Travellers checking sugar content
If your aim is 0g sugars, compare the nutrition tables. “No added sugar” does not rule out sugars from ingredients such as fruit juice concentrate: Tesco Fizzio Zero, for example, lists 0.4g sugars per 100ml.
Who is choosing the drinks?
Cola drinkers avoiding caffeine
Pepsi Max No Caffeine is a cola option listed with 0g sugars per 100ml. Check the exact variant and its sweetener label as well as the caffeine wording.
Families packing drinks for the journey
Sugar content is not the only consideration if fizzy drinks will be sipped throughout a trip. The NHS associates carbonated drinks with dental erosion because of their acid content, whether they contain sugar or sweeteners.
What should you check before packing?
Start with the sugars figure and ingredient list, then choose a flavour and pack that suit how the drinks will be carried and shared.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | Read “of which sugars” per 100ml and check for juice ingredients. Coca-Cola GB and Pepsi UK list 0g sugars per 100ml for their Zero Sugar and Max colas; Tesco lists 0.4g for Fizzio Zero despite its no-added-sugar label. | I want 0g sugars, rather than just a drink with no sugar added during production. |
| Caffeine | Check the exact variant. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and standard Pepsi Max contain caffeine; Pepsi UK identifies Pepsi Max No Caffeine as containing none. | For this journey, I would rather pack a caffeine-free cola than assume every zero-sugar cola is caffeine-free. |
| Sweeteners | Read the ingredient list for aspartame or E951 and any phenylalanine warning. The NHS states that aspartame is unsuitable for people with phenylketonuria (PKU). | Someone travelling with me has PKU, so the sweetener declaration matters more than the sugar-free wording. |
| Flavour and pack | Compare cola, lemon-and-lime or other flavours, then check can size and pack count. A large bottle and individual cans serve different packing and sharing plans. | I may want separate cans for travellers, or a bottle to share when we stop. |
| Drinking occasion | Allow for the NHS warning that carbonated drinks are associated with dental erosion regardless of whether they contain sugar or sweeteners. | I want a fizzy drink with the snacks, but not to mistake zero sugar for a tooth-neutral drink to sip throughout the drive. |
Common buying mistakes
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Reading “no added sugar” as “0g sugars”
Juice ingredients can contribute sugars without sugar being added. Tesco Fizzio Zero contains fruit juices from concentrate and lists 0.4g sugars per 100ml.
If 0g sugars is your requirement, compare the per-100ml nutrition figures before choosing a flavour or pack size.
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Treating a sugar-free fizzy drink as tooth-neutral
The NHS associates carbonated drinks with dental erosion because of their acid content, including when they contain no sugar.
Consider when the fizzy drink will be consumed during the trip, and pack a non-carbonated drink for the rest of the journey.
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Assuming all zero-sugar colas have the same ingredients
Standard Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Pepsi Max contain caffeine, whereas Pepsi Max No Caffeine does not. Aspartame and phenylalanine warnings also matter for travellers with PKU.
Check the precise variant and its current ingredient label. The NHS advises that aspartame is unsuitable for people with PKU.
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Leaving the pack-format check until departure
A product listing alone does not establish whether the required pack can be delivered or collected in time for a particular journey.
Before ordering, check the can count or bottle size alongside current availability for your delivery or collection location.
Relevant brand options
These are references for comparing particular drinks and labels, not a claim that every product from each brand has the same ingredients.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar offers a cola option; the Coca-Cola GB product information lists 0g sugars per 100ml.
- Coca-Cola GB also lists Sprite Zero, a lemon-and-lime drink, with 0g sugars per 100ml.
- Coca-Cola Zero Sugar contains caffeine. Both named drinks contain aspartame and carry a phenylalanine warning.
Pepsi
Pepsi UK lists 0g sugars per 100ml for both Pepsi Max and Pepsi Max No Caffeine.
- The No Caffeine variant lets a cola drinker choose on caffeine preference while retaining the listed 0g sugars figure.
- The listed variants contain aspartame and carry a phenylalanine warning.
Sprite
Sprite Zero is a lemon-and-lime alternative to cola; Coca-Cola GB lists 0g sugars per 100ml.
- Its flavour gives travellers a non-cola choice with the stated zero-sugars figure.
- Its listed sweeteners include aspartame, acesulfame-K and sucralose, so check the label if ingredients affect your choice.
Tesco
Tesco Fizzio Zero is a no-added-sugar mixed-fruit drink listed in a 2L bottle.
- The larger bottle is a format to consider when drinks will be shared at a stop or destination.
- Tesco lists 0.4g sugars per 100ml and fruit juices from concentrate; “no added sugar” does not mean this drink has 0g sugars.
Joybuy drinks to consider
These can multipacks offer cola, lemonade and apple-flavoured choices for packing individual drinks. Check the current nutrition and ingredient labels against your sugar, caffeine and sweetener requirements before ordering.
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7 Up Lemonade Zero 24 x 330ml
This lemonade option comes as 24 individual 330ml cans for packing and sharing on a journey.
Check the current sugars figure, caffeine information and sweetener warnings on the pack if any of those determine your choice.
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Pepsi Max Caffeine Free 24 x 330ml
For travellers choosing a caffeine-free cola, this pack contains 24 individual 330ml cans. Pepsi UK lists 0g sugars per 100ml for Pepsi Max No Caffeine.
Check the pack’s sweetener and phenylalanine declarations if PKU is relevant.
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Pepsi Max 24 x 330ml
This 24-can cola pack provides individual 330ml drinks. Pepsi UK lists 0g sugars per 100ml for standard Pepsi Max.
The standard variant contains caffeine; check its sweetener and phenylalanine information if those ingredients affect your choice.
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Coca-Cola Zero Sugar 18 x 330ml
This cola multipack contains 18 individual 330ml cans. Coca-Cola GB lists 0g sugars per 100ml for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar.
It contains caffeine and has a phenylalanine warning; check the pack if either detail matters for a traveller.
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Tango Apple Sugar-Free 24 x 330ml
This apple-flavoured option comes in 24 individual 330ml cans for a journey.
Check the current nutrition table and ingredients, including the caffeine declaration if you need to avoid caffeine.
Questions about no-added-sugar drinks
Does “no added sugar” mean a fizzy drink has 0g sugars?
No. Tesco Fizzio Zero is labelled no added sugar but lists 0.4g sugars per 100ml and contains fruit juices from concentrate. If you want 0g sugars, use the nutrition table rather than the front-of-pack wording alone.
Which zero-sugar cola can I choose without caffeine?
Pepsi UK lists Pepsi Max No Caffeine with zero caffeine and 0g sugars per 100ml. Check that the pack is the No Caffeine variant, and read its sweetener and phenylalanine information if relevant.
Does zero sugar remove the dental concern with fizzy drinks?
No. The NHS says carbonated drinks are associated with dental erosion because of their acid content, whether they contain sugar or sweeteners. A 0g sugars figure does not describe that aspect of the drink.
What should someone with phenylketonuria check?
Check each drink for aspartame or E951 and a phenylalanine warning. The NHS states that aspartame is unsuitable for people with phenylketonuria (PKU); sugar-free wording alone does not establish suitability.