‘Fruity’ claims: some children’s lunchbox drinks get low health scores

They might have names like ‘juicy’ but some fruit drinks aimed at children have more than four sugar cubes of sweetener per portion, according to a study by consumer group the Consumentenbond.

The body tested 30 different fruit drinks aimed at lunchboxes, giving them all a ‘nutri’ score, rating their levels of sugar, salt, fruit, fibre and calories. Mostly the drinks scored a ‘C’ rating.

Albert Heijn’s multivitamin with orange fruit drink and the Wicky sugarless drink both did better, with a B, but the AH Basic ‘drinky orange’, Taksi tropical fruit drink and Jumbo vitamin nectar all scored E.

‘This is also the case with Roosvicee multifit peach,’ spokeswoman Joyce Donat reportedly told the AD. ‘Roosvicee has a healthy image, so this could be a surprise for innocent consumers.’

The organisation points out that even pure fruit juices have a 10% natural sugar content as well as acids that can damage teeth, and that only water would score a golden A.