Sugar. Added sugar. Natural sugar. Fruit juice.

There are a lot of ways to talk about sweetness these days. And when you're standing in the soda aisle trying to figure out what's actually in your drink, things can get a little confusing. So, let's clear something up.

Culture Pop Soda has 0 grams of added sugar. But that doesn't mean our soda is sugar-free.

We get our sweetness from organic fruit juice, which naturally contains sugar. No refined sugar, no stevia, and no artificial sweeteners necessary.

Here's how it all works.

First things first: What's the difference between total sugar and added sugar?

These two terms sound pretty similar, but they mean different things on a Nutrition Facts label. Total sugars include all the sugar in a food or drink, whether naturally occurring or added. Added sugars are sugars that fall under a specific FDA labeling definition. These can include refined sugar, honey, syrups, and certain uses of concentrated fruit juice.

So a drink can have 0 grams of added sugar while still containing sugar from ingredients like fruit juice.

That's exactly the distinction you'll see on Culture Pop's cans.

So, where does Culture Pop's sweetness come from?

Fruit juice. Instead of adding refined sugar or high-intensity sweeteners, we use organic fruit juice from concentrate to create our slightly sweet, fruit-forward sodas. And fruit juice brings more than sweetness to the party. It also adds the juicy, tart, citrusy, and berry-forward flavors that make each Culture Pop flavor its own thing.

We build on those flavors with real herbs and spices, creating sodas that are refreshing, a little unexpected, and never overwhelmingly sweet. Because we don't think sweetness should be the only thing you taste.

But doesn't fruit juice contain sugar?

It sure does. And we're not here to pretend otherwise. Fruit juice contains naturally occurring sugars, which contribute to a drink's total sugar content.

For example, the Nutrition Facts labels for two of our flavors show:

• Apple: 12g total sugar, 0g added sugar per 12 oz can.

• Raspberry Lemonade: 10g total sugar, 0g added sugar per 12 oz can.

Different flavors can have different amounts of total sugar, so it's always worth checking the individual can.

The important distinction? We use organic fruit juice for sweetness, without adding refined sugar, stevia, or artificial sweeteners.

Wait, can fruit juice concentrate count as added sugar?

Yes, in some cases. The FDA has specific rules for how sugars from fruit juice concentrates are counted on Nutrition Facts labels.

Generally, sugars from concentrates that exceed what would be expected from an equivalent volume of 100% juice can count as added sugars.

So using fruit juice from concentrate doesn't automatically mean a product qualifies for a 0g added sugar label.

For Culture Pop, our current soda labels declare 0g added sugar.

A little less sweet. A lot more flavor.

At Culture Pop, our goal has never been to make the sweetest soda in the room. We want you to actually taste the ingredients. The fruit, the tartness, the herbs, the spices, and all those little flavor notes that make a sip interesting. That's why we use organic fruit juice rather than relying on refined sugar or alternative sweeteners. Not because sugar from fruit juice disappears or somehow doesn't count. Because we like what real fruit juice brings to our soda.

Zero added sugar doesn't mean zero sugar. We believe in knowing what's in your drink, and making every ingredient count.