Check fat per 100 ml rather than relying on names such as ‘no sugars’ or ‘semi’: legislation.gov.uk sets a ceiling of 1.5 g fat per 100 ml for a low-fat claim on liquids, with Department of Health and Social Care guidance addressing its application in Great Britain. ASDA Groceries lists Alpro Organic Oat No Sugars at 1.4 g per 100 ml; Alpro UK and Tesco Groceries list the standard Alpro Oat No Sugars and Oatly No Sugars drinks respectively at 1.5 g per 100 ml. If ingredients, fortification or coffee foam matter more to you, assess those separately and compare the nutrition units on the exact carton.
If low fat is your main requirement, compare the carton’s fat figure per 100 ml. Legislation.gov.uk sets the ceiling for a low-fat claim on liquids at 1.5 g per 100 ml; ‘no sugars’ describes a different nutrition value.
Some oat drinks list added minerals and vitamins, while M&S describes its Only 3 Ingredients Oat Drink as unfortified. Check which formulation you want rather than treating a short ingredient list and added nutrients as the same priority.
A drink formulated for frothing may suit your coffee routine, but its fat figure needs a separate check. M&S lists 3.3 g fat per 100 g for its Barista Oat Drink, a different reporting unit from the per-100-ml liquid low-fat threshold.
Start with the nutrition unit and fat figure, then compare sugars, ingredients and the way you plan to use the drink.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Low-fat claim | Read fat per 100 ml on the exact drink. Legislation.gov.uk sets no more than 1.5 g per 100 ml for a low-fat claim on liquids; a per-100-g figure is not directly interchangeable. | I want a drink whose label lets me check the low-fat criterion, not one that merely sounds lighter. |
| Sugars | Read sugars and fat as separate lines. Alpro UK lists 0 g sugars and 1.5 g fat per 100 ml for Alpro Oat No Sugars; Tesco Groceries lists the same figures for Oatly No Sugars. | Zero sugars matters to me, but I still want to see the fat figure before choosing. |
| Fortification and ingredients | Check the exact carton for added nutrients and ingredients. Tesco Groceries lists calcium and iodine for Oatly No Sugars; M&S describes Only 3 Ingredients Oat Drink as unfortified. | Would I rather have added nutrients or a shorter ingredient list? M&S says its unfortified drink is not recommended as a dairy replacement for children under 36 months. |
| Coffee use | Look for a coffee-specific formulation, then check its fat figure and reporting unit. M&S describes its Barista Oat Drink as formulated for coffee and lists 3.3 g fat per 100 g. | For cappuccinos, frothing matters to me; for an everyday low-fat choice, I would check fat per 100 ml before making the same choice. |
| Allergens and gluten | Read the current allergen statement. The Food Standards Agency says a gluten-free claim has a gluten limit of 20 mg/kg, but oats still need to be identified as an allergen. | If I need a gluten-free drink, I will check the explicit claim on the pack. A gluten-free label would not make an oat drink suitable for someone with an oat allergy. |
Sugars and fat are separate values. Alpro UK and Tesco Groceries each list a no-sugars oat drink with 1.5 g fat per 100 ml—at the liquid low-fat ceiling stated by legislation.gov.uk, not below it.
Check the fat line per 100 ml even when the front of the carton emphasises sugars.
The liquid low-fat threshold on legislation.gov.uk is expressed per 100 ml. M&S reports fat per 100 g for the oat drinks considered here, so those figures cannot be placed directly alongside per-100-ml values.
Use a per-100-ml figure for a direct threshold check; keep differently labelled drinks separate unless you have a reliable comparable value.
A coffee formulation addresses a different priority from a low-fat claim. M&S describes its Barista Oat Drink as formulated for coffee, but reports its fat figure per 100 g.
Decide whether frothing or a checkable low-fat figure matters more for the drinks you make, and read the exact product label.
The Food Standards Agency distinguishes a gluten-free claim from the requirement to identify oats as an allergen. The two label checks answer different questions.
Check an explicit gluten-free claim where needed, and do not choose a drink containing oats for someone with an oat allergy.
These examples show why the exact variant and its nutrition unit matter more than the brand name alone.
Alpro UK lists its standard Oat No Sugars Drink at 1.5 g fat and 0 g sugars per 100 ml. ASDA Groceries lists the distinct Organic Oat No Sugars variant at 1.4 g fat and 0 g sugars per 100 ml.
Tesco Groceries lists Oatly The Original No Sugars Oat Drink at 1.5 g fat and 0 g sugars per 100 ml, with calcium and iodine also declared.
M&S lists an unfortified Only 3 Ingredients drink, a fortified Semi Oat Drink and a Barista Oat Drink formulated for coffee. Their cited fat figures are given per 100 g.
Minor Figures lists Everyday Oat with added vitamins and minerals and declares 4.3 g fat per 200 ml serving.
Tesco Groceries lists oat drinks from several brands alongside Tesco own-label options. The category name alone does not establish any individual drink’s nutrition.
These Joybuy listings include no-sugars drinks, an Original drink and a Barista drink for shoppers comparing everyday and coffee-use options. Check the current pack’s nutrition panel for the particular bundle you choose.
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An 8 × 1 L no-sugars oat-drink bundle for shoppers comparing larger packs. Joybuy’s listing declares 1.2 g fat per 100 ml; check this bundle’s carton rather than applying the standard single-carton Alpro figures, as the listed formulas differ.
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A multi-carton no-sugars option for everyday use. Compare fat per 100 ml and the ingredient list on this bundle’s cartons; the nutrition reported for a separately listed single carton should not be assumed to describe this pack.
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A barista-labelled oat drink to consider when coffee use matters. Check this variant’s fat and sugars separately per 100 ml; ‘Barista’ does not establish that it is low fat or has no sugars.
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An 8 × 1 L Original oat-drink bundle for shoppers who do not require a no-sugars variant. Read this carton’s fat and sugars per 100 ml rather than carrying across figures from Alpro’s No Sugars drinks.
For a low-fat claim on a liquid, legislation.gov.uk specifies no more than 1.5 g fat per 100 ml; Department of Health and Social Care guidance addresses the rules’ application in Great Britain. Check the exact carton’s fat value and unit rather than relying on ‘light’, ‘semi’ or ‘no sugars’ in its name.
No. Alpro UK lists its Oat No Sugars Drink at 0 g sugars and 1.5 g fat per 100 ml, and Tesco Groceries lists the same values for Oatly No Sugars. Compare the sugars and fat lines independently.
Choose by the priorities you need to meet, not the barista name alone. M&S describes its Barista Oat Drink as formulated for coffee but lists 3.3 g fat per 100 g; use an applicable per-100-ml figure when checking a liquid low-fat claim.
No: a gluten-free claim does not remove oats as an allergen. The Food Standards Agency says gluten-free food must meet a gluten limit of 20 mg/kg while oats must still be identified; check the exact pack for gluten suitability and avoid oat-containing drinks where oat allergy is the concern.