thecognitivedis...'s  Instablog

Robinsons are part of the Britvic Group plc and are one of Europe’s largest soft drinks and juice companies. They sell 1.9 bn litres of soft drinks each year. If you look at the below bottle the juice contains ‘no artificial colours or flavours, making it the perfect choice for your family.’ However, as pointed out below the juice contains artificial sweeteners. Robinsons highlight that the juice contains no artificial colours or flavours thereby inferring that it contains no nasties and is a healthy choice for families. 

The juice contains artificial sweeteners which are unhealthy. So what’s the story with that? Artificial sweeteners are cheap and inexpensive. Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar so less of it is required. Therefore, this is purely capitalising on a cheap substitute for sugar. Robinsons are concerned with making profits not consumer health or welfare. I don’t have a problem with Robinsons seeking to maximise profits, but I have a problem with them pretending to be concerned about consumer welfare.