Course:FNH200/Assignments/2025/Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice - Regular vs Low Calorie

Briefly introduce your food products (Optional)

We decided to compare Ocean Spray Cranberry Cocktail with one of it's possible substitutes, Ocean Spray Diet Cranberry which claims to be low calorie.

Post pictures (Mandatory)

Figure 1: Regular Ocean Spray Cranberry Cocktail with English labeling.

Figure 2: Regular Ocean Spray Cranberry Cocktail with French labeling.

Figure 3: Diet Low Calorie Ocean Spray Cranberry Beverage with English labeling.

Figure 4: Diet/Low Calorie Ocean Spray Cranberry Beverage with French labeling.

Figure 5: Nutritional Facts for Regular Ocean Spray Cranberry Cocktail.

Figure 6: Nutritional Facts for Diet/Low Calorie Ocean Spray Cranberry Beverage.

Figure 7: Ingredients list for Regular Ocean Spray Cranberry Cocktail.

Figure 8: Ingredients list for Diet/Low Calorie Ocean Spray Cranberry Beverage.

Figure 9: Best By Date on Regular Ocean Spray Cranberry Cocktail bottle cap.

Figure 10: Best By Date on Diet/Low Calorie Ocean Spray Cranberry Beverage bottle cap.

Ingredient lists (4 points)

1. Ingredients In Both the Original and Diet Juices.
   • Ocean Spray Original Cranberry Cocktail: Filtered water, Reconstituted cranberry juice, Sugar, Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), Vegetable concentrate for colour.
   • Diet Cranberry: Filtered water, Reconstituted cranberry juice, Natural flavour, Pectin, Citric acid, Fumaric acid, Sodium citrate, Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), Sucralose (40 mg/ 250ml), Acesulfame-potassium (8 mg/ 250ml), Allura red.
2. Identify fat substitutes, sugar substitutes, and/or additives used, if there is any
   • In the Original Cranberry Juice, there are no fat or sugar substitutes, however ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) has been added.
   • In the Diet Cranberry Juice, there are no fat substitutes, however, both Sucralose and Acesulfame-potassium (also known as acesulfame-K) are substituted for sugar, as well as having other additives such as pectin, citric acid, fumaric acid, sodium citrate, and allura red. Additionally, like the regular Cranberry juice, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) has been added.
3. Explain the roles of fat substitutes, sugar substitutes, and/or additives used in terms of the functional properties they contribute to the product
4. Compare and contrast the lists of the two products and explain differences

Both the cranberry juice and its “diet” alternative contain various food additives and ingredients that offer functional properties. The roles of the additives and substitutes with respect to the functional properties of the product are as follows:

Function of Included Sugar/Fat Substitutes

• Sucralose: Sweetener
  • Sucralose is an artifical sweetener used in many calorically-reduced foods and beverages, as it offers the body no calories as it is non-metabolizable. Sucralose is 600x sweeter than sucrose and heat-stable, making it a common ingredient for its sweet, durable, calorically-efficent properties; it is found in many products such as fruit drinks, gum, and tabletop sweeteners.
• Acesulfame-Potassium: Sweetener
  • Acesulfame-K is another calorie-free sweetener that is 200x sweeter than regular table sugar. It is often used with other sweeteners to promote the sweetness, and like sucralose, it is also heat-stable. Acesulfame-K does not contribute to tooth decay and is commonly found in candies, canned items, and oral hygiene products.

Function of Included Additives

• Ascorbic Acid: Vitamin C, Preservation
  • Ascorbic acid provides two uses in food and drinks: as a preservative and as a nutrient. It acts as an antioxidant, stopping the enzymatic browning that happens when fruit is processed, helping preserve the vibrant colour and fresh flavour of juices. Additionally, it is added to increase the amount of vitamin C.
• Pectin: Stabilizer, Thickener
  • Pectin, a carbohydrate that is frequently used in food products as a thickener and stabilizer, helps keep fruit juices from separating by suspending drink particles and preserving a consistent texture throughout the product. It also enhances the beverage's mouth feel and general sensory appeal.
• Citric Acid: Preservative, Adjusts pH
  • Citric acid is an acidulant that serves to acidify the beverage, behaving as a preservative and pH adjustor.
• Fumaric Acid: Regulates pH level
  • Fumaric acid is an acidulant that provides a sour taste in many food products, used to regulate acidity and enhance flavour.
• Sodium Citrate: Regulates pH level
  • Sodium citrate is a food additive acting as a buffering agent, helping control the pH level in foods and drinks. Furthermore, it can help balance acidity and enhance flavour.
• Allura Red: Food Colouring
  • Allura Red is a food colouring agent permitted by Health Canada.

Regular vs Low Calorie

• Both juices are Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice products. Their basic ingredients include water, reconstituted cranberry juice, and vitamin C. However, they are different in sweetness, flavor, consistency, and appearance: the Cranberry Juice is sweetened with sugar and uses vegetable concentrate to enhance its color. Diet Cranberry Juice uses sweeteners such as sucralose and acesulfame potassium instead of sugar. It also includes pectin as a thickener and stabilizer. Because Diet Cranberry Juice lacks the preservative and acidity-lowering benefits of sugar, it contains a combination of citric acid, fumaric acid, and sodium citrate to maintain proper pH and product stability. Moreover, Allura Red is used to provide color across batches. Although there is not much difference between the two juices in terms of appearance, taste and packaging. By looking at its ingredient list, the two juices are very different in production and formulation.

Labels (1 points)

1. Provide detailed description of the information found on the labels

Label	Description
Bilingual Labelling	As seen above the labels are written in both English and French, the official languages of Canada.
Common name of the food	Commonly known as Ocean Spray Cranberry Cocktail and Ocean Spray Diet Cranberry Low Calorie Beverage.
Country of Origin	USA (sourced from above image)
Date Marking and Storage Instructions	Best Before dates can be found on the bottle caps as seen in images above. Storage instructions shown in the above images state to refrigerate after opening the bottles.
Identity and Principal Place of Business	Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. Lakeville-Middleboro, Massachusetts, USA (Found in above image)
Irradiated Foods	Neither of these products are irradiated so this label is not required.
Legibility and Location	The labels can be easily read on the front and sides of the bottle labels. As well as on the bottle cap itself (Best Before Date).
List of ingredients and Allergens	The lists of ingredients can be found on the sides of both bottles as seen above. The 'Diet' version specifies the amounts of artificial sweetener in each serving. No allergens are present.
Nutrition Facts table	The nutrition facts for both products can be seen in the above images. Both tables mention the required fields (serving size, calories, saturated/trans fats, carbohydrates, fibre, sugar, protein, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, as well as a clarification of what a little or a lot of one field is).
Net quantity of the food	Both products contain 1.89 L of fluid as seen on the labels above.
Sweeteners	On the 'Diet' version the amount per serving is shown and the artificial sweeteners can be seen labeled on the bottom left of the front label as well (may need to zoom in). The sweeteners in the 'Diet' version are Sucralose and Acesulfame-potassium.
Other mandatory information	N/A
Nutrient content claims and Diet-related health claims	The diet version makes the claim of being low calorie. This is a valid claim as it is less then 40 Calories per serving.

2. Indicate whether the information complies with the regulatory requirements as outlined in Lesson 04.

The information does comply with the regulatory requirements outlined in Lesson 4. It contains all required information in both English and French and does not make false nutritional claims.