Fruit sodas
PurAqua Sparkiling Frost - Strawberry Kiwi
17 oz
Score
- Ultra-processed
- Contains non-nutritive sweeteners
- Contains added sugars
- Contains caffeine
- No synthetic dyes
Why it scores 35
PurAqua Sparkiling Frost - Strawberry Kiwi scores 35 out of 100 (Poor) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Fruit juice concentrate (sweetener): An added sugar. Strong
- minus 18 points Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong
- minus 7.5 points Potassium benzoate: Benzoates can form small amounts of benzene in drinks that also contain ascorbic acid (vitamin C), especially with heat or light. Strong
Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.
Better sodas
-
Sparkling Frost Pineapple Coconut PurAqua · 17 oz No added sugars · No fruit juice concentrate (sweetener) Score 69 out of 100 , 34 points higher -
Strawberry Lemon Burst Zevia · 12 fl oz No added sugars · No caffeine Score 76 out of 100 , 41 points higher -
Orange freeze A Shoc · 16 fl oz/473 mL Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 79 out of 100 , 44 points higher -
California Mandarins Sunkist No non-nutritive sweeteners · No added sugars Score 77 out of 100 , 42 points higher -
Zero Sugar Soda Cove Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 79 out of 100 , 44 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Sparkiling Frost - Strawberry Kiwi
Ingredients
- Fruit juice concentrate (sweetener) minus 20 points
- Potassium benzoate minus 7.5 points
- Sucralose minus 7.5 points
- Natural flavors minus 1.5 points
- Gum arabic (acacia) minus 1.5 points
- Glycerol ester of rosin (ester gum) minus 1.5 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 6 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 7.5 points
100 − 65 = 35
Can’t score above 79. Contains fruit juice concentrate (sweetener), an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]
Nutrition per 100 ml
| Energy | 1 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 0.2 g |
| Sugars | 0.2 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g |
| Protein | 0 g |
| Salt | 0 g |
Serving: 1 bottle (502.8 ml)
Ingredients
- CARBONATED WATER
- CITRIC ts ACID (not recognized)
- APPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE (high concern)
- POTASSIUM BENZOATE (PRESERVATIVE) (moderate concern)
- SUCRALOSE (moderate concern)
- VEGETABLE JUICE (COLOR)
- STRAWBERRY JUICE CONCENTRATE
- KIWI JUICE CONCENTRATE
- mL) NATURAL FLAVOR
- GREEN TEA EXTRACT
- GUM ARABIC
- GLYCEROL ESTER OF WOOD ROSIN
- CALCIUM DISODIUM OF SALT OF EDTA (SEQUESTRANT)
- NIACINAMIDE
- D-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE
- VITAMIN A PALMITATE
- 5 alue* PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE
- CHOLECALCIFEROLD-BIOTIN
- CYANOCOBALAMIN. 0% DIST
- & SOLD ELUSIVELY BY: ALDI (not recognized)
- BATA IL 60510 0% 4mg CAFFEINE R17 FL OZ 0% CHILL BEFORE SING (not recognized)
Label text, as published
CARBONATED WATER, CITRIC ts ACID, APPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE, POTASSIUM BENZOATE (PRESERVATIVE), SUCRALOSE, VEGETABLE JUICE (COLOR), STRAWBERRY JUICE CONCENTRATE, KIWI JUICE CONCENTRATE, mL) NATURAL FLAVOR, GREEN TEA EXTRACT, GUM ARABIC, GLYCEROL ESTER OF WOOD ROSIN, CALCIUM DISODIUM OF SALT OF EDTA (SEQUESTRANT), NIACINAMIDE, D-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, 5 alue* PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, CHOLECALCIFEROLD-BIOTIN, CYANOCOBALAMIN. 0% DIST. & SOLD ELUSIVELY BY: ALDI, BATA IL 60510 0% 4mg CAFFEINE R17 FL OZ 0% CHILL BEFORE SING. REFRIGERATE
Allergens and diets
- Palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
Sources
-
Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children
“In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake”
who.int
-
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
“Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”
cdn.realfood.gov
-
Added and free sugars should be as low as possible
“Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”
efsa.europa.eu
-
Personalized microbiome-driven effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on human glucose tolerance
“As groups, each administered NNS distinctly altered stool and oral microbiome and plasma metabolome, whereas saccharin and sucralose significantly impaired glycemic responses.”
doi.org
-
“Sucralose-6-acetate significantly increased the expression of genes associated with inflammation, oxidative stress, and cancer”
doi.org
-
“EFSA’s experts concluded that the sweetener sucralose (E 955) continues to be safe for consumers for its currently authorised uses as a food additive.”
efsa.europa.eu
-
WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control in newly released guideline
“The recommendation is based on the findings of a systematic review of the available evidence which suggests that use of NSS does not confer any long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children.”
who.int
-
21 CFR 101.22 Foods; labeling of spices, flavorings, colorings and chemical preservatives
“whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”
ecfr.gov
-
“Greater exposure to ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, especially cardiometabolic, common mental disorder, and mortality outcomes.”
doi.org
-
Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much?
“For most adults, the FDA has cited 400 milligrams* a day — that's about two to three 12-fluid-ounce cups of coffee — as an amount not generally associated with negative effects.”
fda.gov
-
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex III point 4.1 (beverages with high caffeine content)
“‘High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women’”
eur-lex.europa.eu