DIABETES NEW ZEALAND

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Labelling issue with Oh! soda range

Many of you will be familiar with Frucor Suntory’s new Oh! soda drinks (previously called Sparkling OH!) which have caused a few issues for people with diabetes.

Thanks to our members getting in touch, Frucor Suntory became aware of a labelling issue with the Oh! range, which shows what appear to be a significant increase in carbohydrate content.  

This is because the sweetener erythritol was included in the carbohydrate content on the nutritional information panel (NIP), when in fact the carbohydrate effect is zero.

Erythritol does not affect blood sugar and is excreted in urine so is considered safe for people with diabetes.   Erythritol does contribute most of the carbohydrate in Oh! recipes but given the net effect is zero, it is only the small amount coming from natural fruit sugars in the fruit juice that those on insulin need to adjust for.

We met with Frucor Suntory last week and they are now updating their labels to ensure that the carbohydrate content is correct to enable the diabetic community to make the correct adjustments in insulin. 

This process will be completed in the coming weeks and will mean that the 500mL bottles of Oh! are unlikely to be available until the new year.  The cans will still be available, the NIP per serving is the same as the 1.25mL.

If you are buying Oh!, please check the images below showing the NIP as it is now, and what it should read so that you can make the correct adjustments.

Here’s what you need to look for on the nutritional information panels.

If you have questions or require additional information, please contact the Frucor Suntory customer team on 09 250 0100