Choose a no-added-sugar cordial by checking total carbohydrate and sugars for the drink as prepared, rather than relying on the front-of-pack claim. Compare the stated dilution and your usual glass size, then check sweeteners and allergens; if you count carbohydrates, use the amount you actually drink in line with your diabetes-care plan. Diabetes UK describes water as the best all-round drink, with sugar-free drinks an alternative.
The useful label details depend on whether you count carbohydrates, want a flavoured alternative to sugary drinks or need to check particular ingredients.
Look for total carbohydrate in the prepared drink and account for the amount you pour. Diabetes UK explains that carbohydrate counting can be used to match insulin to carbohydrate eaten and drunk; a no-added-sugar claim does not give you the carbohydrate amount for your glass.
Check the diluted nutrition panel and ingredients when comparing cordials. Diabetes UK describes water as the best all-round drink and sugar-free drinks as an alternative, not a treatment for diabetes.
Read the current ingredient and allergen statements as well as the nutrition panel. The cited Robinsons Orange and Sainsbury's Lime products list sulphites, while the cited cordials use different sweeteners.
Start with the nutrition information for a prepared serving. Then check how that serving is made and whether its ingredients meet your requirements.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Total carbohydrate | Find the total carbohydrate for a diluted serving or per 100ml of prepared drink. Check the serving size and use the amount you actually pour. Diabetes UK advises checking total carbohydrate on the pack when counting it. | I count carbohydrates, so I need a figure that applies to my prepared glass, not just the concentrate or the front-of-pack claim. |
| Sugars and the claim | Read sugars alongside total carbohydrate. Tesco Groceries lists negligible carbohydrate and sugars for a 250ml diluted serving of Robinsons Orange; Sainsbury's lists 2.1g carbohydrate and less than 0.5g sugars for its Lime cordial at the same serving size. | I want to see what “no added sugar” means for this particular drink, rather than assume cordials bearing the claim have identical nutrition values. |
| Dilution | Check the ratio used for the stated nutrition. Tesco Groceries and Sainsbury's specify one part concentrate to four parts water for those examples; Asda Groceries lists one part Belvoir cordial to six parts water. More concentrate changes the amount in your glass. | My glass may be stronger or larger than the serving on the label, so I need to account for how I make it. |
| Ingredients | Check the named sweeteners, fruit-juice content where relevant, and the current allergen statement. The cited Robinsons Orange and Sainsbury's Lime products list sulphites; Asda Groceries lists steviol glycosides for the cited Belvoir cordial. | A particular sweetener or allergen matters to me, and I do not want to judge the bottle by its sugar figure alone. |
Cordials with that claim can have different total carbohydrate and sugar values in a prepared serving. The claim alone does not tell someone counting carbohydrates how much is in their drink.
Read both figures on the nutrition panel and account for the portion you will actually have.
A value for undiluted cordial and one for a prepared glass describe different amounts of product. Dilution directions also differ between the cited one-to-four and one-to-six examples.
Check what each nutrition figure refers to, then compare drinks made according to their stated directions.
Similar front-of-pack claims can sit alongside different sweeteners and allergen declarations. The cited Robinsons Orange and Sainsbury's Lime examples list sulphites.
Check the current bottle whenever you change product or flavour, particularly if an ingredient or allergen affects your choice.
These examples illustrate label details worth comparing; a retailer example describes the named product, not every cordial it sells.
Robinsons says it removed added sugars from its core squash range. For the specific Orange No Added Sugar Squash listing, Tesco Groceries provides nutrition for a prepared serving.
Sainsbury's Lime Cordial No Added Sugar 1L is a lime option described as containing 30% fruit juice from concentrate.
An example sold through Asda is Belvoir Sicilian Lemon & Lime No Added Sugar Cordial. Its figures describe that Belvoir product, not Asda cordials generally.
These orange, lemon, blackcurrant, tropical and summer-fruit concentrates offer different flavours and ingredient lists. When carbohydrate counting matters, check that the nutrition figure applies to the drink at the dilution you will use.
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An orange concentrate with nutrition stated for a diluted glass. The product information describes negligible carbohydrate and sugars per 250ml diluted serving; the matching Orange product listing at Tesco Groceries specifies one part concentrate to four parts water. Contains acesulfame K, sucralose and sulphites. Use your actual portion when counting carbohydrates.
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A blackcurrant concentrate for shoppers who want to check dilution directions and ingredients. The listing directs dilution with at least four parts water and declares sodium bisulphite. Before using its per-100ml carbohydrate and sugar figures for a prepared glass, check on the bottle whether they refer to concentrate or diluted drink.
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A lemon squash whose listing describes negligible carbohydrate and sugars for diluted servings. It lists 10% lemon juice from concentrate, aspartame, saccharin and sodium metabisulphite. Check the bottle's dilution directions before comparing a prepared glass with another cordial.
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A pineapple and passion-fruit concentrate with directions to dilute to taste. Its listed nutrition figures refer to the undiluted drink, so check the label and the amount you pour before working out carbohydrate for a glass. It lists aspartame, acesulfame K and sulphites.
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A summer-fruit concentrate listing 10% fruit juices, sucralose, acesulfame K and sulphites. If you count carbohydrates, check the current bottle for carbohydrate and sugars in a prepared serving and for the dilution directions before using a figure for your glass.
No. Check both total carbohydrate and sugars at the stated dilution. Tesco Groceries lists negligible amounts of both for a 250ml diluted serving of Robinsons Orange, while Sainsbury's lists 2.1g carbohydrate and less than 0.5g sugars for its Lime cordial; Asda Groceries lists 1.6g carbohydrate and 1.1g sugars for the cited Belvoir cordial. Each figure applies to that product's stated preparation.
Use total carbohydrate for the amount of prepared cordial you will actually drink, rather than the no-added-sugar claim alone. Diabetes UK explains that carbohydrate counting can be used to match insulin to carbohydrate eaten and drunk; follow your personal diabetes-care plan when applying the figure.
Check the dilution directions, ingredients and current allergen statement. The cited Robinsons Orange and Sainsbury's Lime products list sulphites, and the cited cordial examples use different sweeteners. Recheck the bottle when switching products or flavours.