The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) recently ruled against a poster for VitaminWater stating it is ‘delicious and nutritious’, as each bottle of water contains 23g (nearly five teaspoons) of added sugar per 500ml bottle.
After complaints from the public regarding the advertisement, the ASA ruled that people would understand the word ‘nutritious’ to be a claim that the drink contained ingredients that were needed to stay healthy, not that it would contain so much sugar. They decided the ad was misleading and that it shouldn’t appear in its current form again.
Such drinks often suggest that they are what customers need to maintain good health – yet the vitamins and minerals contained in these drinks are found in fruit and vegetables, without the downside of such high levels of added sugar. In fact, in some cases, drinks that label themselves as fruity spring water, or flavoured water, contain nearly as much sugar as the fizzy alternatives. Drench, which advertises itself as ‘juicy spring water’, contains up to 40.48g sugar per 440ml bottle – over eight teaspoons.
Whilst the occasional treat won’t do much damage, it is always best to stick to fresh, unflavoured water where possible. It is all the hydration without the harmful additives. And The Water Cooler Company offers a wide range of water coolers to suit your home or office, which will provide you with freshly filtered, chilled water with no unwanted extras!
Depending on the kind of fruit used in Flavoured Bottled Water depends on the sugar level. Apple flavoured water for example will have more sugar in than strawberry flavoured.