Workers packing one lunch drink
A 200ml bottle or 330ml can may be simpler to finish at work than a 500ml bottle. If you expect to keep some for later, check the storage instructions before packing it.
Who is this for?
Shoppers comparing sugar by portion
The amount you drink matters as well as the per-100ml figure. Compare the nutrition panel on the exact pack and work out what your intended portion contains.
Shoppers looking for orange juice
A sparkling orange beverage may contain only a proportion of orange juice. Check the product description and ingredients if juice content is more important to you than carbonation.
What should you check?
Start with the amount you will drink at lunch, then compare sugar and orange-juice content on the exact product label.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar per drink | Compare sugars per 100ml, then calculate them for the amount you will drink. Check any per-can declaration or traffic-light label on the exact pack. | I may finish the whole drink at lunch, so the pack total matters to me more than the per-100ml figure alone. The NHS says sugars added to drinks and sugars in unsweetened fruit juice both count as free sugars. |
| Orange-juice content | Read the declared juice percentage and product description. The Ocado and Sainsbury's listings checked here describe sparkling drinks containing 2%, 16% or 20% orange juice, rather than 100% orange juice. | If I am buying orange juice, I do not want to mistake an orange-flavoured fizzy drink for it. |
| Pack and storage | Compare the container size with your lunch portion and check what to do after opening. Ocado says the 200ml Galvanina and 500ml M&S bottles should be refrigerated after opening and consumed within three days. | I would rather finish a drink at work than carry an opened bottle home or find somewhere to refrigerate it. |
| Carrying the drink | Check the container material and opening instructions. Ocado lists Galvanina in glass and says the M&S bottle is pressurised and should not be shaken. | My drink needs to travel in a work bag without the glass being left unprotected or a fizzy bottle being shaken. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming sparkling orange means orange juice
The sparkling drinks in the Ocado and Sainsbury's listings contain between 2% and 20% orange juice. That is a different purchase from a product sold as orange juice.
Read the juice percentage and ingredients. If you want 100% orange juice, look for that description on the product you choose.
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Comparing sugar per 100ml but not per pack
Ocado lists 4.4g sugars per 100ml for the 500ml M&S soda: finishing the bottle would mean about 22g sugars. Sainsbury's lists 14.5g sugars in a 330ml San Pellegrino can.
Use per-100ml values to compare drinks, then check the amount in the portion you plan to have. The NHS advises adults to have no more than 30g of free sugars a day.
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Packing every bottle as though it were a can
Ocado lists Galvanina in a glass bottle, which needs protection from knocks. Its M&S soda listing describes a pressurised container and says not to shake it.
Pack glass so it cannot knock against hard objects, and follow the opening instructions on any pressurised bottle.
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Using a different pack's nutrition figures
The Sainsbury's San Pellegrino Orange four-pack listing works out at about 4.4g sugars per 100ml from its 14.5g-per-can declaration. A Joybuy six-pack listing gives 9g per 100ml; the figures should not be treated as interchangeable.
If sugar content affects your choice, use the nutrition panel on the exact pack you are buying.
Relevant brand references
These product examples show how pack size, juice content and sugar declarations differ; the still-juice brands serve a different preference.
Galvanina
Ocado lists an organic sparkling orange beverage in a 200ml glass bottle.
- The listed drink contains 20% orange juice, 1% citrus pulp and 8g sugars per 100ml.
- Protect the glass bottle when carrying it in a packed lunch.
San Pellegrino
Sainsbury's lists Orange as a sparkling beverage in 330ml cans.
- The checked four-pack lists 16% orange juice from concentrate and 14.5g sugars per can.
- Sainsbury's labels the checked can high in sugar; use the declaration on the pack you buy.
M&S
Ocado lists Sicilian Blood Orange Soda in a 500ml bottle.
- The listed drink has 4.4g sugars per 100ml and 2% blood-orange juice.
- The larger bottle may leave a remainder after lunch. The listing says to refrigerate it after opening, consume it within three days and open the pressurised container with care.
Tropicana
A still-orange-juice reference if carbonation is not what you want; Tesco Groceries lists Smooth Orange Juice and Original Orange With Juicy Bits.
- Check the juice range when orange juice, rather than a sparkling orange beverage, is your priority.
- Check the exact pack size and whether its storage instructions work for your lunch.
Innocent
Another still-juice reference: Tesco Groceries lists Smooth Orange Juice and Orange Juice With Bits.
- The listed products provide an orange-juice route for shoppers who do not need fizz.
- Check the intended portion and storage instructions on the particular pack.
Joybuy sparkling orange options
These orange soft drinks offer multipacks from which to take one portion for an office lunch. Check the exact pack's nutrition and juice declaration if either affects your choice.
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Tango Orange Sugar Free 8 x 330ml
The eight-pack provides 330ml portions to take to work. Check the nutrition and juice declarations on the exact can rather than treating the product name as a complete nutrition panel.
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Tango Orange 24 x 330ml
You can take one 330ml portion from this 24-pack for lunch. If you compare it with a smaller multipack, check both the orange content and sugars on the exact drink label.
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Fanta Orange 8 x 330ml
The 330ml portions can be packed individually for lunch. Read the juice and per-portion sugar figures on the pack if you are comparing it with other orange drinks.
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Fanta Orange Zero Sugar 8 x 330ml
One 330ml portion fits the single-drink lunch scenario. If sugar content is decisive, check the exact pack label: the supplied product information uses zero-sugar wording but also gives a non-zero sugar figure.
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Hankow Er Chang Orange Soda Drink 275ml
The 275ml size offers a smaller lunch portion than the 330ml options above. Check the container material if breakage in your work bag is a concern, and compare sugar for the amount you intend to drink.
Questions about lunch drinks
Is a sparkling orange drink the same as orange juice?
No. The sparkling drinks in the Ocado and Sainsbury's examples list 2%, 16% or 20% orange juice and are described as beverages or soda. If you want 100% orange juice, check the description and ingredients rather than relying on the orange flavour.
Which pack size works for one office lunch?
Choose a portion you expect to finish: a 200ml bottle or 330ml can may leave less to store than a 500ml bottle. If you keep some of the M&S soda for later, Ocado says to refrigerate it after opening and consume it within three days.
Should I choose the lowest sugar figure per 100ml?
Compare per-100ml figures, but also calculate the amount in the portion you will drink. Ocado lists 4.4g sugars per 100ml for M&S soda, or about 22g if you finish its 500ml bottle; Sainsbury's lists 14.5g in a 330ml San Pellegrino can. The NHS advises adults to have no more than 30g of free sugars a day.
Why do San Pellegrino Orange listings give different sugar figures?
Use the nutrition panel on the exact pack you buy. The Sainsbury's four-can listing gives 14.5g sugars per 330ml can, while a Joybuy six-can listing gives 9g per 100ml; those declarations cannot safely be used as though they describe the same pack.