For airport food, water is a straightforward choice if you do not want a fizzy flavour. If you do want fizz with 0g sugars listed, check the ‘of which sugars’ figure rather than treating ‘no added sugar’ as the same thing: a no-added-sugar orange drink can still list naturally occurring sugars. GOV.UK says containers larger than 100ml cannot pass security at most UK airports, so check the rules for your journey or plan to get your drink after security.
A standard can may not make it through screening in cabin baggage. GOV.UK says containers larger than 100ml cannot pass security at most UK airports, even when partly full; check the rules at your departure and transfer airports.
If you want a particular fizzy flavour, compare the sugars listed per 100ml on the exact drink. ASDA’s listing for Fanta Orange Zero Sugar, for example, says no sugar is added but lists 0.6g sugars per 100ml.
A caffeine-free cola may suit someone avoiding caffeine, but its name does not answer questions about sweeteners. Read the current ingredients and phenylalanine warning, particularly if you have PKU.
Start with the sugars figure and the flavour you want, then check ingredients and how you will get the drink through the airport.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Listed sugars | Read ‘of which sugars’ per 100ml and, where shown, per container. Do not infer 0g from ‘no added sugar’: ASDA lists Fanta Orange Zero Sugar at 0.6g per 100ml and 2.0g per 330ml can. | I want to know how much sugar is listed in the drink I will actually have, not just what the front of the pack says. |
| Flavour | Compare the exact cola, lemon-lime or orange variant. Coca-Cola GB lists Coca-Cola Zero Sugar at 0g sugars per 100ml; ASDA’s Fanta Orange Zero Sugar listing gives a different figure. | I would like a familiar fizzy flavour, but the sugars figure still matters when I choose between variants. |
| Caffeine and sweeteners | Check the exact variant and ingredients. Pepsi UK lists caffeine and aspartame in Pepsi Max, while its Pepsi Max No Caffeine product is a separate option. Check phenylalanine warnings if you have PKU. | For a caffeine-free cola, I need to choose the named caffeine-free variant. I may also need to check its sweeteners separately. |
| Airport screening | Check container size and the rules at departure and transfer airports. GOV.UK says containers over 100ml cannot pass security at most UK airports, even if partly full. | I do not want to pack a standard can in cabin baggage only to leave it behind at security. |
| Water or fizz | Decide whether you want a fizzy flavour at all. The NHS notes that acidic carbonated drinks are associated with dental erosion regardless of their sugar or sweetener content. | Sometimes water is what I want; choosing a drink with 0g sugars does not settle every consideration about fizz. |
The wording does not tell you the total sugars figure. ASDA lists Fanta Orange Zero Sugar at 0.6g sugars per 100ml despite describing it as having zero sugar added.
If 0g listed sugars is your criterion, compare the ‘of which sugars’ line on the current pack.
GOV.UK says containers larger than 100ml cannot pass security at most UK airports, including partly full containers.
Check each airport on your journey. An empty reusable bottle can be filled after security where a refill point is available, or you can look for a drink after screening.
Pepsi UK lists caffeine and aspartame in Pepsi Max. A separately named caffeine-free variant answers the caffeine question, not every ingredient question.
Read the ingredients and any phenylalanine warning on the exact pack, especially if you have PKU.
The NHS associates acidic carbonated drinks with dental erosion whether they contain sugar or sweeteners.
Choose a zero-sugar drink for its flavour or listed sugars, rather than assuming that figure answers the dental-erosion concern.
These examples illustrate differences between named drinks and labels; check the exact variant when buying.
Cola options include Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and a separately named Zero Caffeine variant.
Pepsi Max and Pepsi Max No Caffeine provide two named cola options.
Sprite Zero is a lemon-lime option for shoppers who prefer that flavour to cola.
Fanta Orange Zero Sugar is an orange-flavoured option whose no-added-sugar wording needs to be read alongside its nutrition panel.
Dr Pepper Zero offers its named flavour in a zero-sugar variant.
A retailer listing can help you check the size and nutrition information for an exact drink, rather than treating Tesco as a single drink formulation.
These are multipacks of fizzy drinks for choosing a flavour or a named caffeine-free variant. Their cans are larger than the usual pre-security 100ml container limit at most UK airports; GOV.UK advises checking airport-specific rules.
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A 7up Zero multipack to consider if you want this named fizzy-drink variant for your journey. The pack contains two sets of eight 330ml cans; check airport screening rules before putting a can in cabin baggage.
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A lemonade-named option if you prefer that style of fizzy drink to cola. The pack contains 24 330ml cans; compare the nutrition panel on the current pack with your sugar criterion.
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A named no-caffeine cola option if avoiding caffeine is part of your choice. The pack contains 24 330ml cans; check its current sugars figure and ingredients separately.
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A named caffeine-free Pepsi Max option for a cola preference. The pack contains 24 330ml cans; check the current ingredients as well as the caffeine-free wording.
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A Pepsi Max cola multipack containing 24 330ml cans. Pepsi UK lists 0g sugars per 100ml for Pepsi Max and includes caffeine and aspartame in its ingredient information; choose the separately named caffeine-free variant if caffeine is the deciding factor.
No. A drink can have no sugar added and still list naturally occurring sugars. Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100ml on the exact pack if the total listed amount matters to you.
ASDA’s listing says the drink has zero sugar added but contains naturally occurring sugar. It lists 0.6g sugars per 100ml and 2.0g per 330ml can, so it is not a 0g-listed-sugars choice.
Usually not if it is in your cabin baggage before screening. GOV.UK says containers larger than 100ml cannot pass security at most UK airports, even when partly full. Check your departure and transfer airports because rules can differ.
The caffeine-free name does not establish that. Read the exact pack’s ingredients and phenylalanine warning, particularly if you have PKU; check sugars on the nutrition panel separately.
No. The NHS associates acidic carbonated drinks with dental erosion regardless of whether they contain sugar or sweeteners. A 0g sugars figure answers a sugars question, not that separate concern.