For watching the football, choose a drink by the claim on the exact pack and the caffeine in the whole can, not by its sugar-free name alone. A zero-sugar energy drink may fit if you want that type of drink and its caffeine amount suits your plans; if you want refreshment without choosing an energy drink, consider a zero-sugar soft drink and check its own label. Neither “zero sugar” nor “sugar free” establishes that a particular pack makes a literal “no added sugar” claim.
If you are buying drinks for a match and specifically require “no added sugar”, check that wording and the ingredients on the exact can or multipack. A zero-sugar description answers a different question from whether the pack carries that particular claim.
For an evening fixture, compare caffeine in the full can and count other sources you may have that day, such as tea, coffee or cola. The sugar description does not tell you how much caffeine a drink contains.
Check the warning on each drink before buying for family viewing. For example, Sainsbury’s listing for Red Bull Sugarfree 473 ml says it is not recommended for children; a sugar-free label does not remove that warning.
Start with the exact sugar claim, then compare caffeine for the can size you intend to drink. The type of drink and any pack warnings matter too, particularly when buying for a group.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar claim | Read the wording and ingredients on the exact UK flavour and pack. Check whether it says “no added sugar”, rather than relying on a zero-sugar name or shop category. | I want to avoid added sugar, so I need the individual pack to meet that requirement—not just a similarly named product in the same range. |
| Caffeine per can | Check whether caffeine is stated per 100 ml or per can, and use the can size to work out the full amount. Monster Energy UK describes a 500 ml Monster Ultra with 150 mg caffeine; Sainsbury’s lists 32 mg per 100 ml for its 473 ml Red Bull Sugarfree, about 151 mg per can. Check the figure on the variant you buy. | For a late match, I want to know how much caffeine the whole can adds alongside any tea, coffee or cola I have had. |
| Type of drink | Decide whether you want an energy drink or a zero-sugar soft drink. Lucozade describes Zero as a zero-sugar soft-drink range and markets its separate Alert range as high-caffeine; check caffeine on the individual drink rather than assuming either range has one fixed amount. | Refreshment is my priority, so I do not want to pick an energy drink simply because the match is long. |
| Pack warnings | Read age, pregnancy and breastfeeding warnings on the exact can. If buying in England for someone under 16, check the sales rules in force at purchase time. | When buying for a group, I need to choose drinks that take account of who will have them, not only which flavour they prefer. |
A zero-sugar name or retailer category does not establish the precise claim on every flavour and pack size.
If “no added sugar” is your requirement, inspect the wording and ingredients on the exact UK product before buying.
Monster Energy UK gives 150 mg caffeine for its 500 ml Monster Ultra, while Sainsbury’s figures for a 473 ml Red Bull Sugarfree can work out at about 151 mg. Those figures apply to the specified products and packs, not every item bearing either brand name.
Compare the caffeine amount for the full container and include other caffeine sources in your plans. If you do not want an energy drink, consider a different type of drink rather than selecting by sugar wording alone.
Relentless lists sucrose in the ingredients for its Guava variant. A brand’s presence in a shop does not establish the sugar status of a particular recipe.
Check the ingredients for the exact Relentless flavour and size if avoiding added sugar matters to you.
In July 2026, the Department of Health and Social Care and Department for Education announced an England sales restriction for under-16s from April 2027, subject to Parliamentary approval. The announced rule concerns drinks other than tea or coffee containing more than 150 mg caffeine per litre; it does not establish an equivalent rule for Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
For a family purchase, check the drink’s warning and the rule applicable where and when you buy it.
Brand names cover different drinks and recipes. Use these examples to narrow what to inspect on a particular pack, rather than treating a whole range as having the same sugar or caffeine content.
Monster Energy UK describes a 500 ml Monster Ultra as a zero-sugar energy drink.
Red Bull describes a sugar-free range that uses non-caloric sweeteners instead of sugar.
Lucozade describes Zero as a zero-sugar soft-drink range and its separate Alert range as high-caffeine.
Relentless drinks need checking by variant when avoiding added sugar.
These Joybuy options are energy-drink multipacks labelled Zero Sugar, Zero or Sugarfree. They offer different can sizes and pack quantities for match viewing; check each exact pack’s ingredients and caffeine label if “no added sugar” wording or a particular caffeine amount is essential.
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Four 500 ml cans suit a purchase for several match viewings or viewers. The product is labelled Zero Sugar; check the exact can’s ingredients and caffeine amount, rather than applying figures from another Monster Ultra listing to this pack.
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This eight-pack has 250 ml cans if you prefer that size for a match. It is Red Bull Zero, not the Red Bull Sugarfree 473 ml product discussed above; check this pack’s own sugar claim, ingredients and caffeine per can.
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The 24-pack contains 250 ml cans for repeat viewing occasions or a group. Use this can’s own label for a no-added-sugar requirement and for caffeine: the figures for a separately listed 473 ml Red Bull Sugarfree can are not this pack’s per-can figures.
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This 12-pack offers 500 ml cans where a larger format is wanted. Check the Ultra White can itself for its sugar claim, ingredients and full-can caffeine amount; figures for a differently specified Monster Ultra product should not be assumed to apply.
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These four 500 ml cans are labelled Original Green Zero Sugar, distinguishing them from the Ultra packs. Check the exact ingredients for a no-added-sugar requirement and read the caffeine amount on the can before choosing a full 500 ml serving.
Not necessarily: the phrases are different claims, so a zero-sugar product name alone does not establish the exact “no added sugar” wording you require. Check the claim and ingredients on the particular UK flavour and pack before buying.
The full can is the amount you may drink during a match. Monster Energy UK describes a 500 ml Monster Ultra containing 150 mg caffeine; Sainsbury’s lists 32 mg per 100 ml for its 473 ml Red Bull Sugarfree, or about 151 mg for that listed can. Check your chosen variant’s label because pack sizes and formulations can differ.
In its 2015 assessment, the European Food Safety Authority stated that single doses up to 200 mg and daily intakes up to 400 mg from all sources do not raise safety concerns for healthy adults in the general population, excluding pregnant women. Those figures do not establish whether a particular drink is suitable for someone with a relevant condition or medicine interaction; count caffeine from other drinks as well.
For England, the Department of Health and Social Care and Department for Education announced in July 2026 a restriction from April 2027, subject to Parliamentary approval. The announced rule covers sales, including online sales, of drinks other than tea or coffee with more than 150 mg caffeine per litre. It does not establish the rules for Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, so check the applicable rule when purchasing.
No. Sainsbury’s listing for Red Bull Sugarfree 473 ml says it is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women. Read the warning on the exact product; the European Food Safety Authority’s general healthy-adult caffeine reference also excludes pregnant women.