How to spot a fake sports drink
A sports drink marketed as a “healthy, wholesome alternative to Coca Cola” is the latest to fall foul of the UK’s health watchdog, with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) saying that it has received “an alarming number” of complaints about it.
The drink, called ‘Pilosod’, comes in a bottle with the label “healthful”, and has a “wholesome” image, according to a consumer complaint.
But according to the FSA, it contains “far too much sugar and caffeine” and is “misleading consumers”.
The product is marketed as containing “five grams of sugar per litre of liquid”, but the FSA has found that the average drink contains only 2.5 grams of the substance.
“It is clear that Pilsod has been produced using a false recipe that has been proven to be unsafe,” said the FSA’s chief food safety officer, John Stewart.
“The product contains far too much caffeine and sugar, which are detrimental to the health of consumers.”
Pilosod is one of a number of drinks marketed as “whole food”, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe. “
A glass of fruit juice contains more sugar than a glass of water.”
Pilosod is one of a number of drinks marketed as “whole food”, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe.
“Pilosaurs drinks have been linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer, heart disease and stroke,” said Stewart.
The FSA says that there are no known cases of anyone getting colorecctal or stomach cancer from drinking a Pilosoda drink.
It says it has “found that Pilosods may contain trace amounts of sugar, and may not be suitable for children, people with certain genetic disorders or those with chronic illness”.
“People with certain nutritional deficiencies, as well as people with chronic illnesses, should consider avoiding the drink,” he said.
“This is particularly important for people with heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.”
The FSA has also flagged up another drink that is promoted as “healthy and wholesome”.
“Coca Cola Pure Classic” contains less than two teaspoons of sugar and 1.3 grams of caffeine, and it contains two teaspoons (4 millilitres) of sugar in a glass, while the other two drinks contain only 0.9 and 1 millilitre of sugar respectively.
The FTC also highlighted another product that is marketed for a healthier alternative.
“Cigarette brands and products contain a variety of sugars that may not have been labelled appropriately,” the agency said.
In addition, “some ingredients that are added to cigarettes are known to cause cancer”.
