Shoppers ordering concentrates for home
If you want a no-added-sugar drink to dilute at home, check whether the listing says cordial or squash. Bottle size alone will not tell you how many drinks the mixing directions make.
Who is this for?
Shoppers checking ingredients
If a particular sweetener or declared allergen matters to you, read the ingredients and warnings for the exact flavour and bottle you order. A no-added-sugar claim does not answer those questions.
Households managing substitutions
If only a particular recipe will do, review the retailer’s substitution setting before checkout and inspect any replacement at delivery. Sainsbury’s says it may offer substitutes unless you ask it not to; Tesco says an unwanted item can be handed back to its driver or colleague.
What should you check?
Start with the type of concentrate and the prepared drink, then check the exact ingredients and delivery arrangements before placing the order.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Label and sugars | Confirm that the exact product says no added sugar. Read the sugars value for the drink as prepared, using the stated dilution. | I want a cordial, not just any fruit concentrate, and need to know what will be in the glass. Waitrose states that its no-added-sugar lime cordial contains naturally occurring sugars. |
| Ingredients | Read the current ingredients, allergen declaration and warnings for the chosen variant. Check the bottle received as well as the online listing. | A particular sweetener or ingredient could rule out a replacement for me, even if both bottles say no added sugar. |
| Dilution and storage | Compare the suggested mixing ratio and stated servings. Check how the bottle should be stored and used after opening. | If I use concentrate regularly, I want to know how many prepared drinks the bottle makes and whether I can use it within its stated period. |
| Substitutions | Review the retailer’s substitution setting and examine any replacement’s flavour, ingredients and label at delivery. | I would rather decline a different recipe than assume a substitute meets the same requirements. Sainsbury’s says it offers substitutes where it can unless asked not to; Tesco says an unwanted item can be handed back. |
Common ordering mistakes
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Treating no added sugar as sugar-free
Fruit ingredients can contribute naturally occurring sugars. Waitrose explicitly notes this for its no-added-sugar lime cordial.
Check the nutrition information for the drink at its stated dilution rather than relying on the front-of-pack wording alone.
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Accepting a substitute by product name alone
A different flavour or recipe may not meet the ingredient requirements that led you to choose the original bottle.
Use the retailer’s substitution controls where available, and check the replacement’s label before accepting it. Tesco says an unwanted item can be handed back to its driver or colleague.
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Comparing bottles by volume alone
Concentrates can have different mixing directions, so bottle volume is not the same as prepared-drink yield.
Compare each product’s stated dilution and servings, then check its instructions for storage after opening.
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Assuming every Robinsons range has no added sugar
Robinsons describes its Family Favourites as having no added sugar, but says its classic Barley Waters and Cordials are ranges with added sugar.
Check the wording on the exact Robinsons product rather than relying on the brand name.
Brand and retailer references
These examples show why the exact product matters; a brand name does not establish that every flavour or range has the same ingredients.
Sainsbury's
An own-label lime cordial for shoppers looking specifically for a product labelled no added sugar.
- Sainsbury’s describes its 1L lime cordial as containing 30% fruit juice from concentrate.
- Check the current ingredient and allergen declaration if the precise recipe matters.
Waitrose
Its no-added-sugar lime cordial is a cordial option; its Essential apple and blackcurrant product is labelled squash.
- Waitrose explicitly states that the lime cordial contains naturally occurring sugars.
- Check the product type and mixing directions before treating a squash as an alternative to cordial.
Belvoir
A lemon and lime no-added-sugar cordial to consider if you want that citrus combination.
- The Waitrose listing identifies stevia as the source of sweetness.
- Check the bottle’s dilution and after-opening storage instructions for your expected use.
Robinsons
Its no-added-sugar squash range is relevant if squash also suits your order.
- Robinsons says its Family Favourites have no added sugar.
- Robinsons distinguishes that range from its classic Cordials, which it says have added sugar.
Vimto
A mixed-fruit no-added-sugar squash option rather than a product labelled cordial.
- The Waitrose listing identifies the product as no-added-sugar squash.
- Choose it only if the squash format and the exact listed ingredients suit your order.
Related Joybuy squash options
These are no-added-sugar squash concentrates for shoppers willing to choose squash instead of a product labelled cordial. Check the current listing and bottle for the mixing directions and ingredients that matter to you.
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Ribena Blackcurrant No Added Sugar Squash 1.5L
A blackcurrant squash for home dilution if cordial is not essential. Check the mixing directions and the prepared-drink nutrition information, alongside the ingredients on the bottle.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Lemon Squash 1L
A lemon squash option if you are happy to switch from cordial. Check its sweeteners and warnings on the current label, as well as the dilution and after-opening instructions.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Orange Squash 1L
An orange squash for shoppers who want this flavour rather than a lime cordial. Read the prepared-drink nutrition information and check the bottle’s ingredients and mixing directions.
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Ribena Pineapple and Passion Fruit No Added Sugar Squash 850ml
A pineapple and passion fruit squash if that flavour combination suits your order. Check the ingredients, dilution directions and nutrition information for the prepared drink.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Summer Fruits Squash 1L
A summer fruits squash for home dilution if you do not require cordial. Check the current ingredients, sugars information, mixing directions and storage instructions before ordering.
Frequently asked questions
Does no added sugar mean a cordial contains no sugars?
No. A product can be labelled no added sugar and still contain naturally occurring sugars; Waitrose says this of its no-added-sugar lime cordial. Check the sugars information for the drink at the stated dilution.
Should I allow a substitute for no-added-sugar cordial?
If you need a particular flavour or ingredient profile, switch off substitutions where the retailer offers that choice, or inspect any replacement at delivery. Sainsbury’s says it may offer substitutes unless asked not to, while Tesco says an unwanted item can be handed back to its driver or colleague.
Can I rely on the no-added-sugar label to check sweeteners or allergens?
No. Read the ingredient list, allergen declaration and warnings for the exact product. Waitrose cautions that recipes may change and that this can affect nutrition and allergen information, so also check the bottle delivered.
How can I compare cordial with a larger squash bottle?
Compare each product’s stated dilution and number of prepared servings, rather than bottle volume alone. Also check whether you want a product labelled cordial: a squash with a different flavour is not necessarily a suitable substitute.
How long can I keep a bottle after opening?
Follow the instruction for the exact product you receive. For example, the Waitrose listing for Ribena Blackcurrant No Added Sugar Squash says to refrigerate it and drink it within 21 days of opening; another concentrate may have different directions.