 | |
 Lucozade Caribbean Crush | |
| Type | Soft drink |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Suntory |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Region of origin | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Introduced | 1927; 98 years ago (1927) |
| Website | lucozade |
Lucozade is a British brand ofsoft drinks andenergy drinks manufactured and marketed by the Japanese companySuntory. Created as "Glucozade" in the UK in 1927 by aNewcastle pharmacist,William Walker Hunter[1] (trading as W. Owen & Son),[a] it was acquired by the British pharmaceutical companyBeecham's in 1938 and sold as Lucozade, an energy drink for the sick.[1] Its advertising slogan was "Lucozade aids recovery". It was sold mostly in pharmacies up until the 1980s before it was more readily available as asports drink in shops across the UK.
Aglucose and water solution, the product was sold until 1983 as acarbonated, slightly orange-flavoured drink in a glass bottle wrapped incellophane.[3] Pharmacists sold it, children were given it when ill, and hospital visitors would regularly arrive with a bottle.[4][5][b] It wasrebranded in 1978 as a "pick me up",[5] and as a sports drink in 1983, to associate it with health rather than sickness. The company switched to aplastic bottle and introduced a range of flavours.[3][9] As of 2016[update], a 500 ml bottle contained 62 g (15.5 cubes) ofsugar, more thanCoca-Cola.[10] In 2017, to avoidsugar tax, the drink was reformulated to contain 22.5 g of sugar per 500 ml of liquid,[11] as well as the artificial sweetenersaspartame andacesulfame K. In 2023, it was reformulated again. It still contains the same amount of sugar, but aspartame was swapped out forsucralose.[12][13]
The UK’s No. 1 energy drink, it has been exported to Asia and Australasia.[14] In 1989, the Beecham Group merged to form SmithKline Beecham, which further merged in 2000 to formGlaxoSmithKline. In September 2013,GlaxoSmithKline sold Lucozade and another soft drink,Ribena, to the Japanese drinks conglomerateSuntory for £1.35 billion.[15]
"Glucozade" was invented by William Walker Hunter in 1927 inNewcastle; Hunter had taken over the business of pharmacist William Owen.[1][2] Hunter sold the product to theBeecham Group in 1938 and it was eventually renamed Lucozade.[1]
Lucozade originally was available in only one variety, which was effervescent with a distinctive sweet citric flavour. It was sold in a glass bottle with a yellow cellophane wrap until 1983, when it was re-branded as an energy drink to remove the brand's associations with illness. The slogan "Lucozade aids recovery" was replaced by "Lucozade replaces lost energy". The glass bottle was replaced by a plastic (polyethylene terephthalate (PET)) one. After the re-branding, UK sales tripled to almost £75 million between 1984 and 1989.[14]
In 1989, the Beecham Group and SmithKline Beckman merged to form SmithKline Beecham,[16] and in 2000 SmithKline Beecham and GlaxoWellcome merged to formGlaxoSmithKline (GSK).[17] In 2013, GSK put Ribena and Lucozade up for sale.[18]Suntory, a Japanese holding company, bought the brands in September for £1.35 billion.[15] At the time of the sale, the product was manufactured in England at the Royal Forest Factory inColeford,Gloucestershire, in theForest of Dean.[15]
Following its rebranding as a sports drink, high-profile athletic figures in British pop culture have promoted Lucozade intelevision commercials, beginning with Olympic decathlon championDaley Thompson in 1983, followed by sporting figures such as Olympic sprint championLinford Christie, footballersJohn Barnes andAlan Shearer, rugby playerJonny Wilkinson, andTomb Raider heroineLara Croft.[14]
A stated purpose of sports drinks, which provide manycalories of energy from sugars, is to improve performance and endurance. In an analysis[when?] by Matthew Thompson and colleagues from the Oxford Centre forEvidence Based Medicine, of 431 marketing claims of performance enhancement, most cited no evidence. 174 sources were cited for Lucozade; of them, Thompson found only three studies of high quality with a low risk of bias. The rigorous studies that did show improved endurance were "of limited relevance to most people because the tests were on elite athletes". This was backed up by a research study done on professional cyclists, to see if ingesting Lucozade before an hour bike ride would impact performance. The study could not find any positive impact on performance after ingesting it.[20] Thompson said that for the vast majority of people, drinking such products "could completely counteract exercising more, playing football more, going to the gym more".[21][22]
Lucozade comes in the form of liquid in either a can or plastic bottle, or it can come in the form of a tablet. The tablets have the flavours of either orange or the original flavour.[23]
The drinks are marketed assoft drinks; a soft drinks industry spokesman said in response: "By helping people participating in sport to perform better and to recover more quickly, sports drinks can encourage people to exercise more".[21]
In May 2016,Liverpool City Council ran a "name-and-shame campaign" entitled "Is your child’s sweet tooth harming their health?". The short-lived campaign claimed that Lucozade was "the worst offender", containing 62 grams of sugar in a 500 ml bottle, followed byCoca-Cola with 54 grams. Posters for the campaign were displayed in hospitals for a time.[10]
In its original high-sugar formulation, Lucozade was recommended by UKdiabetes charities as an immediate treatment forhypoglycaemia in individuals who takeinsulin.[24][25] Since the drink now includes artificial sweeteners, guidelines have been amended to state that Lucozade should not be used to treat diabetic hypoglycaemia.[26]
While the ingredients vary somewhat from one drink to another, those of the Lucozade Original Energy were listed as follows in 2013:carbonated water,glucose syrup (25%),citric acid (E330),lactic acid (E270),flavouring (unspecified),preservatives (potassium sorbate,sodium bisulphite (E-222)),caffeine,antioxidant (ascorbic acid), colour (sunset yellow (E110),Ponceau 4R). After the reformulation to lower sugar in 2017, and another reformulation in 2023, Lucozade Original contains the sweeteners sucralose and acesulfame K.
A warning is printed on the packaging that the colouring may have anadverse effect on activity and attention in children. Nutritional information for 380 ml bottle:energy 1129 kjoules = 266 kCal;protein,fat andfibre nil;carbohydrates 65.4 g of whichsugars 33.1 g of which 65.4 g glucose-based; andsodium trace.[27] Packaging also warns that spilt Lucozade may stain. A 380 ml bottle of Lucozade contains 46 mg of caffeine,[28] about as much as a cup of tea.
Lucozade contains 0.01%ethanol (alcohol), which meant that observantMuslimscould not drink it. However, in 2004, theMuslim Council of Britain ruled that they saw no harm in consuming Lucozade which contains traces of ethyl alcohol that do not bear its original qualities and do not change the taste, colour or smell. GlaxoSmithKline pointed out that fruit juices and bread could also contain the same or higher trace amounts of alcohol due to naturalfermentation.[29]
Lucozade Energy
Lucozade Zero
Lucozade Sport
Lucozade Alert[34]
Lucozade Sport is a major sponsor of events, teams and athletes in the UK and Ireland, including theAmateur Rowing Association (ARA),FA Premier League,FA Cup,England Rugby Football Union,England Football Team,the Republic Of Ireland Football Team,the London Marathon,Parkrun,Michael Owen,Steven Gerrard andDamien Duff.[citation needed]
TheMcLaren Formula One team was previously sponsored by Lucozade. The brand has also sponsored Jamaican sprinterAsafa Powell since he first broke the 100 m World Record in 2005. They honoured hisBeijing Summer Olympics achievements with a small function in October 2008.[35]
Although soft drink representation in video games had appeared occasionally beforehand, the gameSuperfrog (originally released in 1993) featured Lucozade overtly, as a result of Lucozade sponsoring the game. Bottles of Lucozade are collectable power-ups which give the title character super powers.
In 2017, British fashion supplierMissguided was included in a campaign by Lucozade Zero. Coded cans were offered at booths in crowded areas that entitled drinkers to discounts on Missguided products.[36]
"Adrian Mole" (The Lost Diaries of Adrian Mole, 1999–2001, 2009): "Personally I think it was a great mistake to provide hospital patients with bedside telephones. They give their long-suffering relations no peace with their incessant, peevish demands for Lucozade and boxes of tissues."[8]
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