Students stocking a shared kitchen
Check whether a drink can stay in a cupboard before opening, then whether its opened pack will fit in the fridge and be finished within the stated period.
Who is choosing?
The useful distinction is whether you want pure juice, a ready-to-drink alternative or a squash you dilute yourself.
Students who want apple juice
Look for 100% juice rather than assuming every apple-based drink is pure juice. If you count unsweetened fruit juice towards 5 A Day, the NHS says a maximum of 150ml counts as one portion, once a day.
Students checking sweeteners or allergens
Read the ingredients on the particular pack. M&S lists sucralose and sulphites in its Apple and Elderflower High Juice squash, while its Apple and Blackcurrant Juice Drink is described as having no artificial sweeteners.
What should you check?
Choose the type of drink first, then compare its ingredients, storage instructions and pack size.
100% apple juice
Choose it when: You want juice rather than a diluted apple-based drink.
Bear in mind: It can contain naturally occurring sugars; Tropicana lists 10g sugars per 100ml for Orchard Apple.
Apple-based juice drink
Choose it when: You want a ready-to-drink alternative that can be stored unopened as its pack directs.
Bear in mind: It is not necessarily pure apple juice; M&S says its Apple and Blackcurrant Juice Drink must be refrigerated and consumed within 24 hours of opening.
Apple-based squash
Choose it when: You would rather make diluted drinks than buy ready-to-drink juice.
Bear in mind: Squash is a different product type; M&S lists sucralose and sulphites in its Apple and Elderflower High Juice.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Drink type | Check whether the label describes 100% juice, a juice drink or squash. Read the ingredients to see what else is in the product. | I want to know whether I am buying apple juice to drink as it is or an apple-based alternative. |
| Sugar and sweeteners | Check the “of which sugars” figure on a comparable per-100ml or per-100g basis, alongside the ingredients. “No added sugar” does not mean sugar-free: Tropicana lists 10g naturally occurring sugars per 100ml in Orchard Apple. | A no-added-sugar claim matters to me, but I also want to know how much sugar the drink contains and whether it uses sweeteners. |
| Storage and pack size | Read both unopened and after-opening instructions. M&S says its Apple and Blackcurrant Juice Drink can be stored cool and dry unopened but needs refrigeration and consumption within 24 hours once opened. | With limited fridge space, I need a pack I can store before moving in and realistically finish after opening. |
| Juice serving | If using unsweetened 100% fruit juice towards 5 A Day, the NHS says no more than 150ml counts, once per day. | When I pour 100% juice, I do not want to count several glasses as several 5 A Day portions. |
| Specific ingredients | Check sweeteners and allergen information on the chosen pack. M&S lists sucralose and sulphites in its Apple and Elderflower High Juice squash. | If I avoid a particular ingredient, the front-of-pack no-added-sugar wording is not enough for me to choose. |
Common buying mistakes
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Reading “no added sugar” as “sugar-free”
The wording addresses added sugars and ingredients used to sweeten, not naturally occurring fruit sugars. Tropicana lists 10g sugars per 100ml for Orchard Apple.
Read the ingredients and the “of which sugars” value as well as the claim.
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Choosing a large carton without checking the opening instructions
M&S instructs shoppers to refrigerate its Apple and Blackcurrant Juice Drink and consume it within 24 hours of opening.
Choose a pack size you can finish within its stated period, or share it.
An unfinished carton may have to be discarded when its stated after-opening period has passed.
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Treating squash as interchangeable with apple juice
Squash is diluted before drinking. M&S lists flavouring, sucralose and sulphites in its Apple and Elderflower High Juice, so its composition differs from 100% apple juice.
Choose squash for a drink you want to mix yourself; choose 100% juice when juice is the product type you want.
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Counting several glasses of juice as several fruit portions
The NHS says unsweetened 100% fruit juice counts towards 5 A Day only once per day, with a maximum counted serving of 150ml.
Measure a 150ml serving if you are counting the juice towards 5 A Day.
Brand and retailer references
These examples show why the product label matters more than the brand name alone.
Tropicana
Tropicana describes Orchard Apple as 100% pressed apple juice, not from concentrate.
- Its listed ingredients are apple juice and ascorbic acid.
- Tropicana lists 10g naturally occurring sugars per 100ml; this is not a sugar-free drink.
Copella
Tesco Groceries lists Copella Apple Juice in 300ml, 900ml and 1.35L formats.
- The listed sizes offer different amounts to plan for a shared kitchen or an individual serving.
- Check the chosen pack’s ingredients and storage instructions before deciding which size suits you.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists pure apple juice and a Growers Harvest No Added Sugar Apple Juice Drink as distinct products.
- The listings make it possible to compare juice with a juice drink without treating the names as interchangeable.
- Check the particular drink’s ingredients and opening instructions on its product information or pack.
M&S
M&S describes both an Apple and Blackcurrant Juice Drink and a diluting Apple and Elderflower High Juice squash as no added sugar.
- M&S says both can be stored cool and dry before opening.
- The juice drink must be consumed within 24 hours of opening; the squash lists sucralose and sulphites.
Joybuy apple-based drinks
These options include apple juice and ready-to-drink apple-based alternatives in different pack sizes. Check the particular label when a no-added-sugar claim, sweetener or storage instruction is decisive.
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Appletiser 100% Apple Juice Lightly Sparkling, 6 × 250ml
For someone who wants apple juice in individual cans rather than an opened large carton, this pack contains six 250ml cans. Check the pack for an explicit no-added-sugar claim if that wording is important to you; 100% juice can still contain naturally occurring sugars.
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Cawston Press Apple & Pear Fruit Water, 3 × 200ml
For a ready-to-drink apple-based alternative, this fruit water comes in three 200ml cartons rather than one larger opened pack. It is not pure apple juice; check the carton’s after-opening instructions before relying on the smaller format for storage.
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Huiyuan Apple Juice, 1L
If you want a larger bottle of apple juice, the product information describes this 1L option as no added sugar. That does not mean sugar-free; check the sugars figure and make sure the pack’s after-opening instructions suit how quickly you will use it.
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Fruit Shoot Black & Apple No Added Sugar, 8 × 200ml
For small, ready-to-drink bottles, this pack contains eight 200ml apple-and-blackcurrant drinks, not pure apple juice. Its product information lists acesulfame K and sucralose, so check the ingredients if you avoid sweeteners, along with the unopened storage instructions on the pack.
Questions about apple drinks
Does “no added sugar” mean apple juice is sugar-free?
No. The no-added-sugar wording concerns sugars and ingredients added for sweetening, not naturally occurring sugars. Tropicana lists 10g sugars per 100ml in Orchard Apple, so check the nutrition panel even when the label says no added sugar.
How much 100% apple juice counts towards 5 A Day?
The NHS says a maximum of 150ml of unsweetened 100% fruit juice counts as one 5 A Day portion, once per day. Drinking more juice does not make it count as another portion that day.
What can I store before moving into student accommodation?
Choose a drink whose pack permits unopened storage in the space you have. M&S says its Apple and Blackcurrant Juice Drink and Apple and Elderflower High Juice squash can be stored cool and dry unopened; its juice drink must then be refrigerated and consumed within 24 hours of opening.
Are no-added-sugar apple drinks free from sweeteners?
Not necessarily. M&S lists sucralose in its no-added-sugar Apple and Elderflower High Juice squash, as well as sulphites. Read the ingredients and allergen information on the specific drink you plan to buy.