The 34 best-selling 'fruit' drinks for children in the US UU. They are considered unhealthy

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(CNN) - Americans spent $ 1.4 billion on the most popular brands of fruit drinks for children and flavored waters in 2018. However, according to nutritional guidelines, none of these drinks were healthy.

Why would parents do this? Perhaps because U.S. beverage companies spent $ 20.7 million on ads for fun and fruity drinks with added sugars in 2018, according to Children's Drink Facts 2019, a new report from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut .

"I know that parents want their children to be healthy, but the sweetened beverage market is incredibly confusing for them," said lead author Jennifer Harris, principal investigator of the study that took three years and was funded by the Foundation. Robert Wood Johnson

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"The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is alarmed because children consume a lot of added sugar," said Dr. Natalie Muth, a pediatrician and lead author of the AAP policy statement on ways to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks in children and teenagers.

"Added sugars increase the risk of many health damage, including type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, heart disease and childhood obesity," said Muth, who was not involved in the study. "The labels on the drinks are confusing and misleading, which makes parents think they are giving their children a healthy drink when in reality it is not."

Confusing Marketing

Two thirds of the 34 sweetened beverages analyzed in the Children's Drink Fact report did not contain juice, however, fruit images appeared in 85% of the packages. Most drinks containing juice limited the amount to 5%.

"Most sweetened drinks say, 'good source of vitamin C' or '100% vitamin C' but they don't have juice or have very little," said Harris. “Many of them say 'low sugar', 'less sugar'. But they don't say it's because low-calorie artificial sweeteners have been added. It is very confusing. ”

They are not just parents. Children are exposed to advertising, according to the report. Children between the ages of 2 and 11 saw twice as many sugary drinks ads as the ads for drinks without added sugars, and four times more ads than adults.

Two of the most popular drinks - Kool Aid Jammers and Capri Sun Roarin '- announced their drinks directly to children on children's television shows, according to the report.

Both drinks contain 0% juice but have images of fruit on the front of the package. CNN contacted Kraft Heinz, who manufactures both products, and did not receive an answer.

Many of the major beverage manufacturers have pledged to change the way they advertise to children.

The American Beverage Association (ABA), which represents some of the beverage manufacturers, made this statement: “Our companies strictly follow the guidelines established by independent monitors that limit the marketing of children's beverages to products 100% juice, water or milk drinks and we monitor television, radio and digital advertising to confirm compliance. ”

However, there are several gaps in its responsible marketing policy, Harris said. For example, children watch ads when they watch television with their parents.

"In addition, ABA does not consider packaging designed to attract children as marketing for children," said Harris. "Both Hi C and Tum E Yummies are Coca-Cola sweetened fruit drinks with packaging clearly aimed at children."

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Added sugars and artificial sweeteners

A third of all sweetened fruit drinks contained at least 16 grams of sugar, more than half of the maximum amount of sugar a child is supposed to drink each day. Some are even worse, like Coca-Cola's Minute Maid Lemonade fruit soda.

"The small 6-ounce juice box has 21 grams of sugar," said Harris. “Children are not supposed to consume more than 25 grams of sugar a day. Therefore, that juice box would use most of that amount per day. ”

When CNN contacted for comment, Coca-Cola provided a link to recent efforts to reduce sugar in their company.

Research shows that parents do not want to give their children drinks with artificial sweeteners. However, 74% of the sweetened fruit drinks and flavored waters tested contained low-calorie sweeteners. Both sugar and artificial sweeteners were found in 38% of the drinks.

"If you look at the packaging of the products, it is impossible to know what is inside the product only from the front of the package," said Harris. "You should turn it over and look at the ingredient list to see how much juice it contains or to see if it has sugar or low-calorie sweeteners."

As of January 1, 2020, major brands with $ 10 million or more in sales must disclose added sugars on the nutrition label on the back of all products, in accordance with the new guidelines of the Food and Drug Administration . Smaller manufacturers have an additional year to comply.

But the new label will not include a low-calorie artificial sweetener, Harris said. Those will remain hidden in the ingredient list, which will require parents with sharp eyes to look for them.

One concern, he said, is that parents may not recognize the chemical names of sweeteners, such as aspartame, acesulfame-potassium, sucralose, stevia, neotame or saccharin.

However, avoiding sweetened beverages, especially those that are extra sweet because they are artificially sweetened, is of vital importance for children under 5.

"That is the age at which children's taste preferences develop," said Harris. “So, if they get used to really sweet products, and artificial sweeteners may be too sweet, then when you try to make your child drink water or milk, it just doesn't taste good. Less than 5 years is a really critical time. ”

Stevia, made from the leaf of a plant, is often considered by parents to be "healthy," but Harris said there is no evidence that "it is different from other sweeteners, except that it is made from a leaf instead of chemical products".

"No one knows the impact it can have," said Harris. "No one has been able to do the research, especially with children."

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The reaction to the report was negative by the health groups

The reaction to the Children's Fact Beverage report from national health and nutrition organizations was sharp.

"As a nation, we have to say 'no' to the onslaught of the marketing of sugary drinks to our children," registered dietitian Rachel Johnson, former president of the American Heart Association's nutrition committee, said in a statement.

"We know what works to protect the health of children and it is time for us to establish effective policies that reduce the rates of consumption of sugary drinks, just as we have done with tobacco," Johnson added.

The report recommends that manufacturers clearly label all added sugars, including low-calorie sweeteners, and show the percentage of juice on the front of the beverage package, where consumers are more likely to see it.

The report also suggests that the FDA prohibits the deceptive use of fruit images in drinks with little or no juice and requires manufacturers to comply with the nutritional statements on their packaging.

Finally, the report says that state and local taxes on sugary drinks should be expanded and include fruit drinks for children and flavored waters, with the hope that higher prices will discourage use.

"This may include taxes on sugary drinks combined with increased health damage education, such as through warning labels," said Muth of the AAP. "Parents also play an important role in modeling healthy beverage options and refusing to buy sugary drinks."

Healthier options

The American Heart Association joined the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and published a consensus statement in September that states what children 5 years old and younger should drink.

"All children 5 years and under should avoid drinking flavored milks, formulas for young children, milks of plant / non-dairy origin, caffeinated beverages and sugary and low-calorie drinks," the recommendations say, "since these drinks can be great sources of added sugar in the diets of young children and do not provide a unique nutritional value. ”

Babies under six months only need breast milk and formula. As for the juice, the group says that it is better to avoid the juice in children under one year. "Even 100% fruit juice does not offer nutritional benefits over whole fruit."

That is because the natural sugars in the juice contribute to weight gain and tooth decay as well as other sugars, pediatricians say. While the juice contains some vitamins and some calcium, the general lack of protein and fiber makes it a bad choice for a healthy drink.

The drinks of choice for the second year of a child's life should be whole milk and water, the groups advise. "A small amount of juice is fine," the recommendations say, "but make sure it is 100% fruit juice to avoid added sugar. Better yet, serve small pieces of real fruit, which are even healthier. ”

Between the ages of 2 and 5, parents should switch to low-fat or low-fat milk and continue to encourage water to hydrate their children. The juice should be kept to a minimum and "remember that adding water can be a great contribution," says the guide.

And as the child grows, "water and milk are the favorite drinks for all children," Muth said.

For parents who plan to provide 100% juice, the Children's Drink Fact report had some good news.

The beverage manufacturers have made some progress: there were 33 different brands of 100% juice or mixtures of juice and water.

But be careful with boxes and bags of 100% juice because most contained more than 4 oz, which is the maximum daily amount of juice recommended for young children between the ages of 1 and 3. Some even contained more than 6 oz. , the maximum recommended for preschoolers from 4 to 6 years old.

Most juice and water mixtures, according to the report, contained less than 50 calories and were lower in total sugars and calories than 100% juice drinks.

Sugary drinks