Capri Sun, the brand that derived its name from the Italian island of Capri, is a German beverage brand owned by the Capri Sun Group Holding in Germany. A private company owned and started by Hans Peter Wild in 1969. The brand products are distributed in the United States, the Netherlands, France, the UK, Belgium, and Ireland under corporations with different production units.
This is a brand that has received high loyalty in the market by capturing the taste buds of kids and teenagers. The easy package and the variety of flavors have made this brand a favorite addition to the kids’ lunchboxes. The parents have also given in to the yummy appeal of the drink and prefer them all the more for their kids. But there’s more to the drink than just the taste.
Let’s examine how it can provide health benefits for the kids as well.
What does Capri Sun do?
Capri Sun is not a zero-calorie drink. It has calories, but the net content of calories is far below the list when compared to other popular beverages. It is a fiber-rich beverage product that doesn’t contain any sugar. And if that is the case, then Capri Sun is the best drink option out there, which not only fulfills the taste but also takes care of the health.
So you may easily add this drink as an everyday snack and lunch add-on for your kid without worrying about the health effects.
What is it made of?
All the colorful, vibrant flavors of Capri-Sun proudly present themselves as products whose ingredients are fully extracted from natural sources. It has no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives and it is made completely based on fruit juice, water, and sugar, all extracted from natural sources.
Also, the ingredients might differ according to the different flavors. But the company has made it very clear to its customer that whatever goes into the blend is completely naturally sourced with no artificial add-ons.
Is there Caffeine in Capri-Sun?
The addictive property of Capri-Sun has had many people doubting the actual content of the drink. Some have even questioned if there is any caffeine content in the drink. And, of course, the company itself claims that all of its drinks are “100% caffeine-free”.
From our own research, we found nothing that could substantiate these claims. Capri Sun does not appear to contain any caffeine whatsoever. We also could not find any lawsuits challenging Capri Sun’s claim that its products are caffeine-free.
Why is it so addictive then?
While Capri Sun is made of natural ingredients, you should know that there is an unhealthy dose of sugar in the mix.
Capri Sun Original, for instance, has about 10% sugar – from both natural and added sources. Natural sugar comes from the fruits that the beverage is made from, while the manufacturer adds a further 4.9 grams of Stevia per 100 ml. Stevia, if you didn’t know, is an artificial sweetener that is close to 150 times sweeter than sugar.
Several studies have shown that sugar is as addictive as cocaine, and this explains why Capri Sun is so addicting.
Is Capri-Sun Healthy?
The simplest answer to this question is a yes and a no. Yes because it may qualify as being healthier than other regular juice drinks and carbonated drinks and a no because the sugar content in the drink might still become a huge health concern for a few children.
It has 13 grams of sugar per pouch (331 ml). This is fairly high when one considers the 25 grams daily sugar recommendation issued by the World Health Organization in 2015. The calorie content also ranges from around 120-130 calories per pouch (331 ml).
Although Capri-Sun does not add any artificial colors or flavors to its blend, it still has a huge scope of development in terms of being a healthy drink. The sugar concentration is high enough to completely neutralize the benefit of any essential vitamins processed in the form of fruit concentrate. Therefore, you may need to check the amount of Capri-Sun bottles consumed by your kids in a day.
How many Capri-Suns can you drink per day?
The above health check definitely made us wary of our kid’s favorite fruit drink. Being cautious is good, but we also need to keep in mind the fact that a quick sugar rush every now and then is also not a huge deal. But we also need to make sure our kids do not regularly consume such high-sugar products.
I am Anand, and I am a business owner and consultant in my day job. I have spent years studying what’s inside the products we buy. ‘Feedrer’ is a wordplay on you-know-who and talks about all things food.