Paris (AFP)
The association for the defense of consumers CLCV invites you to be wary of the promises of fruit juices, smoothies or iced tea, which have a poor nutritional profile "in particular because they are very sweet".
The CLCV, which analyzed the composition of 158 drinks sold by supermarkets, asked the authorities on Tuesday "a better framework for nutritional claims and other positive mentions" on these liquids sometimes "false friends".
"Contrary to popular belief, many of these drinks have a poor nutritional profile, in particular because they are very sweet," warns the Consumption Housing Environment Association in a press release.
Thus, the drinks (fruit juices, smoothies, fruit drinks, flavored water or even iced teas and infusions) recorded between December 2020 and March 2021 in six retail chains are mostly (56%) classified "D" in the Nutri-score evaluating the nutritional quality of consumer products.
"24% are rated C, 14% B and 6% are rated E", details the CLCV, which specifies that "no drink is in the first class of the Nutri-Score (A), water being the only one. drink rated A ".
In addition, only 35% of the drinks noted display their Nutri-score.
Even fruit juices, which have the highest fruit content, remain "very sweet and low in fiber" and "cannot replace in the diet one of the recommended 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day".
To make matters worse, drinks with a better Nutri-score, therefore less sweet, "are full of additives", because "manufacturers compensate for the small amount of sugar and fruit juice with sweeteners and flavors", according to this study.
The association further notes that 91% of the drinks studied "have claims or mentions selling their antioxidant or revitalizing properties on their packaging", not false but which "may mislead the consumer".
It is for example an iced tea "without coloring" but which contains "all other types of additives", a smoothie "antioxidant" but "rated D on the Nutri-Score scale", or a fruit juice produced. in France but not mentioning the origin of the fruits used, details the CLCV, which wishes that the drinks classified D or E can no longer use "nutritional claims" or "other positive statements".
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