Commuters carrying one drink
A 330ml can can be taken as one serving. If you are considering a larger bottle instead, think about where you will keep the remainder.
Who is a portable sparkling orange drink for?
Shoppers comparing sugar and sweeteners
Check both the nutrition panel and ingredients. A drink labelled ‘no added sugar’ can still list sugars from fruit juice; another may list a different sugar quantity and contain sweeteners.
Shoppers expecting orange juice
Look at the declared juice content before treating a fizzy orange drink as juice. For 5 A Day purposes, NHS guidance concerns unsweetened fruit or vegetable juice and smoothies, limited to a combined 150ml and one portion a day.
What should you check before buying?
Choose a serving format for the journey first, then read the ingredients and nutrition panel for the drink in that container.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Serving format | Check whether the drink comes in an individual 330ml container or a multi-serve bottle. A multipack still means buying several individual drinks. | I want to take one drink with me, rather than carry a large bottle or store what is left. |
| Sugars and sweeteners | Compare sugars using the same quantity, such as per 100ml or per container, and read the ingredients for sweeteners. Cawston Press lists 4.1g sugars per 100ml; Tesco lists 4.0g per 330ml Orangina can, so those figures are not directly comparable. | If I avoid sweeteners or compare sugars, I need both the ingredient list and a like-for-like nutrition figure. |
| Juice content | Read the declared juice percentages and other ingredients. Cawston Press lists 40% pressed apple juice and 8% orange ingredients; Tesco lists 12% citrus juices from concentrate for Orangina; M&S lists 13% orange juice from concentrate for Sparkling Brazilian Orange. | Orange flavour alone is not enough if I am looking for orange juice rather than a mixed sparkling drink. |
| 5 A Day expectations | Check whether the product is unsweetened fruit or vegetable juice rather than a drink containing juice alongside water and other ingredients. NHS guidance limits qualifying juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml and one 5 A Day portion daily. | I do not want to count a sparkling orange drink as a fruit-juice portion simply because it contains some juice. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming ‘sparkling orange’ means 100% juice
A sparkling drink can contain juice alongside water and other ingredients. The Cawston Press, Orangina and M&S drinks discussed here each declare juice content below 100%.
Check the ingredient list and juice percentage. If a 5 A Day juice portion is your aim, follow NHS guidance for unsweetened juice and smoothies rather than assuming a mixed drink qualifies.
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Reading ‘no added sugar’ as ‘sugar-free’
Cawston Press says its Sparkling Orange has no added sugar, yet its nutrition panel lists 4.1g sugars per 100ml.
Read the sugars figure as well as the ingredients, and use the same quantity when comparing drinks.
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Picking a large bottle for a one-drink journey
M&S Sparkling Brazilian Orange comes in a 1.32-litre bottle, unlike the 330ml Cawston Press and Orangina cans.
Choose the format around how much you intend to carry and drink; a multi-serve bottle makes more sense when you have somewhere to keep the remainder.
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Relying on an older ingredients listing
Product information can change, which matters when you are checking ingredients for an allergy or a dietary requirement.
Read the label on the drink you buy, particularly for juice content and sweeteners.
Sparkling orange brand references
These examples show how container size and recipe can differ; a brand reference does not describe every drink that brand makes.
Cawston Press
Cawston Press describes its Sparkling Orange as a pressed-fruit-and-sparkling-water drink in 330ml cans.
- Cawston Press says the recipe has no added sugar, sweeteners or concentrates.
- Its stated ingredients include 40% pressed apple juice and 8% orange ingredients, not 100% orange juice; the panel lists 4.1g sugars per 100ml.
Orangina
Tesco lists Orangina Sparkling Orange as a six-pack of 330ml cans containing citrus pulp.
- Tesco lists 4.0g sugars per 330ml can.
- Tesco lists 12% citrus juices from concentrate and the sweeteners acesulfame K and sucralose; this is not pure orange juice.
M&S
M&S Sparkling Brazilian Orange comes in a 1.32-litre bottle suited to several servings rather than one drink to carry.
- M&S lists carbonated spring water and 13% orange juice from concentrate among its ingredients.
- The ingredients also include sugar and steviol glycosides; its nutrition panel lists 4.4g sugars per 100g.
Orange-flavoured drinks on Joybuy
These options have 330ml servings, but the packs and drinks differ: the selection includes orange soft drinks, an orange juice soda and blood-orange-flavoured sparkling mineral water. Check which type of drink you want before choosing a pack.
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Fanta Orange 4 x 330ml
The four-can pack provides individual 330ml drinks to take along. If you want orange juice rather than an orange soft drink, check the juice content and sweeteners on the pack.
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Tango Orange 24 x 330ml
Each 330ml can can be carried separately, although this listing is for a 24-can pack. Check the ingredients if juice content or sweeteners affect your choice.
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Bei Bing Yang Orange Juice Soda 330ml
The 330ml size is suited to one drink on the move. Check the current label for its citrus ingredients and sugars before choosing it as an orange-juice drink.
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Icelandic Glacial Tarocco Blood Orange Sparkling Mineral Water 330ml
This 330ml can offers a blood-orange-flavoured sparkling water for an individual serving. It is a different choice from orange juice; check the ingredients if juice content matters to you.
Frequently asked questions
Does a sparkling orange drink count towards 5 A Day?
Do not assume that it does. NHS guidance allows unsweetened fruit or vegetable juice and smoothies to count as a combined maximum of 150ml and one portion a day; the Cawston Press, Orangina and M&S sparkling drinks discussed here contain juice alongside other ingredients rather than being 100% juice.
Which format is easier to take on a commute?
A 330ml can is an individual serving: Cawston Press Sparkling Orange and Orangina are both offered in that format. The 1.32-litre M&S Sparkling Brazilian Orange bottle is more suited to several servings if you have somewhere to keep it.
Should a sparkling orange drink replace water at breakfast?
Treat water and a sparkling orange drink as different choices. The NHS identifies water as a hydration choice and advises checking nutrition labels on other drinks; compare the drink’s ingredients and sugars rather than assuming orange flavour makes it equivalent to water or juice.
How should I check ingredients before buying?
Read the label on the product you are buying, especially if an allergy, sweetener or particular citrus ingredient matters. Use an online listing as a cross-check, since product information can change.