Here you can view our frequently asked questions about Panda. If, after reading these, you still have a question, then please get in touch with us using our Ask The Expert link, and we will get back to you with an answer.
Q. How much fruit juice do Panda drinks contain?
Panda Juice contains 70% fruit juice which means that a 330ml bottle contains 231ml of fruit juice!
Whilst the Panda Pops, Spring and Still ranges all contain 5% fruit juice from concentrate. So a 330ml bottle contains 16.5ml fruit juice. (Concentrate is juice that has been extracted from the fruit by crushing and filtering and then concentrated by evaporation
Q. What happened to the Blue Raspberry flavour?
A delicious Panda Pops Raspberry still exists but it's now healthier and better than before (and without the blue colour!). When we decided to re-launch Panda we decided to make all our flavours as natural as possible. The Panda Pops Blue Raspberry contained artificial colours, so we had to remove the artificial blue colour and replace this with natural colours. However, it's now even tastier as we improved the recipe too.
Q. How much sugar is in Panda drinks?
Although we don't add any sugar to Panda drinks, fruit juice naturally has some sugar in it. However in the Panda Pops, Still and Spring ranges the amount of sugar is very low (0.5 gram per 100 mls). As you'll see on the nutrition panels on our bottles, this equals only 12 calories per bottle. For comparison, the recommended daily consumption is 2000 calories and 90 grams of sugar (Guidelines Daily Amounts) as advised by the IGD.
Panda Juice contains a higher amount of sugar due to the high fruit juice content. The sugar in Panda Juice is all naturally occurring fruit sugar.
Q. Do Panda drinks cause tooth decay?
Panda drinks do not directly cause tooth decay. However, as Panda drinks (like many other drinks and foods) do contain a small amount of acid, we recommend that your child practice good oral hygiene. Brushing and flossing will ensure that the acid is removed from the enamel. Drinking with a straw will also help as this reduces the acid's contact with the enamel. (The acid in drinks and food can only have an influence on enamel erosion for as long as that acid is in contact with the enamel surfaces.)
Q. Soft drinks are often criticized for contributing to obesity - should I stop my child from drinking them?
Panda Pops, Spring and Still all contain about 12 calories per bottle, which is considerably lower than many other soft drinks, so you can be reassured about the amount of calories and sugar that your child is consuming.
Panda Juice contains more calories than other Panda drinks, but is still lower than many other soft drinks. The reason for more calories in Panda Juice is due to the high fruit juice content. The high fruit juice content is required to ensure these meet one of your five portions of fruit and veg a day. Even with the higher calorie content Panda Juice is still only 5% of an adult’s daily-recommended amount of calories.
Q. What happened to the Strawberry Jelly and Ice Cream flavour?
The Strawberry Jelly and Ice Cream flavour was discontinued. This is because it is not a natural flavour. As part of our Panda relaunch, we decided that we would have no artificial colours or flavours , making our range healthier.
However, we have introduced several new flavours which more than compensate for Strawberry Jelly and Ice Cream's departure. New flavours include Panda Pops Lime and Panda Still Strawberry & Banana. To find out more about our new flavours, visit Panda Range.
Q. I've read articles that say cola drinks contain phosphoric acid that removes calcium from children's bones - is that true?
Most cola drinks do contain phosphoric acid - this is added to give a more metallic flavour as opposed to the fruity taste of citric acid.
However, there has been concern that the phosphorus may lower the body's
absorption of calcium. Although this is widely disputed, we have decided to take the precautionary measure of removing it from our Panda cola.
Q. I've always been worried about the colours in Panda Pops, what have you done to improve them?
Panda Pops have historically been known for their vibrant colours but some of them such as Blue Raspberry could only be achieved by using artificial colours.
However when we decided to relaunch Panda, we wanted to make the range healthier. Therefore we decided to use no artificial colours. Although we couldn't make an exact match of the original colours, we think the new range looks and tastes better, as well as being healthier.
Q. What is aspartame? And why did you remove it from your drinks?
Aspartame is an artificial, or intense, sweetener. Artificial sweeteners are used to replace sugar. They provide the sweet taste that would have otherwise come from sugar but without the calories. The Food Standards Agency regulates which artificial sweeteners can be used, and they have approved aspartame for use.
However, there has been a lot of negative press coverage about aspartame and we are aware that some people would prefer not to consume it as a result. (We are also aware that some people may have a genetic condition that means that they cannot ingest aspartame.) Therefore we have therefore taken this opportunity to remove aspartame from our drinks.
In taking out aspartame, we have replaced it with acesulfame-K and sucralose sweeteners. These are more expensive but prolong the fantastic Panda taste for longer.