Jamaican bagged drink, better known as “bag juice”, is renowned, enjoyed and even featured in the island’s music. So it is not surprising that the recent proposal to ban the bagged product from the school feeding programmes across the island has irked not only the vendors, but also manufacturers of the “juice”.

Surprisingly, the biggest opposition to the change by the Government comes from parents who feel the move is pointless and just a deprivation of children’s comfort in sweet drinks.The reasoning behind the ministry’s move is that the bagged drink is unhealthy and may be contributing to lifestyle diseases, especially among children.Most Jamaicans are familiar with the constituents of a bag drink. It is far from what a “juice” actually is, as it is mainly made with water and syrup. The coloured drink can be purchased for $50 for a dozen or $10 a piece.It is affordable for many parents who cannot afford to buy genuine fruit juices, which are on average sold for between $80 and $100. In most cases, children with the greatest nutritional deficiencies feed on the bagged drink from a very young age, while others regularly consume it out of habit.Parents who oppose the ban are consoled, however, by the fact that, despite a ban, the children can still have a “bag juice” at home, at the school gate or otherwise.Will this ban really change the impact of the nutritional changes the ministry seeks? Perhaps not, especially as the bag drink has no nutrition, no vitamin C or other health benefits that will help growing children.So, what is the difference between real juice and a bag drink and what are the options to be taken into consideration in the plight of parents?Fruit juice contains just as much sugar as sodas and other juice drinks, whether it is 100 per cent juice or has extra sugar added. This phenomenon is often as a result of the naturally occurring sugars present in fruits, largely fructose. A study published in the

Journal of Nutrition showed that in juice made with 100 per cent fruit, the fructose concentration accounted for 67 per cent of sugar, while in sugar-sweetened beverages made with high fructose corn syrup, fructose constituted approximately 60.7 per cent sugar.Even though the sugar concentration in fruit juice and bag drink may be close in amount, the difference may just be that one beverage has vitamins and minerals, while the other does not. Fruit juices contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, but lack significant fibre.This discrepancy, therefore, presents a challenge to the nutrition of children as parents may turn to other sugary beverages such as sodas if “bag juice” is banned in school. The Healthy AlternativeThis problem faced by the ministry and parents presents an opportunity for a healthy alternative — making real fruit juice at a competitive cost or replacing juice altogether with whole fruit. Orange juice, for example, does contain vitamin C and is a decent source of folate, potassium and vitamin B1. It also contains antioxidants, some of which can increase the antioxidant value of the blood.However, when compared to whole oranges, calorie for calorie (or sugar gramme for sugar gramme), it is nutritionally poor. The main problem is this: fruit juice contains low fibre and is very high in sugar.Perhaps the Government could assist with developing a business model to substitute bag drink for real local fruit juice or whole fruit.The cost factor may be prohibitive with whole fruit, given that local supply is unreliable at this point, but there could be a more business-like approach to harness our natural fruits. Jamaicans could benefit by being able to supply our abundant seasonal crops to a new market.It could be an investment in creating local juices and bagging them like the bag drink. For companies manufacturing fruit juices, exploring ways to use the bag juice packaging instead of bottling or other packaging may not only reduce production cost but also create an avenue for additional income.Packaging beverage in a bag is more cost-effective than bottling, as well as the use of cartons. A bag juice unit package has an approximate cost of $9.57 while clear plastic bottles (250ml) cost approximately $13.30 per bottle, nearly 40 per cent more expensive.Since the real concern is the nutritional value and sugar content, the Government should instead move to ensure bag drink is fortified with essential nutrients and the sugar content regulated not only for bagged drink but also for fruit juices. In doing this, children will be able to benefit from the added nutrition, parents will still benefit from the cost effectiveness, and small bag drink businesses will still be able to earn a living.There are several Jamaican fruits which are renowned for their health benefits such as passion fruit, soursop, mango, pineapple, rose apple, just to name a few.Jamaica is blessed with bountiful amounts of tropical fruits which can be used. The Government can provide the land for farming, while employment can be provided by SMEs through access to special loans. An example of this is the Red Stripe cassava farms initiative that provides the tuber that is used in the brewing of beer locally. It is possible, but it will take some initiative on the part of the Government and the private sector.In this way, not only will the school nutrition programme benefit children but it will also help the economy as more factories mean more employment. Even more positively, in the long run, there will be a reduction in chronic non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension which seem to be on the rise especially among the young, and costs to treat them grow every year.Since “bag juice” is king, it would be a worthwhile move by the Government to stipulate nutritional content and ensure that the product lives up to the title of being real juice, rather than a drink. This would also present a great business opportunity for farmers and entrepreneurs in the private sector. 

Hugh Graham is the founder/managing director of Paramount Trading (Jamaica) Limited, a supplier of food and industrial chemical raw materials in Jamaica.