke as an example. A can of Coke is 330mL. Its carbohydrates basically come from fructose syrup, white sugar and other added sugars, so the carbohydrate content is approximately equal to its sugar content. The nutritional information table shows that the sugar content of cola per 100mL accounts for 4% of the sugar needed by the human body for a day, which means that after drinking this can of " Fat House Happy Water ", you will consume 4%* of the sugar needed for the day (330mL /100mL)=13.2%.
With the improvement of health awareness, many consumers will be more concerned about the sugar, calories and fat when choosing drinks. "0 sugar", "0 calories" and "0 fat" drinks have been launched on the market.
Take "0 sugar" as an example. Food sugar content per 100g (mL) is no more than 0.5g, so it can be claimed as "sugar-free" . This is not "no sugar at all" as we understand it.
How to read the ingredient list of different drinks?
. Are you drinking natural mineral water?
The drinking water market is full of smoke. Natural water, mineral water, distilled water, alkaline water , mineral water... are actually "packaged drinking water".
According to the "Food Production License Classification Catalog" (2020 Edition), packaged drinking water includes drinking natural mineral water, drinking purified water, drinking natural spring water, drinking natural water, and other drinking water. According to GB 19298-2014 "Packaged Drinking Water", packaged drinking water is only divided into drinking natural mineral water, drinking purified water and other drinking water.
Among them, the most common ones on the market are drinking pure water and drinking natural mineral water.
Drinking pure water can be regarded as processed " pure water ", also known as "distilled water". Its water source can be tap water, or it can be a natural water body (such as a reservoir, lake). When we boil water at home, we can find some water droplets condensed on the kettle lid. These are actually the prototype of pure water. Purified water is as "pure" as its name suggests. It contains almost no mineral components and no other trace elements.
and drinking natural mineral water is different. The price of mineral water on the market is generally relatively high, mainly because it contains minerals and trace elements. The standard also has boundary index requirements for "drinking natural mineral water". At least one (or more than one) of the seven indicators in the table below must meet the requirements. In addition, prepackaged drinking natural mineral water should also indicate the source point of the natural mineral water.
Drinking natural spring water, drinking natural water, and mineral water belong to "other drinking water".
There is only one word difference between drinking natural spring water and drinking natural mineral water, but the difference is not small. Drinking natural spring water contains relatively few mineral components.
Drinkable natural water is water from natural sources such as wells, mountain springs, reservoirs, lakes or mountain glaciers, which are not in the public water supply system, and has only undergone limited treatment (such as filtration, ozone , etc.).
Other drinking water generally refers to mineral water. Simply put, it is pure water with a small amount of minerals (such as calcium and magnesium ions) added, mainly to meet consumers' taste requirements.
This magazine lists several common drinking water for consumers' reference:
Whether it is pure water or mineral water, as long as you like to drink it, you can drink it normally. The main purpose of drinking water is to replenish water. Choose the type of water according to your own needs and preferences. There is no need to waste money on high-end water.
. There are many juice routines, is the juice you drink “pure” enough?
There are so many drinks with the word "juice" on the market, what's the difference?
Refer to GB/T 31121-2014 "Fruit and Vegetable Juices and Beverages" and NY/T 81-1988 "General Principles of Juice Beverages". We classify the four common juices on the market as follows:
Juices and juice drinks are the most obvious. The difference lies in the different juice content. It is marked as "beverage" in the product name and ingredient list, and it is not 100% juice.
There are two types of juices with 100% juice content (no added sugar, pigments and other food ingredients and food additives are allowed): original juice (NFC) and reconstituted juice (FC) .
non-reconstituted juice (NFC juice , also known as non-concentrated reduced juice, original juice) is made directly from fruits using mechanical methods. Its taste, flavor and nutrition are closer to fresh fruits.
Reconstituted juice (FC) is a product reconstituted by adding the same amount of water removed during processing to concentrated juice. The concept is similar to reconstituted milk. Many beverage packages state "pure juice" or "100% juice", but the ingredient list says "water", "concentrated juice", etc. This kind of juice is actually "restored juice".
Consumers can understand the true attributes of the product through labels. First, check the juice content and the presence of food additives, sugar and other auxiliary materials to determine whether it is juice or juice drink; if the juice content reaches 100%, check whether there is water in the ingredient list to determine whether it is raw juice.
. What’s the difference between sparkling water, and soda water that also contain “steam”?
Young consumers bid farewell to carbonated drinks and turned to sparkling water and soda water that also contain "sparkling".
Soda water and sparkling water can be obtained through natural mining, and the source of the mined water must be marked on the bottle. Due to natural mining, natural soda water and natural gas soaking water will contain various minerals that are beneficial to the human body to varying degrees, such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, etc., and their essence is mineral water. Since water is scarce, prices are usually higher.
△Natural soda water
At the same time, these two kinds of water can also be synthesized artificially. Artificial soda water is named after the addition of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), which is baking soda, and is weakly alkaline. The bubbles in artificial bubble water are actually obtained by injecting carbon dioxide (CO2) into natural water sources using a pressurized pool or pressurized pump, which is generally acidic. Normal soda water has no bubbles. If carbon dioxide is injected, it can be called "soda sparkling water".
. New milk concepts are emerging one after another, are you still in the "confusion"?
There are too many types of milk on the market, and many consumers are a little confused when choosing. Let’s simplify the complex and focus on two main points: First, look at the product type and milk content, and secondly, look at the sterilization process .
Let’s first look at the product type. Don’t be misled by the word “milk” in milk-containing drinks . Milk-containing drinks are a category of beverages. The milk content can be reflected in the protein content, and the national standards are clearly defined:
The sterilization process determines the shelf life of milk. Whether it is pure milk or yogurt, there are " room temperature milk " with a longer shelf life, and "low temperature milk" with a shorter shelf life.
Room temperature milk adopts ultra-high temperature instant sterilization process, which can reach commercial sterility standards and can generally be stored at room temperature for half a year. It is worth mentioning that the transparent bagged milk of Internet celebrities is actually caused by packaging defects, which results in a shorter shelf life and higher non-nutritional value.
Low-temperature milk is also called "pasteurized milk", which is the "fresh milk" we see in the refrigerated sales area of supermarkets. It is sterilized at a low temperature below 100°C. Some microorganisms are still retained in the product. The shelf life is generally within 7 days.
There are currently some products on the market that have a long shelf life of 15 to 21 days. They may be "super-pasteurized milk" that has undergone twice pasteurization or a relatively high-temperature pasteurization process. Nutritional value and cost performance Not as good as real pasteurized milk.
From a nutritional point of view, there is basically no difference in protein and fat between fresh milk and pure milk.. Under the same milk source, fresh milk has a slight advantage in taste and trace elements. Consumers can choose according to their needs. However, room-temperature yogurt will also kill the healthy and beneficial active lactic acid bacteria after high temperature. It is recommended that consumers who pursue "live bacteria" pay attention to identification.
. How to replenish water efficiently after exercise?
Summer is here, and there are obviously more Genghong girls and Xinling boys. After exercising, many people like to drink a bottle of " sports drink ".
According to GB 15266-2009 "Sports Drinks", sports drinks refer to drinks whose nutrients and their content can adapt to the physiological characteristics of people who exercise or perform physical activities, can replenish water, electrolytes and energy for the body, and can be quickly absorbed.
Moisture is found in all drinks, and energy is usually provided by added sugars such as white sugar and glucose . Electrolytes mainly include sodium ions and potassium ions . After sweating, electrolytes in our bodies will also be lost.
The original intention of many people to exercise is to lose weight. In this case, it is not recommended to consume energy drinks with high sugar content. In fact, some high-sugar sports drinks are "hypertonic" and have low water replenishment efficiency (making people thirstier the more they drink) and it is recommended to drink them before exercise.
According to national standards, the sodium content of sports drinks should be 5-120mg/100mL. When purchasing, check the nutrition facts table to see if there is sufficient sodium content.
For example, the sodium content of some labeled "vitamin drinks" does not "qualify" and is not considered a real sports drink.
It is worth noting that people with high blood pressure and poor heart or kidney function should not drink large amounts of sports drinks; people with high blood sugar should also be careful to avoid high-sugar sports drinks; be cautious in choosing caffeine-containing sports drinks drinks may accelerate the loss of water in the body. When purchasing, be careful to avoid caffeine, food flavors (containing guarana extract), coffee concentrate powder, cocoa powder and other ingredients.
Common food additives in beverages
Among the colorful beverages, there are many food additives that are unfamiliar to consumers.
Under the health trend, let’s take a look at sweeteners first.
According to the source, sweeteners mainly include natural sweeteners, artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohol sweeteners .
Artificial sweeteners refer to chemically synthesized sweeteners. Common ones include saccharin, aspartame, sucralose (sucralose), cyclamate, acesulfame potassium and neotame.
Natural sweeteners are glycosides extracted from plants. Currently, the most common ones are steviol glycosides and mogrosides.
Sugar alcohols are sugar derivatives. Common ones include xylitol , sorbitol , erythritol , maltitol , mannitol , lactitol , etc. Their sweetness is generally lower than that of sucrose, so at the same dosage, they are not as sweet as sucrose, but their caloric value is lower.
Artificial sweeteners have an obvious criticism due to their high sweetness (such as sucralose is 400-600 times sweeter than sucrose). Generally, the sweetness will stay in the mouth for a long time. . Currently, sugar alcohol sweeteners, such as erythritol and xylitol, are more recognized in the beverage market, and their costs are also relatively high.
Preservatives are also one of the important "supporting roles" in beverages.
The most commonly used preservatives in beverages are sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate . Compared with benzoic acid or sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate is safer. It can be quickly absorbed and decomposed into carbon dioxide and water by the body's metabolic system without leaving any residue in the body. Experimental results show that its toxicity is only 1/2 of edible salt and 1/40 of sodium benzoate.
Due to the update and iteration of technology, many drinks on the market have actually achieved "zero preservatives". Consumers can pay attention to the ingredient list.
