Why Nutri-Grade B Is Not Enough: What to Look for in a Sparkling Water
If you've just started paying attention to Nutri-Grade labels, Grade B probably looks pretty good. It's green, it's near the top, and most of the drinks marketed as "healthy" or "low sugar" in Singapore sit right there.
But Grade B covers a wider range than most people realise. A drink can earn Grade B with up to 5g of sugar per 100ml, or by using artificial sweeteners to eliminate sugar entirely. Neither of those is quite what health-conscious shoppers are looking for when they make the switch from soft drinks.
This article breaks down what Grade B actually means, why sweeteners are more complicated than they appear, and what to look for if Grade A is genuinely your goal.
What Grade B Actually Allows
Under Singapore's Nutri-Grade system, Grade B covers two very different types of drinks:
High end of Grade B: Up to 5g of sugar per 100ml. A 330ml can could contain up to 16.5g of sugar and still carry a Grade B label. That's not far off a standard soft drink, and the light green label gives no indication of where in the range a drink sits.
Low end of Grade B: Zero sugar, but containing artificial sweeteners. Under the regulations, any drink with sweeteners (sucralose, erythritol, stevia, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, or any other sugar substitute) is automatically classified as Grade B or lower, even with zero grams of sugar. The sweeteners disqualify it from Grade A.
This is why "zero sugar" and "Grade A" are not the same thing. Many zero-sugar sparkling drinks on Singapore shelves are Grade B because of their sweetener content, not their sugar content.
The Problem with Sweeteners
Sweeteners are widely used in flavoured sparkling waters precisely because they allow brands to offer fruit flavours with zero sugar and zero calories. Erythritol and sucralose are the most common combination in the Singapore market.
The issue is not that sweeteners are definitively harmful. The science is genuinely mixed. But there are a few reasons why a clean-label Grade A drink is preferable for most people:
Ongoing health questions. Research into the long-term effects of regular sweetener consumption is still developing. Some studies have linked high sweetener intake to changes in gut microbiome composition, increased sweet cravings, and potential cardiovascular effects. The HPB's own guidance notes that "non-nutritive sweeteners may not confer any long-term benefit in reducing body fat."
They are not real ingredients. Sucralose is produced by chlorinating sucrose. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol derived through fermentation. Neither comes from fruit. When a drink lists these as its main flavour-delivering ingredients, the fruity taste is entirely engineered.
The label tells the full story. A drink that achieves Grade B through sweeteners will list those sweeteners on its ingredients panel. A drink that achieves Grade A through real, low-sugar ingredients will have a noticeably shorter and more recognisable list.
What a Genuine Grade A Sparkling Water Looks Like
Grade A requires sugar of 1g or less per 100ml, with no sweeteners at all. That is a narrow target. Most flavoured drinks cannot hit it without either using sweeteners (which disqualify them) or using real fruit in carefully calibrated quantities.
The latter is harder to formulate but results in a drink that earns its grade through its actual ingredients rather than around them.
A Grade A sparkling water with a clean label will typically show:
- Carbonated water as the base
- A small quantity of real fruit juice
- No sweeteners of any kind
- No preservatives
- A sugar content well under 1g per 100ml
That is exactly what Wild Orchard is. Made with real fruit juice in Lychee, Mango, and Pink Guava, with no added sugar, no sweeteners, and no preservatives, Wild Orchard sits comfortably within the Grade A threshold because of what is in it, not because of what has been removed or substituted.
It is also the only locally made sparkling water in Singapore built specifically around the Grade A standard and a clean ingredient label.
How to Read a Label Before You Buy
Next time you pick up a sparkling water, here is a quick checklist:
- Check the Nutri-Grade mark. Grade A is dark green. Grade B is light green. If it is not displayed, check the nutrition panel for sugar per 100ml.
- Read the ingredients list. Look for sucralose, erythritol, stevia, aspartame, or acesulfame potassium. Any of these means Grade B at best.
- Look at the sugar content. A Grade B drink could have anywhere from 0g to 5g of sugar per 100ml. The grade alone does not tell you where it sits.
- Check for preservatives. Potassium sorbate is common in sweetener-based sparkling drinks. A truly clean label will not need it.
If the ingredients are carbonated water, real fruit juice, and nothing else of concern, you have found a Grade A drink that earns its grade the right way.
The Bottom Line
Grade B is better than Grade C or D. But it is not the same as Grade A, and within Grade B there is a significant range. A drink with 5g of sugar per 100ml and a drink with zero sugar but three artificial sweeteners both carry the same light green label.
If you are specifically looking for a sparkling water that is Nutri-Grade A, genuinely flavoured, and free from sweeteners and preservatives, the options in Singapore are narrow. Wild Orchard was made to fill that gap.
Shop Wild Orchard | Free delivery on orders over $50, islandwide across Singapore.
Want to understand more about how Singapore's Nutri-Grade system works? Read our complete Nutri-Grade A guide.
