The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed all food companies to promptly remove any claim of ‘100% fruit juices’ from the labels and advertisements of reconstituted fruit juices, effective immediately, as stated in a recent announcement.
Additionally, it has instructed all companies to utilize all current pre-printed packaging materials before September 1, 2024.
“FSSAI has noted that numerous Food Business Operators (FBOs) have been misleadingly promoting different varieties of reconstituted fruit juices, falsely branding them as 100% fruit juices,” stated FSSAI in a release.
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“After extensive review, FSSAI has determined that, as per the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018, there is no provision allowing for the assertion of ‘100%’,” it further stated.
The food regulator highlighted that such assertions are deceptive, especially when the principal component of the fruit juice is water and the main ingredient, for which the assertion is made, is only present in minimal concentrations, or when the fruit juice is reconstituted using water alongside fruit concentrates or pulp.
Regulatory Compliance for Reconstituted Fruit Juices
According to India’s food regulations, food companies are required to include the term “reconstituted” in the ingredient list alongside the name of the juice derived from concentrate.
Moreover, if the amount of added nutritive sweeteners surpasses 15 grams per kilogram, the product must be labeled as ‘sweetened juice’.
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