The ‘Mexican nights’ are approaching and with it the excesses. One of the ways to cure a hangover or ‘hangover’ is to drink a ‘serum’ or sports drink. But not all of them are what they seem and some brands that promote themselves as serums are not even . This is what the Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco) discovered in its latest quality study.
In the September Consumer Magazine, Profeco published the results of its analysis ” Oral serums, sports drinks and hydrating drinks “, where it scrutinized the quality, advertising and compliance with standards of various products such as Gatorade, Suerox, Electrolit, among others. brands known by athletes of all strains.
The results: serums that aren’t serums, missing ingredients, and misleading advertising. Learn to distinguish which suits you and which does not.
What did the Profeco study consist of?
The study analyzed various drinks used for rehydration, “whose formula favors the replacement of liquids immediately.”
These types of drinks usually contain water, sugars, sodium, chloride or potassium citrate, zinc, among other additives. One of its most important elements are electrolytes: salts dissolved in fluids that rub together into ions and serve to balance the level of fluids in the body.
In addition, they must have a sanitary registration with COFEPRIS and comply with various official regulations. All of this was evaluated by Profeco to determine quality, possible misleading advertising, labeling errors or consumer deception.
Hydration drinks, for sports and oral serums
Profeco analyzed oral serums (electrolytes), sports drinks and hydrating drinks, three different product categories.
sera
There are important differences between these types of drinks. Serums, for example, are generally recommended by doctors when faced with a health problem that triggers dehydration. They should not be taken as if they were water, as they can cause health problems, particularly in those who must restrict their sodium intake due to hypertension. . They are classified as health supplies.
Sport drinks
Instead, sports drinks are used to replenish water, energy and electrolytes lost by the body during exercise, they are not drinks to drink freely since they also contain sodium.
rehydration drinks
Rehydrating drinks are not regulated by the Ministry of Health and there is no rule that establishes this name, which is why they can be confused with oral serums or sports drinks. They all contain sweeteners, so they are not recommended for children. And they should not be taken as if they were water.
Hydrating and sports drinks disapproved
Within these ranges, Profeco found that there are some brands that fail to comply with the regulations that protect the consumer. The following cases stand out:
Suerox, a serum that is not serum
The drink known as Suerox “is not a serum”. Profeco warned not to be confused with the label whose legend says “Rehydrating formula. Oral electrolytes” and indicated that it is false advertising. In other words, it is a rehydrating drink whose advertising may mistakenly suggest that it is a serum.
The Suerox brand “does not comply with article 32 of the Federal Consumer Protection Law,” the attorney general’s office indicated and warned that it is following up on the findings of its quality study.
In addition, Suerox does not contain vitamins or sugar. On the other hand, it does contain minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. It also complies with sanitary quality and the content that its label says was verified. Finally, it contains non-caloric sweeteners.
does not contain calcium
Another notable case was the sports drink Jumex Sport, because according to the quality study “it is not true in its labeling since it declares 225 mg/100 ml of calcium, but it does not contain calcium,” assured the Federal Consumer Protection Office.
Finally, Profeco warned that “All the ‘rehydrating drinks’ analyzed contain non-caloric sweeteners that are not recommended for children.” This includes some brands of Gatorade, Jumex Hydrolit, Rescata and Suerox.
Electrolit and other sera analyzed by Profeco
As for serums such as Electrolit, aurax, Electrolit Pediátrico, Farmacias del Ahorro, Pedialyte, Solural, Pedialyte SR 60 and SR 45, Profeco did not have negative findings, since they all comply with regulations.
