Choose 100% orange juice if you want juice specifically; NHS guidance limits fruit juice and smoothies together to 150ml a day and advises having them with a meal. If you want an orange-flavoured drink instead, compare juice drinks and squash by their ingredients and sugars: ‘no added sugar’ does not mean that a product contains no sugar.
Compare the ingredients of 1L own-label cartons if orange juice, rather than an orange-flavoured drink, is what you want. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda each describe the cartons considered here as 100% juice from concentrate.
NHS guidance limits fruit juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day and recommends drinking them with a meal. That portion guidance matters even when a juice has no added sugar.
A juice drink or squash is a different choice from 100% orange juice. Check the exact product’s juice content, sugars, sweeteners and, for squash, dilution directions.
Decide whether you want a portion of 100% juice or an orange-flavoured drink, then compare the labels of products in that category.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Drink type | Read the product description and ingredients to distinguish 100% juice from a juice drink or squash. For squash, follow the dilution directions on the pack. | I want to know whether I am buying orange juice itself or an orange-flavoured drink to prepare or drink instead. |
| Juice portion | NHS guidance limits fruit juice and smoothies together to 150ml a day and advises having them with a meal. | If I choose 100% juice, I want to account for the portion rather than treat the carton as an unrestricted drink. |
| Sugars | Compare ‘of which sugars’ on the same basis, such as per 100ml, and check the stated serving size. Do not read ‘no added sugar’ as ‘no sugar’. | A no-added-sugar claim alone does not tell me how much sugar is in the drink; I need the nutrition panel for the exact product. |
| Nutrition label | Use the nutrition panel for the exact carton or bottle; check what quantity its figures describe before comparing products. | I want a quick label check while shopping. In the Food Standards Agency and Ipsos Northern Ireland’s 2024 survey of 611 people in Northern Ireland, 49% actively used traffic-light labelling when shopping for food generally, not specifically for orange juice. |
| Storage | Read the exact pack’s instructions for refrigeration and use after opening. Do not apply one carton’s directions to another. | I need to know how I will store an opened carton or bottle at home. |
100% juice can contain naturally occurring sugars without having sugar added. Tropicana, for example, describes Original Orange as having no added sugar while listing 13g sugars per 150ml.
Check the ingredients and the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100ml and per serving on the exact pack.
An orange juice drink or squash should not be treated as an equivalent portion of 100% orange juice merely because it has orange in its name.
Decide which product type you want, then check its juice content, sweeteners, nutrition panel and any dilution directions.
Orange juice products can have different instructions for storage after opening.
Follow the refrigeration and use-after-opening directions printed on the carton you buy.
These brand references describe particular orange-juice products and ranges, not every drink sold under each name.
Tesco Orange Juice Smooth 1L is described by Tesco Groceries as 100% orange juice from concentrate.
Sainsbury’s Smooth Pure Orange Juice 1L is a 100% orange juice-from-concentrate carton.
Asda Orange Juice with Bits from Concentrate 1L is an option for shoppers who want 100% juice with bits.
Tropicana describes Original Orange as 100% pressed juice that is not from concentrate.
Innocent orange juice with bits is a bottled orange-juice option; a 1.35L format appears in Tesco Groceries’ juice listing.
M&S describes its Smooth Orange Juice as not from concentrate.
These options are squash, orange-flavoured soft drinks and a bottled orange drink for shoppers considering alternatives to 100% orange juice. Their different formats and labels make checking the exact pack important.
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Choose this if you want an orange squash to dilute rather than 100% juice. Follow the dilution directions; the product information says not to drink it undiluted and identifies it as unsuitable for children under 36 months.
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This eight-can pack is a ready-to-drink fizzy orange alternative, not 100% orange juice. Check its ingredients and nutrition panel if its sugar-free label or sweeteners matter to your choice.
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This eight-can fizzy orange drink is an alternative to juice, not a portion of 100% orange juice. The product information gives a non-zero sugars value despite the Zero Sugar name, so check the nutrition panel on the exact pack.
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The individual bottles suit shoppers who want a ready-to-drink orange-flavoured option rather than 100% juice. The product information warns of a choking risk from the caps for children under 36 months; follow its directions for storing an opened bottle.
Yes, as a limited portion rather than an unrestricted drink. NHS guidance limits fruit juice and smoothies together to 150ml a day and advises having them with a meal because the sugars released by juicing can damage teeth.
No. Tropicana describes its Original Orange juice as having no added sugar while listing 8.4g naturally occurring sugars per 100ml. Check ‘of which sugars’ on the nutrition panel.
Choose one if you want an orange-flavoured drink rather than 100% orange juice. Check the exact drink’s juice content, sugars and sweeteners, and follow dilution instructions if it is squash.
Follow the directions on the carton you buy, including its refrigeration and use-after-opening instructions. Do not assume that another orange juice product has the same storage guidance.