Course:FNH200/Assignments/2026/Nestea Iced Tea-Regular vs Sugar Free

Nestea Zero Sugar Iced Tea Images from walmart.ca

Introduction

Nestea Iced Tea 1.89 L (bottle) & Nestea Zero Sugar Iced Tea 1.89 L (bottle)

Nestea is a popular iced tea brand owned by Nestlé. It is known for its refreshing brewed tea taste and natural lemon and peach flavours. In Canada, Nestea is widely available in ready-to-drink bottles, cans, and powdered drink mixes and offers many different flavors and alternatives. It can be found at many supermarkets, convenience stores, and other retailers across Vancouver and the rest of Canada.

Our team focuses on the 1.89 L bottled versions of Nestea Iced Tea and Nestea Zero Sugar Iced Tea.

Post Pictures

Nestea Iced Tea Images from walmart.ca

Ingredients Lists

1. Ingredients

Nestea Iced Tea	Nestea Zero Sugar Iced Tea
Filtered water Sugars (glucose-fructose) Citric acid Tea Potassium citrate Natural flavour	Filtered water Malic acid Tea Potassium citrate Acesulfame potassium Natural flavour Sucralose

2. Substitutes & Additives

	Nestea Iced Tea	Nestea Zero Sugar Iced Tea
Sugar additives	None	Acesulfame potassium sucralose
Fat additives	None	None
Additives	Citric acid Potassium citrate Natural flavour	Malic acid Potassium citrate Natural flavour

3. Functional roles of the substitutes and additives:

Sugar substitutes

• Acesulfame potassium: In Nestea Zero Sugar Iced Tea, acesulfame potassium is used as a high-intensity sugar substitute. It is much sweeter than regular sugar, so only a small amount is needed. It provides sweetness with little or no meaningful caloric contribution.
• Sucralose: Sucralose is another high-intensity sugar substitute used in the zero-sugar product. It provides a sweetness profile that is more similar to regular sugar and contributes little or no meaningful caloric value because only a very small quantity is required.

Fat substitutes

• Neither product contains fat substitutes. Fat is generally unnecessary in these water-based beverages because the products do not depend on fat to provide creaminess, richness, or texture. Therefore, no ingredient is needed to replace the functional properties of fat.

Additives

• Citric acid: Citric acid is used in regular Nestea Iced Tea as an acidulant and pH-control agent. It lowers the beverage’s pH, provides a refreshing tart taste, and balances the sweetness of glucose-fructose. Maintaining an acidic environment can also support product stability by making conditions less favourable for the growth of many spoilage microorganisms.
• Malic acid: Malic acid performs a similar function in Nestea Zero Sugar Iced Tea. It provides tartness, helps control the product’s pH, and balances the intense sweetness of acesulfame potassium and sucralose. Malic acid generally produces a smooth and relatively long-lasting sour taste, which may help create a fuller flavour in a beverage that does not contain regular sugar.
• Potassium citrate: Potassium citrate acts mainly as a buffering and pH-control agent in both products. A buffer helps reduce large changes in pH, allowing the beverage to maintain more consistent acidity during processing and storage.
• Natural flavour: Natural flavour is added to create or strengthen the expected flavour and aroma of the beverages. It helps maintain a consistent sensory profile because the flavour of brewed tea may vary naturally between batches. It may also help balance the tastes of the acids and sweeteners.

4. Comparison and Contrast of the Two Products:

Both products contain filtered water, tea, potassium citrate, and natural flavour. Neither product contains a fat substitute. The main difference is the type of sweetener used. The regular product contains glucose-fructose, whereas the zero-sugar product contains acesulfame potassium and sucralose. Therefore, the regular version derives sweetness and calories from sugar, while the zero-sugar version maintains sweetness with few or no calories from high-intensity sweeteners. Overall, the zero-sugar product replaces glucose-fructose with high-intensity sweeteners, while retaining the main tea and lemon flavour characteristics of the regular product.

Labels

1. Detailed Description of the Label Information

• Bilingual Text: All text on both bottles, including the product name, claims, nutrition facts, and ingredients, is presented in both English and French.
• Net Quantity: Both bottles display a net volume of 1.89 L on the front label.
• Common Name: Both products are clearly identified on the front label as "Iced Tea" in English and "Thé Glacé" in French.
• Nutrition Facts Table: Both labels feature a standardized nutrition panel based on a serving size of 1½ cups (375 mL).
  • The regular Nestea contains 120 calories and 31 g of carbohydrates (which are all sugars), representing 31% of the Daily Value.
  • The Zero Sugar alternative contains 5 calories, 0 g of carbohydrates, 0 g of sugars, and 0% of the Daily Value for sugars.
• List of Ingredients: Both bottles include a complete list of ingredients located directly beneath the Nutrition Facts table. The Zero Sugar version specifically lists "Acesulfame potassium" and "Sucralose" as ingredients.
• Front-of-Package (FOP) Warning Label: The regular Nestea bottle features a recognizable Health Canada magnifying glass symbol on the front indicating it is "High in Sugars" and "Élevé en Sucres" in French. The Zero Sugar version does not have this symbol.
• Additional Product Information:
  • Caffeine Content: Both bottles specify their caffeine content (16 mg per 375 mL for regular, 17 mg per 375 mL for Zero Sugar).
  • Storage and Handling: Both labels contain the instructions "PASTEURIZED / PASTEURISÉ" and "REFRIGERATE AFTER OPENING / RÉFRIGÉRER APRÈS OUVERTURE".
  • Marketing Claims: Both prominently display claims such as "Real Tea" (Vrai Thé), "Naturally Flavoured" (Aromatisé Naturellement), and "No Artificial Flavours and Colours Added".

2. Compliance with Regulatory Requirements

• Mandatory Label Information: Lesson 04 dictates that labels must include bilingual text, a common name, net quantity, a nutrition label, and an ingredient list. Both Nestea bottles successfully display all of these mandatory elements in a legible format.
• Front-of-Package (FOP) Labeling: According to the Health Canada regulations highlighted in the lesson, foods high in specific nutrients (such as saturated fat, sodium, or sugars) must display an FOP warning symbol. Because the regular Nestea contains 31% of the Daily Value for sugars, it correctly displays the mandatory "High in Sugars" magnifying glass symbol.
• Sweetener Labelling: Lesson 04 notes that the presence of certain ingredients, such as sweeteners, triggers specific labeling requirements depending on the food. The Zero Sugar product complies by explicitly listing its artificial sweeteners (acesulfame potassium and sucralose) in the ingredient list.
• Nutrition Facts Consistency: The Nutrition Facts tables on both bottles follow the standardized format and accurately reflect the presence (or absence) of sugar, aligning with the regulatory function of Health Canada to establish standards of composition and identity.

References

This Food Science resource was created by Course:FNH200.