Is Powerade Safe? Ingredient Analysis
Coca Cola Company
This page reviews Powerade by Coca Cola Company as a soft drink. Its current score is 30/100, suggesting that it has several flagged ingredients and may not suit cautious buyers.
If you want the short version, start with these flagged ingredients: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Calcium Disodium Edta, Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate.
30 / 100
Why score is 30
Powerade contains high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors like Yellow 5 and Red 40, indicating a highly processed composition with significant quality concerns.
Main concern
High fructose corn syrup is a processed sweetener linked to various health concerns.
Why it matters: This ingredient is flagged in our analysis based on regulatory and scientific sources. Check the Ingredients section for details and see Data sources for methodology.
Regulation status: Ingredient safety is assessed from EU/EPA/CIR and similar databases; formulations may vary. Always read the product label.
Pros
- Contains electrolytes such as sodium citrate and potassium phosphate, which can aid in hydration.
- Includes vitamins B12 and C, which are essential for energy metabolism and immune function.
Concerns
- High fructose corn syrup is a processed sweetener linked to various health concerns.
- Artificial colors like Yellow 5 and Red 40 raise safety concerns due to potential allergic reactions.
Ingredients breakdown
The ingredient notes below are written to explain what each ingredient does in this soft drink and why it matters.
-
Is Water safe in this soft drink?
Good
Water is used here as base. Water serves as the primary solvent in this beverage, essential for hydration and overall product formulation.
Role in formula: base
Original: WATER
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Is High Fructose Corn Syrup safe in this soft drink?
Bad
High Fructose Corn Syrup is used here as sweetener. High fructose corn syrup is a highly processed sweetener that raises concerns due to its association with obesity and metabolic issues.
Role in formula: sweetener
Original: HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP
Read the full ingredient profile for High Fructose Corn Syrup
-
Is Citric Acid safe in this soft drink?
Medium
Citric Acid is used here as acidulant. Citric acid is used for flavor enhancement and preservation, but its synthetic nature raises some quality concerns.
Role in formula: acidulant
Original: CITRIC ACID
-
Is Sodium Citrate safe in this soft drink?
Medium
Sodium Citrate is used here as buffer. Sodium citrate acts as a buffering agent to maintain pH balance, but it is a processed ingredient with mixed safety implications.
Role in formula: buffer
Original: SODIUM CITRATE
-
Is Magnesium Chloride safe in this soft drink?
Good
Magnesium Chloride is used here as electrolyte. Magnesium chloride provides essential magnesium, contributing to electrolyte balance and hydration.
Role in formula: electrolyte
Original: MAGNESIUM AND CALCIUM CHLORIDES
-
Is Calcium Chloride safe in this soft drink?
Medium
Calcium Chloride is used here as electrolyte. Calcium chloride is included for its electrolyte properties, but it is a processed ingredient that may raise quality concerns.
Role in formula: electrolyte
Original: CALCIUM CHLORIDES
-
Is Mono Potassium Phosphate safe in this soft drink?
Medium
Mono Potassium Phosphate is used here as electrolyte. Mono-potassium phosphate serves as a source of potassium, important for hydration, but is a processed ingredient.
Role in formula: electrolyte
Original: MONO-POTASSIUM PHOSPHATE
-
Is Natural Flavors safe in this soft drink?
Medium
Natural Flavors is used here as flavor. Natural flavors enhance taste but can be vague in terms of specific ingredients, raising some transparency concerns.
Role in formula: flavor
Original: NATURAL FLAVORS
-
Is Vitamin B12 safe in this soft drink?
Good
Vitamin B12 is used here as nutrient. Vitamin B12 is essential for energy metabolism and neurological function, contributing positively to the product's profile.
Role in formula: nutrient
Original: VITAMINS B12
-
Is Vitamin C safe in this soft drink?
Good
Vitamin C is used here as nutrient. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that supports immune function, adding beneficial properties to the beverage.
Role in formula: nutrient
Original: VITAMINS C
-
Is Modified Food Starch safe in this soft drink?
Medium
Modified Food Starch is used here as thickener. Modified food starch is used for texture and stability but is a processed ingredient with potential quality concerns.
Role in formula: thickener
Original: MODIFIED FOOD STARCH
-
Is Calcium Disodium Edta safe in this soft drink?
Bad
Calcium Disodium Edta is used here as preservative. Calcium disodium EDTA is a synthetic preservative used to protect color, raising concerns about synthetic additives.
Role in formula: preservative
Original: CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA
-
Is Medium Chain Triglycerides safe in this soft drink?
Medium
Medium Chain Triglycerides is used here as fat. Medium chain triglycerides are included for energy but are a processed fat that may raise quality concerns.
Role in formula: fat
Original: MEDIUM CHAIN TRIGLYCERINES
Read the full ingredient profile for Medium Chain Triglycerides
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Is Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate safe in this soft drink?
Bad
Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate is used here as emulsifier. Sucrose acetate isobutyrate is a synthetic emulsifier that raises concerns due to its artificial nature.
Role in formula: emulsifier
Original: SUCROSE ACETATE ISOBUTYRATE
Read the full ingredient profile for Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate
-
Is Yellow 5 safe in this soft drink?
Bad
Yellow 5 is used here as colorant. Yellow 5 is an artificial colorant that may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals, raising safety concerns.
Role in formula: colorant
Original: YELLOW 5
-
Is Red 40 safe in this soft drink?
Bad
Red 40 is used here as colorant. Red 40 is another artificial colorant associated with potential allergic reactions and behavioral effects in some individuals.
Role in formula: colorant
Original: RED 40
How we score
Our safety scores and ingredient breakdowns are based on regulatory and scientific sources. See Data sources & methodology and How Zerotox works for full details.
Product info
Product ID: 3224505
More from this brand: Coca Cola Company products in Zerotox
Similar products: soft_drink in Zerotox database
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