It’s commonly known that fruit juices were considered a healthier substitute for traditional sodas and soft drinks, offering a convenient means of fulfilling a person’s daily nutritional needs. The reality is that just like sodas, added sugars are a concern for fruit juices.
The Role of Added Sugars
Despite being promoted as '100% pure and natural,' many leading brand juices often incorporate added sugars, ranging from sucrose to high-fructose corn syrup. These sweeteners are introduced not only to enhance flavor but also to alter the texture and increase the longevity of the beverages.
What are the Risks?
Like sodas, excessive consumption of sweetened fruit juices poses various health risks, including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. One of its most notable risks is the ingestion of empty calories, which then contributes to obesity. This is most observed among children and adolescents as these beverages are marketed as healthy alternatives.
Unlike whole fruits, which contain fiber slowing sugar absorption, fruit juices lack this crucial component, resulting in a rapid spike in blood sugar levels and subsequent crashes. This phenomenon initiates a cycle of fatigue and sugar cravings, perpetuating an unhealthy pattern.
Making Informed Choices
To counteract these risks, consumers are urged to make judicious decisions when selecting fruit juice products. Vigilance in reading nutrition labels is crucial and opting for 100% fruit juices without added sugars represents a healthier choice. Accurate labeling and product testing is key in increasing awareness regarding sweeteners.
How SGS can Help
With our global network of state-of-the-art laboratories, SGS can test and bring awareness to sweeteners in fruit juices.
Our ISO/IEC 17025 accredited labs in Dubai employ cutting-edge methods such as EA-IRMS and LC-IRMS to comprehensively test various adulterants, including the quantification of different types of sugars such as corn and cane sugars, fructose syrups, invert sugars, and more. These rigorous tests serve to identify the presence of added sugars in juices, empowering consumers to make informed and health-conscious choices.
About SGS
We are SGS – the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for sustainability, quality and integrity. Our 98,000 employees operate a network of 2,650 offices and laboratories, working together to enable a better, safer and more interconnected world.
Al-Jbeiha, Yajouz Street, Caracas Building, Entrance No1, 3rd Floor, Office 311,
11193,
Amman, Jordan