Apples, oranges and grapes are healthy fruits. But when they are turned into juice they pack as much, or more, sugar than some sodas or energy drinks.
Under South Africas proposed food labelling regulations 100 fruit juices wont be required to show a high sugar warning on their packaging because their sugars are naturally occurring. But because of their sugar content, nutritional experts say , when people consume too much of them, there isnt really a healthier option between soda, flavoured water and energy drinks.
Coke has too much sugar, but fruit juices also have too much natural sugar, says Edzani Mphaphuli, executive director of Grow Great , a nonprofit which works to shape childhood nutrition policies.
Sugar is helping drive South Africas obesity rise. Over one in 10 children under five are already overweight and researchers have found that drinking just one sugar-sweetened beverage a day raises the chances of a child being overweight by more than half.
Thats part of what our proposed food labelling regulations are meant to combat.