Course:FNH200/Assignments/2025/Red Bull - Original vs Sugar Free
Team 29
The products our team chose to compare are the popular Red Bull Energy Drink, and it's sugar-free counterpart, Red Bull Sugar Free.
Briefly introduce your food products (Optional)
Select a food available in Canada and one of its 'low fat', 'zero sugar', etc. alternative. Your options are unlimited: ice cream, cookies, beverage, and of course the wide and wild range of flavours, too. The two products that you are comparing should be similar, with one of them an alternative version of the other.
Post pictures (Mandatory)
Instructions on how to add photos and images to UBC Wiki can be found here: https://wiki.ubc.ca/Help:Adding_Media/Images_and_Pictures
| Red Bull Energy Drink | Red Bull Sugar Free |
|---|---|
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Ingredient lists (4 points)
- Type out the lists of ingredients
- Identify fat substitutes, sugar substitutes, and/or additives used, if there is any
- Explain the roles of fat substitutes, sugar substitutes, and/or additives used in terms of the functional properties they contribute to the product
- Compare and contrast the lists of the two products and explain differences
| Red Bull | Red Bull Sugar Free |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type | Ingredient(s) | Functional Role |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar Substitutes | Acesulfame-potassium, Aspartame | Sweetness without calories; stable during processing |
| Fat Substitutes | None | N/A |
| Additives | Citric acid | Enhances tartness, preserves flavour |
| Sodium bicarbonate, Magnesium carbonate | Regulate pH and carbonation | |
| Xanthan gum | Stabilizer, improves texture and mouthfeel | |
| Artificial flavour, colour | Taste and appearance | |
| Other functional ingredients (not considered additives) | Caffeine, Taurine, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12 | Energy stimulation and metabolic support |
Acesulfame-Potassium
- Sweetness level: ~200 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar).
- Role in substitution: Provides sweetness without calories, as it is indigestible (0 Cal/g). It does not raise blood glucose levels, making it suitable for diabetics and calorie-conscious consumers.
- Functional advantages: Heat and shelf stable. Does not degrade during pasteurization or storage.
- Synergistic effect: Often used in combination with aspartame to enhance sweetness and mask aftertaste.
Aspartame
- Sweetness level: 180-220 times sweeter than sucrose.
- Role in substitution: Provides a sugar-like taste with much less quantity and is metabolized as proteins which contribute almost no calories (4 Cal/g). Especially good at mimicking sugar’s flavour profile, including onset and duration of sweetness.
Citric acid
- Function: Acidulant
- Purpose: Adds tartness to enhance flavour. Lowers pH to help preserve the beverage by creating an environment less hospitable to microbial growth. It also helps stabilize colour and other ingredients.
Sodium bicarbonate & Magnesium carbonate
- Function: Buffering agents / pH regulators
- Purpose: Work together with citric acid to maintain the drink’s desired acidity level. Magnesium carbonate may also contribute to trace minerals and aid in electrolyte balance.
Xanthan gum
- Function: Stabilizer / Thickener
- Purpose: Increases viscosity slightly to improve mouthfeel, making the beverage feel smoother or more "substantial". Prevents separation of ingredients during storage. Helps suspend particles (like vitamins) evenly in the drink.
Artificial Flavour & Colour
- Function: Sensory enhancement
- Purpose: Flavour agents replicate the characteristic "energy drink" taste that consumers expect. Colour improves visual appeal and brand identity, signaling to consumers that the product is flavored and enjoyable
3.4 Compare and contrast the lists of the two products and explain differences
Looking at the ingredients lists, we observe that regular Red Bull contains sugar, which we presume is regular sucrose or table sugar, and glucose-fructose, otherwise known as high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), whereas Red Bull Sugar Free instead contains Acesulfame-potassium and Aspartame as low-calorie sweeteners. Red Bull Sugar Free also has xanthan gum as a thickening agent, whereas the original does not, as the sugar content of the regular Red Bull Energy Drink already affects the texture.
Apart from those key differences, the rest of the ingredients seem to be the same—both Red Bull Energy Drink and Red Bull Sugar Free contain carbonated water as the base, as well as citric acid, taurine, sodium bicarbonate, magnesium carbonate, caffeine, niacin, pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12, and artificial flavour and colour.
Labels (1 points)
4.1 Provide detailed description of the information found on the labels
Original Red Bull vs Red Bull Sugar-Free Label Information Comparison | ||
| Component | Original Red Bull (250 mL) | Red Bull Sugar Free (250 mL) |
| Brand and Variant | Red Bull Energy Drink | Red Bull Sugar Free |
| Net Quantity | 250 mL | 250 mL |
| Importer/
Distributor Information |
“Imported by Red Bull Canada Ltd, Vancouver, BC” | “Imported by Red Bull Canada Ltd, Vancouver, BC” |
| Caffeine | 80 mg per can | 80 mg per can |
| Taurine | 1000 mg per can | 1000 mg per can |
| Water | Carbonated water | Carbonated water |
| Sugars / Sweeteners | 27 g sugars (sucrose + glucose) | 0 g sugars; sweetened with sucralose & acesulfame K |
| B Vitamins | Niacin (B₃) 20mg, Pantothenic acid (B₅) 5mg, Vitamin B₆ 5mg, B₁₂ 5μg | Niacin (B₃) 20mg, Pantothenic acid (B₅) 5mg, Vitamin B₆ 5mg, B₁₂ 5μg |
| Other Ingredients | Citric acid, sodium bicarbonate, magnesium carbonate, artificial flavour & color | Citric acid, sodium bicarbonate, magnesium carbonate, artificial flavour & color; may also include xanthan gum |
| Calories | 110 kcal | ~7 kcal |
| Fat / Saturated Fat | 0 g | 0 g |
| Protein | 0 g | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 27 g total carbs per can | 0 g carbs |
| Sodium | Small & variable, not highlighted | Small & variable, not highlighted |
| Caffeine Warning | “High caffeine content Not recommended for children or pregnant‑ or breastfeeding women." | “High caffeine content Not recommended for children or pregnant‑ or breastfeeding women." |
| Special Labelling | “Supplemented”
“High in Sugars” |
“Supplemented”
“Contains Sucralose and Acesulfame‑Potassium” |
Included Consumer Safety Information of both Products:
- “Not recommended for those under 14 years old, pregnant or breastfeeding women or individuals sensitive to caffeine.”
- “Do not drink more than 2 servings per day”
- “High caffeine content”
- “Not a significant source of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, fibre, Vitamin A/C, calcium, or iron”
- “Serve chilled”
- Additional warnings against mixing with alcohol
- “Supplemented” Health Canada label
Both products comply with Canadian regulations such as bilingual representation, nutritional facts, ingredients, net volume of the product, country of origin or import information, and the mandatory caffeine, as well as other supplements or agents, warning. Although, with the fundamental differences of the drink’s composition, there are some apparent differences to the labels that highlight the variance.
4.2 Indicate whether the information complies with the regulatory requirements as outlined in Lesson 04.
Label Elements Found on Both Products:
Product Name:
As per the laws set out by the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations both products must possess a label with a clear or ‘common name’ in order to have the product identified. This is set out and practiced by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
Net Quantity:
As per the laws set out in the Weights and Measures Act, both labels possess the quantity of the product in the metric system. Located both on the individual bottles and the boxes one can purchase in the store, the quantity must be visible and declared on the front label. This is set out and practiced not by the CFIA particularly, but by Measurement Canada.
Nutrition Facts & Ingredients List:
As per the laws set out in the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations, both products must possess a detailed Nutritional Facts Label; both of which must list the calories, macronutrients (fats, sugars, proteins, etc.), as well as micronutrients A daily percentage value, such as with sugar. Additionally, the FDR required an ingredients list to be listed in descending order of their proportion in the product by weight. These laws while set out by Health Canada, are practiced by the CFIA.
Allergen and Sensitivity Information:
As per the laws in the FDR, it is required to disclose certain substances or allergens in their product. With Redbull, they are required to declare the addition of sulphites. Additionally, both bottles possess a large label in the top right corner which provides a warning from Health Canada for high sugar content and a exclamation mark in order to tell the consumer to look into the suitability of the product for consumption. This is due to Health Canada’s law requiring energy drinks such as Red bull to state that it is not recommended for children under 14 or pregnant/breastfeeding women.
Disclosure of Caffeine Content:
As per laws from Health Canada, all caffeinated beverages, such as Red bull, must possess a statement on their labels revealing their caffeine content. This can be seen in both Red Bull cans, which possess a total of 80mg of caffeine.
Name and Location of Manufacturer:
As per the laws set out in the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act and Regulations, both labels of the cans possess the name of the manufacturer, and the location.
Bilingual Writing:
As per both the Consumer Packaging and Labeling Act, as well as Official Bilingualism within the country, both cans of Red bull possess writing in both English and French. This is found for core information such as on the nutritional label, allergen or health warnings, ingredients, and the common name if it is different across languages.
Detailed Description of both Labels (assuming 250 ml):
Both Red Bull and Red Bull Sugar Free have carbonated water, citric acid, taurine, artificial flavouring, sodium bicarbonate, magnesium carbonate, niacin, pantothenate, caffeine, vitamin B6, vitamin B12
Based on this we can say with confidence that both Red Bull Energy Drink and Red Bull Sugar Free contain all the necessary information and thus comply with the regulatory requirements discussed in class.
Personal Choice (5 points)
Please submit your individual component of this assignment on Canvas to protect your privacy and your personal opinion
References
Please use the Wikipedia reference style. Provide a citation for every sentence, statement, thought, or bit of data not your own, giving the author, year, AND page.
Note: Before writing your wiki article on the UBC Wiki, it may be helpful to review the tips in Wikipedia: Writing better articles.[1]
- ↑ En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Writing better articles. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Writing_better_articles [Accessed 18 Jan. 2018].
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