Sunny D is a classic orange-flavored beverage that was invented in Florida in 1963. Given its resemblance to orange juice, many people wonder if it contains Vitamin C. If you are curious if Sunny D has Vitamin C, read on for the details!
Vitamin C in Sunny D Tangy Original?
Sunny D Tangy Original contains 100% Vitamin C in an 8-fluid-ounce serving size. We confirmed this through a review of the label. Furthermore, Sunny D also confirmed that the beverage has Vitamin C on its Twitter account,
With flu season here, SunnyD has the 100% vitamin C you need to keep sickness at bay! pic.twitter.com/lU6T9xHOte
— SUNNYD (@sunnydelight) February 7, 2018
Source of Sunny D Vitamin C
While Sunny D Tangy Original has an appearance similar to orange juice, it is not really orange juice. Rather, it is primarily made of water and high-fructose corn syrup, which both don’t have Vitamin C. The label describes Sunny D Tangy Original as an “orange-flavored citrus punch with other natural flavors”.
So, where does the Vitamin C in Sunny D Tangy Original come from? A review of its ingredients (see below) shows that it comes from ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid is found naturally in citrus, berries, stone fruit, and certain vegetables. It is commonly added to foods and beverages which have had their Vitamin C depleted during processing.
Additionally, this beverage is made with several concentrated juices. These juices likely only provide a small amount of Vitamin C, if any, since they represent 2% or less of what is in the drink.
Sunny D Tangy Original Ingredients: Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup And 2% Or Less Of: Concentrated Orange Juice, Concentrated Tangerine Juice, Concentrated Apple Juice, Concentrated Lime Juice, Concentrated Grapefruit Juice, Concentrated Pear Juice, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Thiamin Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Natural Flavors, Modified Cornstarch, Canola Oil, Sodium Citrate, Cellulose Gum, Sucralose, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Potassium Sorbate To Protect Flavor, Yellow #5, Yellow #6, Calcium Disodium Edta To Protect Color.
Sunny D Flavors & Vitamin C
We previously only confirmed that Sunny D Tangy Original had Vitamin C. However, Sunny D makes several other flavors. The table below reflects each Sunny D flavor and whether it contains Vitamin C.
| Flavor | Contains 100% Vitamin C (Yes or No)? |
|---|---|
| Tangy Original | Yes |
| Smooth Orange | Yes |
| Orange Strawberry | Yes |
| Orange Mango | Yes |
| Orange Peach | Yes |
| Mango | Yes |
| Orange Pineapple | Yes |
| Fruit Punch | Yes |
| Blue Raspberry | Yes |
| Watermelon | Yes |
| Lemonade | Yes |
| Raspberry Lemonade | Yes |
Sources:
Sunnyd.com
Ascorbic acid. American Chemical Society. (n.d.). Retrieved January 1, 2023, from https://www.acs.org/molecule-of-the-week/archive/a/ascorbic-acid.html
Image Credit – Willis Lam/flickr
