Hosts avoiding sugars and sweeteners
Start with plain sparkling mineral or spring water. Check the particular pack’s ingredients and its sugars figure rather than treating every drink labelled no added sugar as equivalent.
Who is each option for?
The useful distinction for a takeaway is whether you want plain water, fruit flavour or a format that is easy to serve to several diners.
Shoppers who want fruit flavour
Compare sugars per 100ml and look for fruit ingredients and named sweeteners. A flavoured drink may meet a no-added-sugar preference without meeting a zero-sugar or no-sweetener preference.
People serving a small group
Consider whether bottles for sharing or individual servings fit the table. Check the pack quantity and the storage directions for bottles you expect to open during the meal.
What should you check before buying?
Decide what you mean by no added sugar before choosing a flavour or serving format: it is not the same question as whether the finished drink contains any sugars.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Total sugars | Read “of which sugars” on the nutrition panel, keeping the stated per-100ml or per-100g basis when comparing figures. Check fruit ingredients as well as the no-added-sugar wording. | I want a drink with no sugars, not simply one made without added sugar. M&S lists 6.6g sugars per 100g for its no-added-sugar Apple & Elderflower drink, while Joybuy lists 0g per 100ml for plain San Pellegrino 6x1L. |
| Sweeteners | Read the ingredient list for named sweeteners. Tesco lists sucralose in its Apple & Raspberry drink; Waitrose & Partners lists acesulfame K and sucralose in Sanpellegrino Peach & Clementine. | Some guests would prefer to avoid sweeteners, even if a flavoured drink is labelled no added sugar. |
| Fruit flavour | Check whether the flavour comes from fruit ingredients and compare the sugars figure for that drink. Do not apply the nutrition information for a brand’s plain water to its flavoured drinks. | I would like a fruit-flavoured option and am comfortable choosing it on the basis of its own ingredients and nutrition panel. |
| Serving format | Compare bottle or can size, pack quantity and storage directions. Highland Spring lists 500ml, 1.5L and 6x1L sparkling-water formats; Joybuy lists a San Pellegrino 6x1L pack. | For a shared takeaway, I would rather pour from larger bottles; individual bottles make more sense when diners want separate servings. |
Common label and serving mistakes
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Reading “no added sugar” as “zero sugar”
Fruit-based drinks can carry a no-added-sugar label while listing sugars from their ingredients. M&S gives 6.6g per 100g for Apple & Elderflower and 7.3g per 100g for Pineapple & Passion Fruit.
If zero sugars matter to you, read the nutrition panel for the exact drink; do not decide from the front-of-pack claim alone.
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Assuming a flavoured drink has no sweeteners
Tesco Apple & Raspberry lists sucralose, and Sanpellegrino Peach & Clementine lists acesulfame K and sucralose.
Check the ingredients when buying for anyone who avoids particular sweeteners. Plain sparkling water is a separate option if fruit flavour is not needed.
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Choosing a serving size without counting diners
Individual servings and bottles for pouring around the table meet different needs. Highland Spring lists 1.5L and 6x1L sparkling-water formats, while Joybuy lists San Pellegrino in a 6x1L pack.
Choose the bottle size and pack quantity around the number of diners and whether you expect to offer refills.
Relevant brand ranges
These brand examples illustrate why it is worth checking the exact drink: plain and fruit-flavoured products can have different ingredients and sugars figures.
Highland Spring
A plain sparkling-water option with bottle sizes suited to individual servings or pouring at the table.
- Highland Spring lists 500ml, 1.5L and 6x1L formats and describes its sparkling water as having nothing added but bubbles.
- It is plain water, so it will not provide fruit flavour.
San Pellegrino
Check whether the product is plain mineral water or a fruit-flavoured sparkling drink before using its nutrition figures.
- Joybuy lists 0g sugars per 100ml and mineral water plus carbon dioxide for the plain 6x1L product.
- The Peach & Clementine drink listed by Waitrose & Partners contains fruit juice and sweeteners, with 3.1g sugars per 100ml.
Perrier
A plain carbonated mineral water to consider when fruit flavour is not required.
- Perrier states that its plain carbonated mineral water contains no sugar and has zero calories.
- That manufacturer information is not a nutrition panel for every UK pack; check the product you are buying.
Tesco
Its Apple & Raspberry sparkling flavoured drink offers a fruit-flavoured no-added-sugar option in a 4x500ml pack.
- Tesco lists 0.2g sugars per 100ml for this particular drink.
- Its ingredients include fruit juice from concentrate and sucralose; it is not unsweetened plain water.
M&S
Its fruit-led sparkling drinks show why a no-added-sugar claim needs to be read alongside the sugars figure.
- M&S describes its Apple & Elderflower drink as no added sugar and lists more than 60% juice.
- M&S lists 6.6g sugars per 100g for Apple & Elderflower and 7.3g per 100g for Pineapple & Passion Fruit, so neither suits a zero-sugar requirement.
Joybuy products for the table
These Joybuy options include plain sparkling-water packs in sharing and individual-bottle sizes, plus a peach-flavoured drink. Check the label of the exact product against your sugars and sweetener preferences.
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San Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water 6x1L
Six 1L bottles provide water to pour at a shared takeaway. Joybuy lists natural mineral water and carbon dioxide as the ingredients and 0g sugars per 100ml; this is plain water rather than a fruit-flavoured drink.
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Buxton Sparkling 8x500ml
Eight 500ml bottles are an option when diners want separate bottles rather than a larger bottle for the table. Check the pack’s ingredients and nutrition panel if you need a particular sugars figure.
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San Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water 6x0.5L
This plain sparkling-water pack has six 0.5L bottles for individual servings. If you require an explicit sugars figure, check this pack’s own nutrition panel rather than using the figure for the separate 6x1L product.
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Highland Spring Sparkling Spring Water 6x1L
Six 1L bottles suit pouring sparkling water around the table. The Joybuy listing names natural sparkling mineral water as the ingredient; check the pack nutrition panel if you require explicit confirmation of its sugars figure.
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Woongjin Nature's Marlin Peach Zero PET 500ml
The 500ml peach-flavoured drink offers a different choice from the plain-water packs. Check the bottle label for its sugars figure and named sweeteners before choosing it for anyone avoiding either.
Questions about sparkling drinks
Does no added sugar mean a sparkling drink contains no sugars?
No. A drink can be labelled no added sugar and still list sugars from fruit ingredients. M&S Apple & Elderflower lists 6.6g sugars per 100g, whereas Joybuy lists 0g per 100ml for its plain San Pellegrino 6x1L mineral water. Read the figure for the exact drink.
What should I choose if I want neither sugars nor sweeteners?
Start with plain sparkling mineral or spring water, then check its ingredients and sugars figure. Joybuy’s San Pellegrino 6x1L listing gives mineral water and carbon dioxide as ingredients and 0g sugars per 100ml; check the particular pack when choosing a different size or brand.
Can a no-added-sugar flavoured drink contain sweeteners?
Yes. Tesco lists sucralose in its Apple & Raspberry sparkling drink, while Waitrose & Partners lists acesulfame K and sucralose in Sanpellegrino Peach & Clementine. Read the ingredient list if a guest avoids either sweetener.
Are larger bottles or individual servings better for a takeaway?
Choose around the number of diners and whether people will share or want separate drinks. Highland Spring lists 1.5L and 6x1L sparkling-water formats for pouring, while 500ml bottles offer individual servings. Follow the pack’s storage directions after opening.