Don’t bother inquiring about the sugar content of sodas at fast-food chains like McDonald’s and Burger King, because whatever the companies claim, the numbers may be wrong. This fact has been demonstrated by researchers at the University of Southern California examining the fructose levels of many popular sodas, including the Coke and Sprite served by McDonald’s and Burger King.

 

Independent laboratory testing found McDonald’s Coke had nearly 30% more sugar than what the nutrition label says. The chain’s Sprite was about 25% higher in sugar, while Burger King’s Sprite was a little over 20% and its Coke around 18% more.

 

Some of the products tested, such as Dr. Pepper and Mountain Dew, actually had less sugar than advertised.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Sugar Content of Popular Sweetened Beverages Based on Objective Laboratory Analysis: Focus on Fructose Content (by Emily E. Ventura, Jaimie N. Davis and Michael I. Goran, Obesity) (pdf)