Is your cocktail ultra-processed? Nutrition labels won’t tell you

Many ready-to-drink cocktails have as much sugar as Coca-Cola – but a loophole avoids the ‘ultra-processed’ tag

If you’ve browsed the refrigerated section of a liquor store recently, a bevy of pre-mixed cocktails may have caught your eye – piña coladas, vodka mules, rum and cokes, even a mojito. And if you’ve cracked one open, you may have thought, “A little sweet for my taste, but not bad.” Turn the bottle around to look for the nutrition facts label to figure out exactly how much sugar or artificial sweetener is in there … and you’re likely to come up empty.

Many ready-to-drink cocktails and alcopops contain as much sugar as carbonated beverages like Coca-Cola. All that sugar – and other additives – has many alcoholic beverages falling into the category of “ultra-processed foods” (UPF). But unlike other sugary beverages, most alcoholic drinks aren’t required to print nutrition facts – opening up a loophole for ultra-processed foods to unknowingly sneak their way into our diets.

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