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Course:FNH200/Assignments/2026/Gatorade Regular vs Zero

2026-07-25T05:16:18Z

PauloLin: Fixed minor grammar

== Briefly introduce your food products (Optional) ==
In this assignment, we will be comparing the regular and zero sugar versions of the cool blue flavor of Gatorade. Differences in ingredient lists will be discussed, as well as their effects on each formula.

== Post pictures (Mandatory) ==
[[File:Regandzero.jpg|thumb|The two bottles of Gatorade sitting together|none]]
[[File:Regnutritionfacts.jpg|thumb|The nutrition facts of the regular Gatorade|none]]
[[File:Zeronutritionfacts.jpg|thumb|The nutrition facts of the zero sugar Gatorade|none]]
== 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
#* '''Gatorade blue:'''
#** '''Sugar substitutes:'''
#*** None
#** '''Fat substitutes:'''
#*** None
#** '''Sugars (not substitutes, just noting since it's a common point of confusion):'''
#*** '''Sugar''' (sucrose) - standard table sugar, the primary sweetener
#*** '''Dextrose''' - a simple sugar (glucose) often added alongside sucrose in sports drinks for a quicker-absorbing carbohydrate source
#** '''Additives:'''
#*** '''Citric acid''' - adds tartness and helps preserve the product by lowering pH
#*** '''Natural and artificial flavor''' - flavoring blend combining both natural and synthetic flavor compounds
#*** '''Salt''' - seasoning and electrolyte replacement (sodium)
#*** '''Sodium citrate''' - buffers acidity, keeping tartness consistent; also contributes sodium
#*** '''Monopotassium phosphate''' - a source of potassium (electrolyte) and phosphorus. It also acts as a buffering agent to stabilize pH, and is commonly used specifically in sports drinks for this purpose<ref name=":0">Foodadditives.net. (2021, January 13). ''What is potassium dihydrogen phosphate (E340i) in food and uses as a fertilizer?'' <nowiki>https://foodadditives.net/phosphates/potassium-dihydrogen-phosphate/</nowiki></ref>
#*** '''Modified food starch''' - thickener/stabilizer for texture
#*** '''Glycerol ester of rosin (ester gum)''' - emulsifier/weighting agent that keeps citrus flavor oils evenly suspended, capped at 100 ppm of the finished beverage under FDA rules<ref name=":1" />
#*** '''Blue 1''' - synthetic food dye, certified batch-by-batch under FDA regulation<ref name=":1" />
#* '''Gatorade Blue Zero:'''
#** '''Fat''' '''substitutes''':
#*** None
#** '''Sugar substitutes:'''
#*** '''Sucralose''' - artificial sweetener, 600 times sweeter than sugar, passes through the body largely unmetabolized so it's essentially calorie-free<ref name=":2">U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). ''Aspartame and other sweeteners in food''. FDA.gov. <nowiki>https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/aspartame-and-other-sweeteners-food</nowiki></ref>
#*** '''Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K)''' - artificial sweetener, about 200 times sweeter than sugar, fast-hitting but slightly bitter alone, so it's usually blended with sucralose to smooth out the taste<ref name=":2" />
#** '''Additives'''
#*** '''Citric acid''' - natural-ish acid that adds tartness and helps preserve the product by lowering pH
#*** '''Sodium citrate''' - buffers acidity so the tartness stays consistent. It also contributes sodium
#*** '''Salt''' - basic seasoning and electrolyte replacement
#*** '''Potassium phosphate''' - electrolyte source, also helps stabilize pH
#*** '''Modified food starch''' - thickener that gives the drink body and helps keep ingredients evenly mixed
#*** '''Mixed triglycerides''' - emulsifier that helps disperse flavor oils evenly through the water
#*** '''Glycerol ester of rosin (ester gum)''' - emulsifier/weighting agent that keeps citrus flavor oils suspended so they don't float or separate<ref name=":1" />
#*** '''Blue 1''' - synthetic food dye for color<ref name=":1" />
#*** '''Natural flavor''' - proprietary flavoring blend, source unspecified
# Compare and contrast the lists of the two products and explain differences

== Similarities and Differences ==
Most of the ingredients used in regular blue Gatorade and Gatorade Zero are the same. The two products have water, citric acid, sodium citrate, monopotassium phosphate, modified corn starch, ester gum, and brilliant blue FCF. The protein and potassium contents of the products are the same, sitting at 0 g and 100 mg, respectively.

The modified corn starch and ester gum both serve as emulsifiers and stabilizers by preventing the drink's flavouring oils from separating from the water through amphiphilic properties and thickening. This gives both products a consistent and slightly viscous liquid texture. Monopotassium phosphate serves as a source of electrolytes, and Brilliant Blue FCF is used to give both products a blue colour. Combining citric acid and sodium citrate gives the drinks a pleasantly mild tartness while regulating their pH balance.

The primary difference between the products is where the sweetness comes from. Gatorade Zero uses Sucralose and Acesulfame Potassium, while regular Gatorade uses Sucrose and glucose (dextrose is the commercial name for glucose). Sucralose and Acesulfame Potassium, as low-calorie sugar substitutes, have significantly greater sweetness intensities compared to Sucrose and Glucose at the same amounts. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Sucralose and Acesulfame Potassium are 600 and 200 times sweeter than Sucrose, respectively.<ref>U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). [https://www.fda.gov/media/168345/download Sweetness Intensity of Sweeteners Compared to Table Sugar]. Retrieved July 23, 2026.</ref> Glucose is roughly 80% as sweet as Sucrose. The indigestibility of Sucralose and Acesulfame Potassium allows Gatorade Zero to taste sweet while having zero calories, which is significantly lower than the number of calories in regular Gatorade. The 170 calories in regular Gatorade are fully attributed to its 41 g of sucrose and glucose.

Another difference is the absence of Sodium Benzoate in Gatorade Zero. In low pH environments, Sodium Benzoate acts as a highly effective antimicrobial agent. Regular Gatorade, containing a large proportion of citric acid, has a low pH, making Sodium Benzoate a suitable ingredient for preventing spoilage and microbial growth.<ref>TJCY Industry Information. (2025, December 12). [https://www.tjcy.com/industry-information/how-sodium-benzoate-extends-shelf-life-in-beverages.html How Sodium Benzoate Extends Shelf Life in Beverages]. Retrieved July 23, 2026.</ref> Gatorade Zero does not use Sodium Benzoate because it lacks sugar content. In regular Gatorade, sugar serves as a primary food source for bacteria. The lack of sugar in Gatorade Zero removes the need for chemical preservatives.

Gatorade Zero uses natural flavours, while regular Gatorade uses natural and artificial flavours.

== Labels (1 points)==
# Provide detailed description of the information found on the labels
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!
!Regular
!Zero
|-
|Front Label
|
* Flavour (Cool Blue)
* Product Name (Scientifically Formulated Sports Drink)
* Logo (Large G with Gatorade brand name next to it)
* Number of Calories (170)
* Health Canada High in sticker (High in sugars)
|
* Flavour (Cool Blue)
* Product Name (Electrolyte Beverage*)
* Logo (smaller)
* Large text saying ZERO, and text below indicating ZERO SUGAR
* Number of Calories (10)
|-
|Back Label
|
* Same information as front label, in French.
|
* Same information as front label, in French.
|-
|Nutrition Label
|
* Serving size
* Calories
* Fat
* Carbohydrate
* Sugars
* Protein
* Sodium
* Potassium
* % Daily value + explanation
* Ingredients
|
* Serving size
* Calories
* Fat
* Carbohydrate
* Sugars
* Protein
* Sodium
* Potassium
* Chloride
* % Daily value + explanation
* "Not a significant source of saturated fat, trans fat, fibre, cholesterol, calcium, or iron"
* Ingredients
|-
|Other Information
|Contains a section: "Fluids to help REHYDRATE. Electrolytes to help REPLENISH what's lost in sweat. Carbs to help REFUEL muscles. Helps maintain normal water and electrolyte balance. Carbohydrates provide energy."
Return for refund where applicable
Refrigerate after opening
Address of PepsiCo Canada
Trademark information
Toll-free phone number for questions
Gatorade website
Bottled in Canada
|*ELECTROLYTES PER 710 mL SERVING: 320mg SODIUM, 225 mg CHLORIDE, 100 mg POTASSIUM
Refrigerate after opening
Address of PepsiCo Canada
Trademark information
Toll-free phone number for questions
Gatorade website
|}
# Indicate whether the information complies with the regulatory requirements as outlined in Lesson 04.

== 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 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Writing_better_articles Wikipedia: Writing better articles].<ref name=":1">Glycerol ester of rosin, 21 C.F.R. § 172.735 (2026). <nowiki>https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-172/subpart-H/section-172.735</nowiki></ref>

<references/>

{{Projectbox FNH200}}
[[Category:Food_Science]]

Course:FNH200/Assignments/2026/Gatorade Regular vs Zero

2026-07-24T07:08:04Z

PauloLin: Added compare and contrast section with citations

Very briefly introduce your products here<ref name=":0">Foodadditives.net. (2021, January 13). ''What is potassium dihydrogen phosphate (E340i) in food and uses as a fertilizer?'' <nowiki>https://foodadditives.net/phosphates/potassium-dihydrogen-phosphate/</nowiki></ref>.

This is a template for your assignment. Feel free to modify the headings and remove all the tips and instructions as you add details of your assignment here.

== 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) ==

Include photos of the two products of your choice, clearly showing the ingredient lists and the overall labels - mandatory, if you don't show it, the TA's can't mark the rest.

Instructions on how to add photos and images to UBC Wiki can be found here: [[Help:Adding Media/Images and Pictures|https://wiki.ubc.ca/Help:Adding_Media/Images_and_Pictures]]

[[File:Crepuscular Rays in GGP.jpg|thumbnail|right|Images from [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Wikimedia Commons] can be embedded easily.]]

== 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
#* '''Gatorade blue:'''
#** '''Sugar substitutes:'''
#*** None
#** '''Fat substitutes:'''
#*** None
#** '''Sugars (not substitutes, just noting since it's a common point of confusion):'''
#*** '''Sugar''' (sucrose) - standard table sugar, the primary sweetener
#*** '''Dextrose''' - a simple sugar (glucose) often added alongside sucrose in sports drinks for a quicker-absorbing carbohydrate source
#** '''Additives:'''
#*** '''Citric acid''' - adds tartness and helps preserve the product by lowering pH
#*** '''Natural and artificial flavor''' - flavoring blend combining both natural and synthetic flavor compounds
#*** '''Salt''' - seasoning and electrolyte replacement (sodium)
#*** '''Sodium citrate''' - buffers acidity, keeping tartness consistent; also contributes sodium
#*** '''Monopotassium phosphate''' - a source of potassium (electrolyte) and phosphorus. It also acts as a buffering agent to stabilize pH, and is commonly used specifically in sports drinks for this purpose<ref name=":0" />
#*** '''Modified food starch''' - thickener/stabilizer for texture
#*** '''Glycerol ester of rosin (ester gum)''' - emulsifier/weighting agent that keeps citrus flavor oils evenly suspended, capped at 100 ppm of the finished beverage under FDA rules<ref name=":1" />
#*** '''Blue 1''' - synthetic food dye, certified batch-by-batch under FDA regulation<ref name=":1" />
#* '''Gatorade Blue Zero:'''
#** '''Fat''' '''substitutes''':
#*** None
#** '''Sugar substitutes:'''
#*** '''Sucralose''' - artificial sweetener, 600 times sweeter than sugar, passes through the body largely unmetabolized so it's essentially calorie-free<ref name=":2">U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). ''Aspartame and other sweeteners in food''. FDA.gov. <nowiki>https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/aspartame-and-other-sweeteners-food</nowiki></ref>
#*** '''Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K)''' - artificial sweetener, about 200 times sweeter than sugar, fast-hitting but slightly bitter alone, so it's usually blended with sucralose to smooth out the taste<ref name=":2" />
#** '''Additives'''
#*** '''Citric acid''' - natural-ish acid that adds tartness and helps preserve the product by lowering pH
#*** '''Sodium citrate''' - buffers acidity so the tartness stays consistent. It also contributes sodium
#*** '''Salt''' - basic seasoning and electrolyte replacement
#*** '''Potassium phosphate''' - electrolyte source, also helps stabilize pH
#*** '''Modified food starch''' - thickener that gives the drink body and helps keep ingredients evenly mixed
#*** '''Mixed triglycerides''' - emulsifier that helps disperse flavor oils evenly through the water
#*** '''Glycerol ester of rosin (ester gum)''' - emulsifier/weighting agent that keeps citrus flavor oils suspended so they don't float or separate<ref name=":1" />
#*** '''Blue 1''' - synthetic food dye for color<ref name=":1" />
#*** '''Natural flavor''' - proprietary flavoring blend, source unspecified
# Compare and contrast the lists of the two products and explain differences

== Similarities and Differences ==
Most of the ingredients used in regular blue Gatorade and Gatorade Zero are the same. The two products have water, citric acid, sodium citrate, monopotassium phosphate, modified corn starch, ester gum, and brilliant blue FCF. The protein and potassium contents of the products are the same, sitting at 0g and 100 mg, respectively.

The modified corn starch and ester gum both serve as emulsifiers and stabilizers by preventing the drink's flavouring oils from separating from the water through amphiphilic properties and thickening. This gives both products a consistent and slightly viscous liquid texture. Monopotassium phosphate serves as a source of electrolytes, and Brilliant Blue FCF is used to give both products a blue colour. Combining citric acid and sodium citrate gives the drinks a pleasantly mild tartness while regulating their pH balance.

The primary difference between the products is where the sweetness comes from. Gatorade Zero uses Sucralose and Acesulfame Potassium, while regular Gatorade uses Sucrose and glucose (dextrose is the commercial name for glucose). Sucralose and Acesulfame Potassium, as low-calorie sugar substitutes, have significantly greater sweetness intensities compared to Sucrose and Glucose at the same amounts. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Sucralose and Acesulfame Potassium are 600 and 200 times sweeter than Sucrose, respectively.<ref>U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). [https://www.fda.gov/media/168345/download Sweetness Intensity of Sweeteners Compared to Table Sugar]. Retrieved July 23, 2026.</ref> Glucose is roughly 80% as sweet as Sucrose. The indigestibility of Sucralose and Acesulfame Potassium allows Gatorade Zero to taste sweet while having zero calories, which is significantly lower than the number of calories in regular Gatorade. The 170 calories in regular Gatorade are fully attributed to its 41g of sucrose and glucose.

Another difference is the absence of Sodium Benzoate in Gatorade Zero. In low pH environments, Sodium Benzoate acts as a highly effective antimicrobial agent. Regular Gatorade, containing a large proportion of citric acid, has a low pH, making Sodium Benzoate a suitable ingredient for preventing spoilage and microbial growth.<ref>TJCY Industry Information. (2025, December 12). [https://www.tjcy.com/industry-information/how-sodium-benzoate-extends-shelf-life-in-beverages.html How Sodium Benzoate Extends Shelf Life in Beverages]. Retrieved July 23, 2026.</ref> Gatorade Zero does not use Sodium Benzoate because it lacks sugar content. In regular Gatorade, sugar serves as a primary food source for bacteria. The lack of sugar in Gatorade Zero removes the need for chemical preservatives.

Gatorade Zero uses natural flavours, while regular Gatorade uses natural and artificial flavours.

== Labels (1 points)==
# Provide detailed description of the information found on the labels
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!
!Regular
!Zero
|-
|Front Label
|
* Flavour (Cool Blue)
* Product Name (Scientifically Formulated Sports Drink)
* Logo (Large G with Gatorade brand name next to it)
* Number of Calories (170)
* Health Canada High in sticker (High in sugars)
|
* Flavour (Cool Blue)
* Product Name (Electrolyte Beverage*)
* Logo (smaller)
* Large text saying ZERO, and text below indicating ZERO SUGAR
* Number of Calories (10)
|-
|Back Label
|
* Same information as front label, in French.
|
* Same information as front label, in French.
|-
|Nutrition Label
|
* Serving size
* Calories
* Fat
* Carbohydrate
* Sugars
* Protein
* Sodium
* Potassium
* % Daily value + explanation
* Ingredients
|
* Serving size
* Calories
* Fat
* Carbohydrate
* Sugars
* Protein
* Sodium
* Potassium
* Chloride
* % Daily value + explanation
* "Not a significant source of saturated fat, trans fat, fibre, cholesterol, calcium, or iron"
* Ingredients
|-
|Other Information
|Contains a section: "Fluids to help REHYDRATE. Electrolytes to help REPLENISH what's lost in sweat. Carbs to help REFUEL muscles. Helps maintain normal water and electrolyte balance. Carbohydrates provide energy."
Return for refund where applicable
Refrigerate after opening
Address of PepsiCo Canada
Trademark information
Toll-free phone number for questions
Gatorade website
Bottled in Canada
|*ELECTROLYTES PER 710 mL SERVING: 320mg SODIUM, 225 mg CHLORIDE, 100 mg POTASSIUM
Refrigerate after opening
Address of PepsiCo Canada
Trademark information
Toll-free phone number for questions
Gatorade website
|}
# Indicate whether the information complies with the regulatory requirements as outlined in Lesson 04.

== 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 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Writing_better_articles Wikipedia: Writing better articles].<ref name=":1">Glycerol ester of rosin, 21 C.F.R. § 172.735 (2026). <nowiki>https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-172/subpart-H/section-172.735</nowiki></ref>

<references/>

{{Projectbox FNH200}}
[[Category:Food_Science]]