If you’re wondering what are the ingredients of Emerge Energy, especially how much caffeine is in it, you’ve come to the right place!
In this post, we’ll be taking a closer look at the ingredients in a can of Emerge Energy Drink. We’ll also be making some helpful comparisons with other competing brands to see how Emerge measures up.
Stick around for some of my personal recommendations for energy drinks too, which you can jump ahead to at the bottom of the page.
Let’s get started.
What Is Emerge Stimulation Drink?
The Emerge brand brings you four unique energy drink collections: Original, Zero, Flavoured, and Dual.
Basically, what you’ll be getting is a carbonated energy drink with the taste of mixed fruit.
Sound like Vimto to you? Well, you’ll have to try it for yourself to find out if they taste similar or not.
But some of the main differences between the two would probably be that Emerge has stuff like caffeine, taurine, and B Vitamins thrown in as part of its blend and these are the things that make it an energy drink as opposed to a regular soft drink.
One thing about Emerge that particularly stands out for me is the sweetness of the beverage. It’s got both sugar and artificial sweeteners in it, so you can imagine how sweet it tastes.
And now, let me give you a better idea of what you’ll find inside a can of Emerge.
What Are The Ingredients In Emerge Energy Drink?
Each 250ml can of Emerge contains:
- 53 calories
- 75mg caffeine (A pretty ideal amount in my opinion)
- 0g protein
- 0g total fat
- 0g saturated fatty acids
- 11.2g total carbohydrate
- 11.2g total sugar
- 0g protein
- 0.09g salt
It also contains trace amounts of:
- Sugar
- Citric acid
- Taurine (750mg)
- Sodium Citrates
- Flavourings
- Ammonia caramel (colouring)
- Riboflavin (colouring)
- Sodium benzoate (Preservative)
- Sucralose (Sweetener)
- Acesulfame K (Sweetener)
- Niacin
- Pantothenic acid
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin B12
- Inositol
Emerge Product Range
Emerge Original
Emerge Original has become one of the most endearing brands in the UK since its launch.
You can find Emerge Original offered in two sizes: A 250ml can or a 1L bottle.
You’ll be getting 21 calories for every 100ml of Emerge Original.
As for its complex sugar content, it stands at 4.5g per 100 ml, and the sweetness of the drink is enhanced further with the presence of artificial sweeteners, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium (also known as Ace-K).
Emerge Reduced Sugar
Emerge Sugar-Free
This version of Emerge has only 4 calories in every 250ml serving. Only naturally occurring sugar is found in this drink. As with Emerge Original, Aspartame, and Ace-K have been added to sweeten the drink.
Emerge Zero Sugar
Compared with the Sugar-Free version, Emerge Zero Sugar has even fewer calories with only 3 calories per 100 ml.
You’ll find the usual low-calorie sweetener suspects, aspartame and Ace-K in this blend. But this time around, they are the only contributors to the sweet taste of the drink.
In terms of serving size, you can choose from either a 250ml can or a 1L bottle.
Emerge Flavored
Manufacturer, Cott Corporation has launched this product range to give consumers a different spin on the Emerge flavor.
With 12g of sugar and 53 calories per serving, this drink is undoubtedly on the sweeter side.
Oh, and don’t forget, you’ve got aspartame and Ace-K as part of the mix too, like all the Emerge drinks that came before it.
The Emerge Flavored product line is only available in a 250ml can.
Tangy Tropical
The flavor in this beverage comes from a combination of the antioxidant, ascorbic acid as well as stabilizers like acacia gum, glycerol esters of wood, and rosins.
Meanwhile, riboflavin and carotene contribute to the color of the drink.
Juicy Berry
I personally really liked this one. Fruit and vegetable concentrates like safflower and black carrot provide this drink with its mixed berry flavor.
Emerge Dual
With a name like that, you’d probably think of Emerge Dual as being a twin of Emerge Original. And that would certainly make you wonder about the similarities that both drinks would have in terms of their nutritional content and overall ingredients.
Well, wonder no more. Here are the main differences: calories and sugar content.
Emerge Dual
Emerge Dual has noticeably fewer calories than Emerge Original; 6 calories less per 100ml. For every 250ml serving, you’ll find 8g of sugar with extra artificial sweeteners on the side.
Emerge Dual comes in two sizes: A 250ml can and a 1L bottle.
Emerge Mixed Berry Dual
This drink contains the exact same amount of sugar and calories as Emerge Dual does.
This flavored version of Emerge Dual comes in only one size: A 250ml can.
I certainly hope Cott Corporation will consider adding more flavor choices in the future as I thought this was a pleasant variation to the Emerge line of beverages.
Emerge Dual Sugar-Free
Thanks to this sugar-free version of Emerge Dual, you can now get a taste of this energy drink without compromising your dietary discipline.
Every 100ml of this drink contains just 4 calories.
Aspartame and Ace-K are the sugar substitutes in Emerge Dual Sugar-Free, just like in every other Emerge drink. The difference here is, unlike some of the other variants, there is no sugar added to Emerge Dual Sugar-Free.
How Much Caffeine Is In Emerge Energy Drink?
Emerge energy drink products contain 75mg of caffeine per 250ml can. That’s 30mg of caffeine per 100 ml.
On this basis, Emerge doesn’t compare with the stronger energy drinks out there in the market like Bang, Monster, or Celsius.
In terms of how caffeinated it is, it’s really not that much of a difference from a good ol’ cup of coffee. According to Healthline, the average coffee contains 95mg of caffeine which is just a little more than what you’ll get from a can of Emerge.
So with these figures in mind, what you’re getting in a can of Emerge seems safe and reasonable to me.
The good news about choosing an energy drink with a sensible amount of caffeine (like Emerge has) is that you won’t have to worry about getting any of those unwanted side effects from caffeine such as insomnia, jitters, loss of bladder control, rapid heartbeat, etc.
But that’s assuming you’ve stayed within the daily recommended intake for caffeine given by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which advises us to keep to a maximum of 400mg of caffeine in a day, with only 200mg of caffeine in each serving.
If you go beyond these limits, you may experience some health issues such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and muscle breakdown.
To avoid all these problems, just be wise and practice moderation when it comes to how much Emerge and other caffeinated drinks you have.
How Much Sugar Is In Emerge Energy Drink?
Emerge has between 8g to 12g of sugar in every 250ml can (it varies depending on the product).
As for calories, there are 38 to 53 calories per 250 ml can (again, it differs based on which product you’re looking at).
The manufacturer hasn’t specifically named the types of sugars that have been used in Emerge, so I’m just going to refer to all of them as “complex sugar”.
According to the recommendations given by the National Health Service (NHS), adults should consume no more than 30g of free sugars per day.
“Free sugars” refers to the sugar you add to your food, those hidden sugars in stuff like chocolates or cakes, and things such as honey and syrups.
Well, to be honest, the sugar content in Emerge isn’t much of a concern. At least not when you compare it to other energy drink brands like Red Bull or Monster.
For Emerge, you’ll need to have more than two cans before you’ll exceed your daily sugar limit.
Nevertheless, in the long run, your health may still suffer if you habitually consume more sugar than you ought to.
So, in my opinion, ideally, you should stick to just a single can of Emerge per day just to be on the safe side. But even if you go up to two cans per day, it’s probably still fine.
Don’t have more than that a day because it’s very likely you’ve got other food in your diet which contains sugar too and you’ll need to take them all into account for your 30g daily intake limit.
Here’s a list of the possible health hazards that you might experience should you exceed the daily sugar limit recommended by the NHS:
- Weight gain
- Heart disease
- Severe acne
- Type 2 diabetes
- Cancer
- Depression
- Skin aging
- Extreme fatigue
- Liver and kidney disease
- Dental cavities
- Gout
- Dementia
Would sugar-free versions of Emerge be a better alternative then?
Well, of course, they would. In particular, either Emerge Sugar-Free, Emerge Zero Sugar or Emerge Sugar-Free Dual would be a better choice to keep your sugar intake down.
There are only between 8 to 10 calories per 250ml can of these sugar-free varieties of Emerge.
These sugar-free options maintain the familiar Emerge flavor with the help of artificial sweeteners, aspartame, and Ace-K.
Low-calorie aspartame is used widely in over 5,000 processed foods and drinks.
Like aspartame, Ace-K also contains no calories and is used in thousands of processed foods and drinks like ice cream, chewing gum, desserts, jams, and more.
There’s still inadequate evidence available so it’s hard to draw any conclusions about the long-term effects of having aspartame and Ace-K as part of your diet.
For now, however, you can safeguard your own health by not exceeding more than two cans of Emerge a day.
Other Ingredients In Emerge Energy Drink
Other than caffeine and sugar, there are two other items that stand out in the ingredients list for Emerge: Taurine and B vitamins.
Taurine
Every single Emerge energy drink product contains 750mg of taurine per 250ml can. This is a great complementary ingredient to add to the blend in my opinion.
Whenever it’s used together with caffeine, taurine can help to enhance your mental performance. It can also help with other biological functions like regulating your heartbeat, muscle contraction, and energy levels.
When it comes to energy drinks, caffeine alone isn’t enough to give you a great energy boost.
There needs to be a good blend of stimulating ingredients in order for it to be a real power booster. Taurine is one such ingredient, so it’s great to see it included in Emerge.
B Vitamins
Generally speaking, the more vitamins in an energy drink, the more nutritious the drink becomes.
Vitamin B3, which is also known as niacin, is great for lowering your cholesterol, easing arthritis, boosting brain functions, and many other benefits. However, watch your intake as large doses of this vitamin can cause nausea, vomiting, and liver toxicity.
Vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid (as you’ll find it written on a can of Emerge) helps to ensure that your body’s digestive system and nervous systems function well. It also has a part to play in the creation of red blood cells and several hormones.
This vitamin also gives you healthy eyes, hair, and skin.
However, as with other nutrients, you should monitor how much vitamin B5 you consume as having it in excess may cause acne, convulsions, dizziness, insomnia, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, enlarged prostate, and a whole host of other health issues.
Meanwhile, vitamin B6, which is also known as pyridoxine, is equally essential for supporting bodily functions like mood regulation and brain health. In addition, it also helps with reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s and treating PMS, and heart disease.
As for vitamin B12 or cobalamin, it can’t be produced by your body, so you’ll need to get your supply from your food or supplements like energy drinks. B12 is necessary to prevent anemia, support bone health, reduce depression and maintain a healthy heart.
Emerge Energy Drink Review
This review was done using 250ml cans of Emerge Dual and Emerge Dual Sugar-Free.
Visual Appeal
The moment I saw the can, the silver, and red color scheme instantly reminded me of what Emerge Original looked like before 2015 when the can was redesigned.
The abstract design on the front can leave you room for artistic interpretation. For me, I saw duality depicted by the red and silver fragments.
The brand’s name is embossed across the surface in a rugged, stylish font. The back of the can contains all of the ingredients and nutrition information.
In general, I love the shiny, metallic finish used on the Emerge can. It’s cool to the touch and also has a modern feel.
Taste
In my opinion, Emerge Dual tasted a little like Red Bull, but sweeter. Well, seeing that Emerge more or less contains the same ingredients that the classic Red Bull does, this shouldn’t really come as a surprise.
A few sips into the drink and you’ll notice a fruity-flavored fizz. I’m quite impressed with the crisp finish of the drink.
What I couldn’t stand though was the overwhelming sweetness of the drink. In fact, I felt that it made my gums a little sensitive afterwards.
Personally, I don’t like the idea of mixing both artificial sweeteners and normal sugar into the same drink.
Now, if one can of Emerge is already bothering my teeth, I can’t imagine what consuming multiple cans of Emerge might do.
Thankfully though, there’s Emerge Dual Sugar-Free. It’s definitely a little lighter in terms of its sweetness, although, for the most part, it was pretty similar to a can of regular Emerge Dual.
Effect
Similar to most energy drinks, Emerge Dual came in a generic golden hue.
This was probably just wishful thinking on my part, but with a name like Emerge Dual, I was kind of hoping to see some kind of quirky-colored liquid flowing out of this can.
Thirty minutes after a can of Emerge Dual, I still couldn’t feel any impact from the caffeine. But that could just be me and my tolerance to caffeine.
To find out whether it will work for you, you’ll have to try it for yourself.
Eventually, the effects of the drink kicked in and it gave me a nice boost. It felt like the boost lasted around three hours.
It was not until much later that I experienced a sugar crash. It was a pretty mild one though, so after a little nap, I was soon back to my usual self.
With Emerge Dual Sugar-Free, this didn’t happen for obvious reasons.
By the way, a friend of mine claims that they get the jitters when they have a can of Emerge all at once. So you might want to avoid that by sipping on your Emerge energy drink slowly instead of downing it in a rush.
Overall, I’d say Emerge is a fairly decent energy drink and I give it a 7/10 rating.
Product Comparison
Here’s a table to illustrate how Emerge compares to other energy drink brands out there on the market.
| Energy Drink Brand | Volume (ml) | Caffeine (mg) | Sugar (g) | Price (£) 1 |
| Emerge | 250 | 75 | 12 | 0.40 |
| Red Bull | 250 | 80 | 26 | 1.50 |
| REIZE | 2502 | 50 | 0 | 0.80 |
Red Bull is also a ready-to-drink beverage, similar to Emerge, but is a more established and popular brand.
Meanwhile, REIZE is a powdered energy drink sold in 4g sachets. It’s comparable to the other energy drinks per 250ml volume because this is the volume of liquid that is recommended for making one serving of REIZE.
1 These are average prices, actual prices you see in stores or online may vary slightly.
2 REIZE is a powdered energy drink, so the volume listed in this table refers to the recommended quantity of liquid that the powder should be mixed with.
Caffeine
In terms of caffeine content, Emerge has 75mg per 250ml and sits right in between the amount you’ll get from a can of Red Bull (80mg) and what you’ll find in one serving of REIZE (50mg).
If you’d like to keep your caffeine intake to a more manageable level, then Emerge is really not too bad a choice.
However, REIZE gives you the most sensible amount of caffeine per serving, so you might find that to be kinder to your health while also offering you the flexibility of scaling up your caffeine consumption whenever needed by mixing more than one sachet into the same beverage.
Sugar
In comparison with Red Bull, Emerge actually has less sugar content. It has only 12g, which is about half of what you’ll find in a can of Red Bull (26g).
But if you’d prefer to spare yourself the headache of having to constantly monitor your sugar consumption, you can just go with a completely sugarless option like REIZE.
Please note that both Red Bull and Emerge have sugar-free versions too.
For Emerge, you could go for Emerge Sugar-Free Dual, Emerge Sugar-Free or Emerge Zero Sugar. All of these drinks are sugar-free.
Whereas in the case of Red Bull, there’s Red Bull Zero (which contains Ace-K and sucralose) and Red Bull Sugarfree (which has aspartame and Ace-K).
While each of these non-nutritive sweeteners has its risks, they have been approved for use by many major regulatory bodies all over the world, so you shouldn’t worry too much about consuming them as long as you keep your intake within the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) range advised by the EFSA.
Price
Emerge is the clear winner in terms of being the most affordable. So if you’re looking to enjoy an energy drink on a budget, then Emerge might be the one for you.
Where To Buy Emerge Energy Drink
If you live in the UK, then it should be fairly easy for you to get your hands on a can or bottle of Emerge. Most retail stores and supermarkets like Tesco, Poundland, B&M Stores, Sainsbury’s, and Home Bargains sell Emerge.
There’s always the option of buying it online too. Virtual stores like Amazon, eBay, or Star Bargain are good places to start your hunt.
You could also choose to make your purchase from the online store of your favorite supermarket chain.
If you’re not in the UK, that’s fine too because you’ve got plenty of options online to get Emerge. Besides the ones I mentioned above, you can also consider places like the British Corner Shop where you can usually find most products that are popular in the UK.
You can expect to pay around 40p for a 250ml can of Emerge Original and 50p for the fancier Emerge Flavoured drink range.
Alternatives To Emerge Energy Drink
If you’re looking for other energy drinks that are similar to Emerge, here are some good ones worth trying:
For powder-based energy drink options, you can try these brands:
- Gfuel
- Zipfizz
- Advocare Spark
- REIZE (my personal favorite)
REIZE Energy Drink (10 out of 10)
REIZE is a really convenient and compact energy drink option.
Thanks to its nifty-sized 4g sachet, you can easily bring your energy drink along with you anywhere you wish to go in your bag or pocket.
REIZE is also really versatile, so you can mix it with any of your favorite beverages including juice, tea, soda, or even just plain water.
You can even adjust the strength of the energy drink to your liking; adding or reducing your liquid volume to dilute it as desired, or topping up your drink with an additional sachet for a stronger effect when you need a stronger energy boost.
Besides its sensible 50mg of caffeine, REIZE also comes with an invigorating blend of ingredients to further enhance its energizing effects. You’ll find 1000mg of taurine, along with ginseng and a generous helping of B vitamins.
Each sachet has just 11 calories, making it a healthy option.
You can get REIZE delivered right to your doorstep for only around 80p per drink, with no additional delivery costs. That’s awesome value for money.
Give REIZE a try today. I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s better than Emerge.