Toothfriendly beverage approved

A global ingredient supplier Cargill Juice Beverage Application has developed a concept of healthier children’s drinks, including a first product sample named “Smile”. Smile has successfully passed the plaque-pH telemetry test at the University Dental Institute of Zürich and is approved to carry the internationally recognized “Toothfriendly” quality mark.

Until now, the quality mark has been certifying mainly confectionery products, such as sugar-free chewing gum, mints and lollipops. “The formulation of a beverage that is kind to teeth is extremely difficult”, says Kati Leskinen of Toothfriendly International. “We are pleased to see that the industry is taking the dental concerns serious.”

Smile is sweetened with the novel toothfriendly sugar isomaltulose. Unlike most soft drinks, the product does not contain excessive amount of erosive acids. Moreover, Smile offers calcium (15% of RDA in 200 ml) to help make the child’s teeth stronger.

The British government has launched its plan to ban all soft drinks from school vending machines. Dental caries and erosion are directly linked to the frequency of consumption of acidic drinks including carbonated soft drinks, juices and squashes. Contrary to popular belief, sugar-free sodas are as erosive as regular ones. According to the recently published School Food Trust report, two thirds of school children in the UK have dental erosion of either their primary or permanent teeth.

Given the major negative publicity and marketing restrictions beverage will face, pressure is on manufacturers to create soft drinks and juices which do not harm teeth.