I was recently on a half term holiday and my 9 year old daughters blood sugars spiked every evening and I realised that the diet coke from the bar must be contaminated with sugar because it comes down the same tube as the coke. When I told diabetic friends they all knew to avoid them and to buy only bottled or tinned. How come nobody told me? Surely there should be a list of these sorts of issues somewhere!
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Soft Drink dispensing machines
- Thread starter CGar
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DeusXM
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
The actual amount of sugar from 'contamination' must be minimal - think about it, it all comes down the same tube so if it was significant, every drink you ordered would taste like Coke.
What is far more likely is either the person pouring the drinks isn't paying attention and pressing the wrong button, or they've got the wrong syrup hooked up the diet button. That's assuming, of course, it's the coke that's the problem and not the change to your daughter's routine from half term.
It's very easy to check if your drink is diet or not. Spill a little on your fingers and let it dry. If it's very sticky, it's regular. If it's not, it's diet.
I wouldn't avoid draught Coke on the basis it could be contaminated because the contamination would be minimal at best, we're talking like 0.1g here. Syrup mix-ups are more of a problem so I always watch carefully when they're being poured - typically diet coke is a lower button than regular. Also, when you've been drinking diet Coke as long as I have, you can spot the regular stuff instantly because it makes your teeth go furry.
What is far more likely is either the person pouring the drinks isn't paying attention and pressing the wrong button, or they've got the wrong syrup hooked up the diet button. That's assuming, of course, it's the coke that's the problem and not the change to your daughter's routine from half term.
It's very easy to check if your drink is diet or not. Spill a little on your fingers and let it dry. If it's very sticky, it's regular. If it's not, it's diet.
I wouldn't avoid draught Coke on the basis it could be contaminated because the contamination would be minimal at best, we're talking like 0.1g here. Syrup mix-ups are more of a problem so I always watch carefully when they're being poured - typically diet coke is a lower button than regular. Also, when you've been drinking diet Coke as long as I have, you can spot the regular stuff instantly because it makes your teeth go furry.
Robster65
Senior Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Some people buy (or order on prescription) a tub of urine dip sticks which can then be used to test soft drinks.
The sugary stuff obviously gives a higher reading than the diet, although you'd need to test trusted samples initially to know what % they are.
As Deus said, it's not unknown for diet and regular to be interchangeable since most customers neither know nor really care (to a large extent) what they get. It's only us and certain other minority groups that find it to be a big problem, even though, legally, you should always get exactly what you pay for.
Rob
The sugary stuff obviously gives a higher reading than the diet, although you'd need to test trusted samples initially to know what % they are.
As Deus said, it's not unknown for diet and regular to be interchangeable since most customers neither know nor really care (to a large extent) what they get. It's only us and certain other minority groups that find it to be a big problem, even though, legally, you should always get exactly what you pay for.
Rob
Ruth Goode
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Parent of person with diabetes
Thank for the idea of dipping it with urine strips, I didn't know that 🙂
alisonz
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
As an ex landlady I would like to point out that soft drinks don't come down the same pipes. Each individual drink has its own pipe but shares the nozzle, this, by rights, should be soaked every evening. Also any self respecting publican should be cleaning these pipes on a regular basis, I have known it where the wrong syrup is attached to the wrong line.
Have to admit I don't like drinks from these dispensers and prefer to buy cans
Have to admit I don't like drinks from these dispensers and prefer to buy cans
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