Coconut Water Producers shy on sugar content claims FDA
With the ever-increasing demand for super foods with compelling health benefits inundating the supermarket aisles, we must be more vigilant than ever in making sure that the information provided on the packaging represents what is in the product.
One product that has been brought into disrepute recently is coconut water. Certain brands have been mislabelling the product, claiming it is 100% coconut water with no added sugar.
The FDA carried out an investigation and found many products which did not declare to contain added sugar, or were declared to be 100% coconut water have been found to contain undeclared sugar.
A claim stating that sugars have not been added to a food, and any claim likely to have the same meaning for the consumer, may only be made where the product does not contain any added mono- or disaccharides or any other food used for its sweetening properties. If sugars are naturally present in the food, an indication (‘contains naturally occurring sugars’) should also appear on the label.
With coconut water rapidly becoming the UK’s fastest growing soft drink, with annual sales breaking the £100m mark, consumers should be more discerning, and recognise that with increased consumption there also comes increased risks in the supply chain due to the demand.
Agroisolab offers tests for additional sugar content in products using carbon isotope analysis. Please contact us for more details.