Choose 100% apple juice if you want apple juice rather than a blended drink; ‘no added sugar’ alone does not tell you how many grams of sugar are in a glass. If sugar per serving matters more, compare nutrition information on the same serving basis and check how much of the drink is apple juice. For a top-up shop, also choose a pack you can store and finish within its after-opening instructions.
A top-up needs to fit the space you have for storage and the time until your next shop. Check whether the carton needs chilling before opening, then compare its after-opening instructions with how quickly your household will use it.
If ‘no added sugar’ is what caught your eye, turn the pack over. The listed sugars in 100% apple juice and in a drink containing added water can differ, so compare the same serving size as well as the ingredients.
A larger carton may be inconvenient if it cannot be finished within its stated after-opening period. The NHS advises limiting fruit juice and smoothies to a combined total of no more than 150ml a day; pack size and serving information can help you plan what you will actually pour.
Start with whether you want pure apple juice or a mixed drink, then compare sugars, storage instructions and a serving size that works for your household.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Juice or drink | Read the product description and ingredients for 100% apple juice, juice from concentrate, or a drink with added water. Tesco Groceries lists Tropicana Fresh & Light as a drink containing 50% apple juice, water, apple purée and grape juice. | I want to know whether I am buying apple juice alone or a mixed drink. Added water may suit me, but it is a different choice from 100% juice. |
| Sugars per serving | Compare sugars using the same serving size, not the ‘no added sugar’ wording. Sainsbury's lists 13.8g per 150ml for its Pure Apple Juice; Tesco Groceries lists 16.7g for Tesco Pure Apple Juice and 11g for Tropicana Fresh & Light. | When comparing two cartons, I need the sugar figures for the same amount in the glass. A smaller figure on a differently sized serving would not answer that question. |
| Storage and pack size | Check where the unopened pack belongs and how long it can be kept after opening. Tesco Groceries lists four days after opening for Copella and five days for Tropicana Pressed Apple Juice; Marks & Spencer says to drink its Cloudy Apple Juice within 24 hours. | There may be only one person drinking this carton before the next shop. I would choose a size and after-opening period that fit that routine. |
| Serving size | Check the volume used for nutrition information and measure the amount you intend to pour. The NHS advises limiting fruit juice and smoothies together to no more than 150ml a day. | I want to plan occasional small servings without assuming that a full carton or a single small pack counts as one serving. |
The phrase does not replace the nutrition panel. Tesco Groceries lists 16.7g sugars per 150ml for Tesco Pure Apple Juice, while Asda Groceries lists 16g per 150ml for its pressed apple juice.
Compare the grams of sugars for an equal volume, then use the ingredients to distinguish pure juice from a drink containing water.
After-opening instructions can change the practical choice for a small household: Marks & Spencer says to drink its Cloudy Apple Juice within 24 hours, while Tesco Groceries lists four days for Copella and five days for Tropicana Pressed Apple Juice.
Read the instruction for the particular carton and choose a pack size your household can finish in that period.
Tesco Groceries lists Tropicana Fresh & Light as a drink containing 50% apple juice alongside water, apple purée and grape juice. Its ingredients answer a different preference from a carton of 100% apple juice.
Decide whether juice composition or sugars per glass matters more to you before comparing the two formats.
These examples show why it helps to compare specific cartons and drinks rather than assume every product from one brand has the same ingredients or storage instructions.
Sainsbury's Pure Apple Juice 1L is a 100% fruit-juice option made from concentrate.
Asda Apple Juice 1 Litre is described by Asda Groceries as 100% pure pressed and never from concentrate.
Tesco Pure Apple Juice 1 Litre is a 100% juice-from-concentrate option.
Tropicana has two distinct examples here: Pressed Apple Juice and Fresh & Light Crisp Apple Juice Drink.
Copella Cloudy Apple Juice 900ml is listed by Tesco Groceries as not from concentrate.
M&S Cloudy Apple Juice is described by Marks & Spencer as not from concentrate.
These options cover a 1L apple juice and smaller cartons of an apple-and-pear fruit water. Choose according to whether you want apple juice or a mixed fruit drink, and check the label for sugars and storage instructions.
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A 1L apple juice option for replacing a household carton. Check its ingredients, sugars and after-opening instructions against how your household will use it.
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Three 200ml cartons may fit a top-up shop where smaller packs are useful. This is an apple-and-pear fruit water, not apple juice alone; check its ingredients and nutrition information if you are comparing it with pure juice.
No. The wording does not tell you the grams of sugars in a serving. Sainsbury's lists 13.8g per 150ml for its Pure Apple Juice, while Tesco Groceries lists 16.7g per 150ml for Tesco Pure Apple Juice. Compare the nutrition panels using the same volume.
The NHS advises limiting fruit juice and smoothies to a combined total of no more than 150ml a day. Check the serving volume on a carton rather than assuming that one carton or small pack equals 150ml.
Choose the production type you prefer, but do not use it alone to judge sugars per glass. Sainsbury's Pure Apple Juice is from concentrate and lists 13.8g sugars per 150ml; Tesco Groceries lists 15g per 150ml for the not-from-concentrate Tropicana Pressed Apple Juice. Check each product’s own nutrition panel.
Check the pack size and its after-opening instruction together. Marks & Spencer says to drink its Cloudy Apple Juice within 24 hours of opening, while Tesco Groceries lists four days for Copella and five days for Tropicana Pressed Apple Juice. Choose a carton your household can finish within the period stated on that product.