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Okay, so 'zero sugar' on my favorite yogurt drink is basically a lie | Food Label Lies - Free To Speak

Okay, so 'zero sugar' on my favorite yogurt drink is basically a lie

I bought this mango yogurt drink for months because the front label said 'zero sugar' in big letters. I only checked the back after my doctor said my blood sugar was weird. The ingredients list had 'fruit juice concentrate' as the second thing, and the nutrition panel showed 24 grams of carbs per bottle. My friend says the label is legal because the sugar comes from the juice, not added sugar. But I think it's a trick to make you think it's healthy when it's not. Has anyone else found a drink or snack that does this?

3 comments

3 Comments

gray_morgan4mo ago

Yeah, the "it's just how the labeling laws work" part is the whole problem. The laws let companies use those big front claims that most people will take at face value. They know we're busy and just grab the thing that says zero sugar. It's technically legal, but it feels designed to mislead anyone who isn't reading the tiny print on the back.

the_drew4mo ago

Look, the rules are pretty clear on this stuff. They have to list what's in there, and you saw the juice concentrate. That "zero sugar" claim is about added sugar, not the sugar that's naturally in the fruit. It's not a trick, it's just how the labeling laws work. People should really check the full label, not just the front. Expecting a sweet mango drink to have no carbs from the fruit itself is kind of missing the point.

wade2504mo ago

Gotta jump in here cause @gray_morgan hit the nail on the head. I remember buying this protein bar once that screamed "low sugar" on the front, big green letters and everything. Got home, flipped it over, and it was packed with sugar alcohols that mess up my stomach something fierce. That label law stuff might be technically true, but companies play with the small print like pros. Most people are just grabbing stuff off the shelf after work, not doing a deep dive into ingredient lists. It feels like they count on that rush to make a sale, not on being upfront.